Graduate Diploma in Accounting

Aim: To provide students with sufficient theoretical understanding of New Zealand’s financial reporting environment, and sufficient technical skills, to prepare complex financial statements that comply with generally accepted accounting practice. The second aim is for students to gain a wider appreciation of financial reporting to enable them to respond and contribute to the development of the accounting profession.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Students will summarise accounting theories and discuss issues that need to be considered in determining the appropriate basis for accounting measurements. (Assessment weighting 5%)
   • Key elements: Accounting theories, accounting measurements
2. Discuss the requirements of NZ IAS in relation to selected accounting elements, and determine the appropriate accounting treatments and disclosures for those accounting elements. (Assessment weighting 20%)
   • Key elements: Non-current Assets - Revaluation and Impairment, Heritage and Biological Assets, Employee Entitlements
3. Discuss key issues of selected business transactions and determine the accounting treatment and disclosure according to the requirement of related NZ IAS on these transactions. (Assessment weighting 35%)
   • Key elements: Income Taxes, Revenue Recognition – Construction Contracts, Lease, Foreign Currency, Financial Instruments
4. Discuss the nature of business combinations on an advanced level and evaluate the compliance with the requirements of NZ IAS in relation to consolidated financial statements. (Assessment weighting 35%)
5. Research on and critically discuss contemporary national and international issues related to financial reporting. (Assessment weighting 5%). Key elements:
   1. Advanced Issues in Financial Reporting (select two out of the following):
      • Related Parties Disclosures
      • Segment Reporting
      • Financial Reporting by Public Benefit Entities
   2. Selected Current Issues in Financial Reporting

Aim: The general aim of this course is to provide students with advanced techniques and skills to be able to provide and evaluate accounting information, including its behavioural implications and contribute to organisational success.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Understand and outline the concepts of management accounting in the contemporary business environment from a strategic approach. (Assessment weighting 5%)
   • Key elements: Introduction to contemporary management accounting; the concept of strategies and strategic management accounting; Behavioural concerns of management accounting
2. Discuss advanced issues in costing system in relation to strategic cost management. (Assessment weighting 40%)
   • Key elements: Evaluation of costing systems; Activity based costing; Flexible budgets; Activity based budgets; Contemporary cost management techniques (Managing cost, Quality costing, Supplier costing and management, Customer profitability and management)
3. Discuss contemporary issues of performance measures. (Assessment weighting 30%)
   • Key elements: Financial performance measures; Transfer pricing; Special issues for investment centres; Reward systems
4. Discuss and evaluate advanced management accounting issues in assisting strategic decision-making. (Assessment weighting 20%)
   • Key elements: Information for tactical decisions; Pricing and product mix decisions; Information for capital expenditure decisions;
5. Students will explore and evaluate the dynamics of management accounting research. (Assessment weighting 5%)

Aim: To develop capabilities related to chosen area of specialisation, in a “hands-on” immersion in industry practice. To enable students to apply their learning, test the relevance of academic theories to the workplace and to reflect critically on this relationship between their academic study and industry practice. To enable students to carry out a significant work assignment for the host organisation on a topic in a field allied to their major and present a project report in conjunction with an academic supervisor. The project forms the final component of the programme and requires students to produce work of the highest quality as evidence of their development

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Critically analyse and reflect upon the work experience in relation to relevant theories, concepts, models and current industry practice.
2. Demonstrate the ability to define, plan and present a report involving the collection, analysis and interpretation of data and theory appropriate to an approved industry topic.
3. Synthesise solutions and draw conclusions from the analysis of data.
4. Produce a project report of professional standard that meets the host organisation’s needs as well as academic requirements

Aim: Students will apply the regulatory and technical aspects of financial accounting and external reporting for companies and evaluate financial and non-financial information.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Account for the formation of a company and demonstrate application of requirements to account for changes to equity.
2. Evaluate the New Zealand Accounting Standards Framework
3. Understand the application and implication of various financial standards in preparation of financial statements.
4. Critically review, analyse and interpret financial and non-financial information for the purpose of shareholder investment
5. Examine purpose and prepare elimination entries and financial statements for business combinations.

Aim: Students will collect, interpret, present and use relevant management accounting information for an organisation to effectively plan, control and make appropriate decisions regarding business operations.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Calculate, apply and evaluate different types of costs to various costing systems.
2. Apply management tools to assist in the planning and control of business operations.
3. Use management accounting information to assist decision-making.

Aim: Students will apply knowledge of taxation rules to New Zealand taxable entities in a range of situations.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Discuss the taxation rules relating to the definition of a business, the derivation of income and tax residency.
2. Apply taxation rules relating to deductions including depreciation and prepare a statement of taxable income.
3. Identify the taxation rules relating to the reporting, calculation and payment of taxes, including Provisional and Terminal Tax, PAYE including ESCT, Schedular payments, and Resident Withholding Tax and apply the use of money and penalty rules.
4. Analyse features of Inland Revenue administered schemes, and calculate tax credits and prepare IR3 returns.
5. Apply taxation rules to partnerships and close companies, and prepare returns.
6. Apply taxation rules for Good and Service Tax (GST) and prepare GST returns.
7. Apply Fringe Benefit Tax (FBT) rules and calculate FBT payable.

Aim: Students will demonstrate knowledge of commercial law, to enable application of legal reasoning.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Describe the New Zealand legal system.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of a selected legal area commonly affecting business.
3. Describe basic principles of the law of property and apply common provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1986, Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and the Sale of Goods Act 1908.
4. Apply fundamental principles of tort of negligence and vicarious liability to given situations.
5. Apply fundamental principles of the law of contract to given situations.

Aim: To enable students to deepen their knowledge and skills of leadership and management at the individual, group and organisational levels to enhance organisational alignment, performance and effectiveness.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Evaluate the causes and impact of personal and interpersonal behaviour in the workplace environment from an individual, leadership and organisational perspective.
2. Critically analyse the antecedent behaviours within the internal and external workplace environment that contributes to behaviours.
3. Analyse and use a range of behavioural and psychological techniques for leaders to influence and model effective workplace behaviour.
4. Explore the impacts of change on individuals and organisations and its effect on organisational dynamics such as power, authority, leadership, culture, interpersonal relationships and ethics.
5. Apply a range of strategies for leading individual, group and organisational alignment.

Aim: Students will apply financial management knowledge and skills to a small or medium size business for decision-making purposes.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the business finance environment.
2. Calculate, interpret and evaluate capital budgeting techniques and apply them to the appraisal of investment decisions.
3. Apply understanding of working capital and current assets management to given business situations.
4. Evaluate short term and long term financing alternatives for businesses.
5. Analyse principles of capital structure including the cost of capital.
6. Demonstrate application of different aspects of business finance to case studies and offer recommendations.

Aim: Students will understand the professional, ethical, legal and procedural issues that are relevant to modern auditing and assurance industry. Students will also develop an understanding of the theoretical background and current research interests in auditing profession.

On successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

1. Examine the environment, nature and scope of auditing and assurance profession
2. Discuss the legal responsibilities of auditions
3. Apply auditing standards and framework to evaluate risks, internal control and planning for an auditing engagement.
4. Apply relevant audit standards and frameworks to audit programmes and report findings.
5. Explore current issues of auditing research.