UNYP gains ACCA exemption accreditation

Global accounting body recognizes business bachelors’ programs

We have good news for the 2010 graduating class in Business Administration. In April we received notification from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) that the application for exemption accreditation which we submitted in January was successful. This applies to both the Empire State College BS degree in Business Administration and the UNYP BBA. 

This means that graduates of these programs, starting this summer, will be exempt from the first three ACCA exams. The ACCA qualification is administered by the UK-based professional body of the same name, and is the major professional designation for accountants in Europe. Anyone joining a ‘Big Four’ audit firm is required to take these exams – there are 14 papers in all, so it usually takes a few years to complete the qualification and write the letters ‘ACCA’ after one’s name. But the effort is worthwhile as the ACCA is a passport to financial management positions. So not only audit juniors but also finance professionals in many multi-national firms are encouraged to take these exams. The ACCA is also a stepping stone to the world of high finance, since an accounting background is an ideal platform to launch a career in banking, investment or consulting. Candidates work and study at the same time, facing heavy demands on their time – the advanced papers are set to a standard generally expected of masters’ level students. So not having to do the first three papers will be a great help to our graduates, both in terms of making it through the ACCA qualification sooner and being more likely to land a job with a prestigious firm in the first place. Even for those not interested in finance, ACCA exemption accreditation will add to the value of their degree. 

If you are going to enroll in the ACCA qualification, apply for the exemptions at the time of enrolment. For more information about exemptions consult the relevant part of the ACCA website (http://www.accaglobal.com/students/faqs/exemptions#1). This site contains a link to the ACCA exemptions database – where you can see our programs listed.

And there may be more good news in the coming months. We will have the chance to apply for exemptions for two further ACCA papers, raising the possibility that future graduates may only have to take 9 instead of 14 papers.