Study Details: Part-time: 1 year
The ACA qualification from the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales) is considered to be a premium, gold standard accountancy qualification that qualifies you as a chartered accountant. ICAEW chartered accountants are always in demand and theACA qualification equips students to perform at the highest levels of accountancy, business and finance.
The majority of ACA trainees work in accounting practice and the ACA qualification has a strong practice subject focus (audit, taxation) as well as covering other key technical accounting areas.
An increasing number of students are now training in other sectors too. Once qualified, ICAEW chartered accountants work in all sectors, from accounting practices to commercial organisations, financial institutions, not for profit organisations and the public sector.
The University of South Wales is recognised as an ICAEW Partner in Learning, working with ICAEW in the professional development of students. The University has a rich history of providing first class tuition for professional accountancy courses. We have been awarded PQ Magazine’s ‘Public Sector Accountancy College of the Year’ three times, and our students have won multiple awards, including awards for the highest marks in Wales.
The Professional Accounting course information brochure provides further details on part-time fees, timetables and the next available entry points.
The most popular entry route to the qualification is a good undergraduate honours degree (1st or 2:1), but entry is also available to people with no qualifications, A-level school leavers, AAT graduates, apprentices, and members of other Chartered bodies.
Trainees are ultimately required to enter a training contract with an approved employer.
Information on tuition fees is available on our Home and EU/International fees pages.
ACA students enjoy early responsibility and excellent career progression. Many ACA students double their salary during training. Salaries for newly qualified ICAEW Chartered Accountants are on a par with careers in law and banking and many become partners or financial directors early in their careers, leading to a greater variety of opportunities.
ICAEW Chartered Accountants work at the highest levels of some of the world’s largest organisations; 80% of UK FTSE 100 companies have an ICAEW Chartered Accountant on their board.
CFAB is the entry qualification for ACA. Students are able to obtain exemptions from all six CFAB modules by studying our innovative, internally assessed Cert HE (Professional Accounting). Under this scheme, students study six modules between Sept-June. Details can be found in our Professional Accounting course information brochure.
Please contact Rebecca Wright for further information.
At the Advanced Level students are required to study a number of technical areas, which are then examined together in the Corporate Reporting and Strategic Business Management papers. These papers aim to simulate real-life business and accounting practice environments, and the concept is taken further with a final case study examination.
Professional and Advanced level papers will generally be taught for one day per week, with a block revision period at the end of each paper. Under our blended learning approach, students are not required to attend campus each week. See more details under the ‘Teaching’ heading below.
Professional and Advanced level papers will generally be taught for one day per week, with a block revision period at the end of each paper.
Typical tuition lengths:
Professional Level papers – 6-11 weeks plus revision block
Advanced Level – 14 weeks plus revision block
Knowledge is built up and exam question practice is undertaken week on week. Students build skills gradually and sustainably and are not absent from their workplace for long periods of time (which is particularly important for smaller accounting practices)
Our Professional Accounting and Finance course information brochure provides further details on part-time fees, timetables and the next available entry points.