New Zealand Diploma in Business - Accounting Technician's Requirements

Members of the College of Accounting Technicians provide paraprofessional accounting services.  This includes active involvement in middle level accounting work, assisting an accountant, office management and administration management.

To become a member you must gain a recognised academic qualification, recognised practical experience and pass a professional competency examination.

The New Zealand Diploma in Business with an accounting major is the basis of the Accounting Technician's qualification - recognised by the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA). The equivalent two years full time relevant work experience is required.  The second years work experience must be under the guidance of a mentor and can only be counted once you have met the educational requirements. Once admitted as a member of the Accounting Technician's College, continuing professional development of 20 hours per year is necessary.

Following is a breakdown of how the qualification is structured, but please note: not all of these will be taught in every intake.  The papers being offered in 2013 are listed below under 'Course Timetable'.  Papers not offered at SIT Queenstown may be available at our Invercargill campus, or through the Open Polytechnic by correspondence.

Compulsory Papers

400   Accounting Principles

501   Accounting Practices

510   Introduction to Commercial Law

520   The Economic Environment

530   Organisation and Management

560   Business Communication

550   Business Computing

601   Financial Accounting

602   Management Accounting

Optional Papers

Choose two of the following:           

603   Business Finance

605   Internal Auditing

606   Taxation

and one other NZ Diploma in Business paper.

Members of the College of Accounting Technicians provide paraprofessional accounting services.  This includes active involvement in middle level accounting work, assisting an accountant, office management and administration management.

For further information on Accounting Technicians, please contact the:

New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants
PO Box 11343
Wellington
Ph:  04 474 7840

Papers offered at Queenstown campus in 2013 are:

Intake 1:  18 February - 27 April 2013:

Intake 2:  6 May - 6 July 2013:

Intake 3:  15 July - 14 September 2013

Intake 4:  23 September - 23 November 2013

NOTE:  To be successful, students should expect to study one hour at home for each hour spent in class.

The Zero Fees Scheme applies to this programme. Direct material costs for 2013 are: $57.50 per paper.

Textbooks required for papers in Intake 1: 

Textbooks required for papers in Intake 2: 

Where texts are marked ‘Compulsory’,  students must have them for their first class.

Texts are available from:  SIT Bookshop - phone 0800 748 266 or email: bookshop@sit.ac.nz 

Note: If you are purchasing second hand books, be sure to get the right edition!

For textbook lists for later intakes, please contact our Queenstown Campus. 

Applicants must have:

• a minimum of 14 numeracy credits at level 1 or higher in Mathematics or Pangarau on the Directory of Assessment Standards; and
• 50 credits at level 2 or above with at least 12 credits in each of three subjects including a minimum of eight literacy credits at level 2 or higher in English or Te Reo Māori; four credits must be in reading and four credits must be in writing; and
• the literacy credits will be selected from a schedule of approved achievement standards and unit standards found on the NZQA website at: http://www.nzqa.govt.nz/qualifications-standards/awards/university-entrance/approved-subjects-for-university-entrance/.

or equivalent to the above.

Adults over the age of 20 years who do not have the minimum entry requirements may be admitted if they can satisfy the teaching institution they are capable of studying at this level and have a reasonable chance of successfully completing each paper attempted.

International students for whom English is a second language must also have:

• an IELTS overall score of at least 6.0 (academic) with no individual band lower than 5.5; or
• a TOEFL score of at least 550; or
• any other standard achievement or measure allowed for in rules made under section 253 of the Education Act.

This qualification consists of 12 papers.  There is a compulsory core of seven level 4 or 5 papers and two compulsory level 6 papers.  Two of the three remaining papers must be at level 6 and must include two of: Business Finance 603, Internal Auditing 605 or Taxation 606.

In addition to credits for the prescribed core and optional papers, each student may include in the qualification one unspecified credit as a substitute for an optional paper.

This credit must arise from a programme that assesses outcomes that are not part of an approved New Zealand Diploma in Business prescription.

The programme must be at an appropriate level, and assess outcomes that are relevant to the New Zealand Diploma in Business objectives as described in these regulations. Any paper which is to be offered by a teaching institution for the award of an unspecified credit must meet the requirements of regulations as per NZQA. In addition, students must meet the requirements of New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants for the practical component, the professional competency exam and ongoing professional development in order to gain the status as an accounting technician.

For further information please refer to:

New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants

PO Box 11343

Wellington

Ph:  04 474 7840