Pioneering accountancy course sees first graduates

A degree aimed at equipping students with a blend of academic and workplace experience in preparation for taking up accountancy jobs has seen its first graduates.

The BA (Honours) Business Accounting and Finance course at Newcastle University has been developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Newcastle University Business School and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and offers a quicker route to becoming a chartered accountant.

Most of the graduates have now taken up careers at PwC and expect to achieve their full associate chartered accountant (ACA) qualification in 12 months' time.

"Of the current 101 chief executives, chief financial officers [and] financial directors in the FTSE 100 companies who hold an accountancy qualification, 70 per cent qualified with the ACA, making this the qualification for business leaders," said Dr Raymond Madden of the ICAEW.

Normally, ACA students are required to complete a training contract of between three and five years in length, pass the relevant exams and fulfil a number of work experience requirements to qualify.