Programme Aims and Objectives

This programme aims to provide accounting or finance major graduates an opportunity to enhance their skills by developing an expertise in international accounting as well as further understanding in Hong Kong accounting and related arena of knowledge.  Students will be provided with specialised knowledge in international and Hong Kong accounting as well as related fields of information management, international business and investment so that graduates can make a significant contribution to the functioning and development of their employing organizations – particularly organizations such as multinational enterprises, joint ventures, Hong Kong companies and government agencies engaged in foreign trade and investment, and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or consulting firms with multinational corporate clients and networks.

Entrance Requirements

Applicants must:

  • hold an accounting or finance degree from a recognised university; or

  • hold an equivalent qualification acceptable to CityU; and

  • preferably possess 2 years of experience in accounting or business disciplines.

Applicants whose entrance qualification is obtained from an institution where the medium of instruction is NOT English should also fulfill the following minimum English proficiency requirement:

  • 79 (Internet-based test) in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)@ #; or

  • an overall band score of 6.5 in International English Language Testing System (IELTS)@; or

  • a score 450 in band 6 in the Chinese mainland's College English Test; or

  • other equivalent qualifications.

@ TOEFL and IELTS scores are considered valid for two years. Applicants are required to provide their English test results obtained within the two years preceding the commencement of the University's application period. 

# Applicants are required to arrange with the Educational Testing Service (ETS) to send their TOEFL results directly to the University. The TOEFL institution code for CityU is 3401.

Course Description

Core Courses (21 credit units)

Students are required to take the following 7 core courses (3 credit units each).

  • Accounting Information Systems
  • Advanced International Financial Accounting
  • Advanced Taxation
  • Corporate Governance
  • International Financial Management
  • International Financial Statement Analysis
  • Management Accounting Issues in Multinational Enterprises

Optional Electives (9 credit units)

Students are also required to take 3 courses (3 credit units each) from the programme elective courses listed below or the consortium courses offered by the servicing Departments under CB.

  • Auditing 
  • Boardroom Dynamics*
  • Business Economics and Statistics for Accountants
  • Business Management for Accountants
  • Companies and Securities Regulations and Practice*
  • Law Relating to Business and Companies
  • Risk Management* 

Note:  The course list is subject to change during the academic year.

           * Subject to the University's approval

To be eligible for the module exemptions granted to this programme, students are required to take certain prescribed elective courses, depending on the previous studies and need of the student.

Professional Accreditation

Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA)

This programme is an accredited programme by the HKICPA.  Graduates of the programme are required to pass the subjects as indicated in the approved curriculum (refer to the website at https://www.cb.cityu.edu.hk/ac/programmes/postgraduateAndRD/) in order to qualify for exemption of the relevant Associate Modules of the new Qualification Programme (QP).

Only those students who have studied and passed in the subjects with substantial coverage relevant to Modules of the Associate Level of the new QP and completed the academic qualification(s) within the last five years are eligible for exemption of the Modules concerned*.  The final decision rests with the HKICPA.

To learn more about the new QP and the module syllabuses (for self-assessment), you may refer to the HKICPA's website (link appended below):

https://www.hkicpa.org.hk/en/become-a-Hong-Kong-CPA/New-QP/Professional-Accountancy-Education/Associate-Level.

* The exemption is subject to fulfilling the requirements of HKICPA.

 

Other Accreditations

This programme is also accredited by other professional institutions and the exemption list is subject to periodic review.  For details, please refer to our website at

https://www. cb.cityu.edu.hk/ac/programmes/prof_accred/.

 

Scholarships

Subject to funding and annual approval, admitted applicants are automatically considered for two types of scholarships (hence, no separate application is necessary):

  1. AC Entrance Scholarships
  2. AC Academic Excellence Scholarships

For details, please visit AC web site at https://www.cityu.edu.hk/ac under programmes & courses.

Useful Links

Admission Code P02
MA International Accounting
Mode of study
Combined
tuition fee
Year of entry
2024
Mode of funding
Non-government-funded
Intake target
50
Credit requirement
Master's Degree: 30
Class schedule
Weekday daytime and evenings
Normal study period
Full-time: 1 year; Part-time: 2 years
Max study period
Full-time: 2.5 years;
Part-time/Combined mode: 5 years
Mode of processing
Applications are processed on a rolling basis. Review of applications will start before the deadline and continue until all places are filled. Early applications are therefore strongly encouraged.
Level of study
Master's (Taught Postgraduate)
Programme Leader
Prof Stephen SUN
General Enquiries
AC General Office