| Code | Faculty | Department |
|---|---|---|
| 07130043 | Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences | Department: Accounting |
| Credits | Duration | NQF level |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum duration of study: 3 years | Total credits: 450 | NQF level: 07 |
This degree programme (that is only presented on a full-time basis) is the specialised bachelor's degree for candidates who are preparing for the relevant qualifying examinations of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) and the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA). The programme BCom (Accounting Sciences), together with (the full-time) BComHons (Accounting Sciences) and the Certificate in the Theory of Accountancy (CTA) is accredited by the SAICA as part of its education requirements for the chartered accountant qualification.
Students who achieved 70% and above in English Home Language (an A or a B), and 80% and above in English First Additional Language (only an A) in the NSC (or equivalent) will be exempted from ALL 124 and therefore do not have to register and pass this module to complete their degrees. Students who achieved 69% and below in English Home Language (a C and below), and 79% and below in English First Additional Language (a B and below) have to register for ALL 124 and pass this module in order to be awarded their degrees.
Transferring students
Candidates previously registered for the BCom — Extended programme
The Admissions Committee of the faculty considers applications of candidates who were previously registered for the BCom — Extended programme according to specific guidelines as stipulated in the Transfer Guide of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences as published on the EMS Faculty website.
Candidates previously registered at UP or at another university
The Admissions Committee of the faculty considers applications of candidates who have already completed the final NSC or equivalent qualification and/or were previously registered at UP or at another university according to specific guidelines as stipulated in the Transfer Guide of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences as published on the EMS Faculty website. A complete academic record, as well as the final school leaving results, are required for such applications.
NB: Candidates who are still registered at another university must submit an academic record of their studies to the faculty as soon as possible after their final examinations. The closing date for these applications is 30 September.
Qualifications from countries other than South Africa
University of Pretoria website: click here
Minimum requirements | ||||
Achievement level | ||||
English Home Language or English First Additional Language | Mathematics | APS | ||
NSC/IEB | AS Level | NSC/IEB | AS Level | |
5 | C | 6 | B | 34 |
* Cambridge A level candidates who obtained at least a D and International Baccalaureate (IB) HL candidates who obtained at least a 4 in the required subjects, will be considered for admission.
Note: Accountancy is not a subject requirement for any of the BCom or BAdmin programmes.
Please note: See the alphabetical list of modules for the prerequisites for individual modules.
Specialisation modules: FRK 300, FBS 300, BEL 300 and ODT 300.
A candidate who has
Note: "Grade 12 examination" refers to the final National Senior Certificate (NSC) examination.
"Major subject"
To be considered a "major subject" the equivalent of four 14-week modules, including two at 300-level, must be passed provided that:
It is thus the responsibility of students to ensure before registration, that their curricula comply with all the requirements of the applicable regulations.
According to General Regulation G.3 students have to comply with certain requirements as set by the Faculty Board.
Minimum requirements for bachelor's degrees; semester and year modules; new regulations
Minimum credits: 122
Module content:
Find, evaluate, process, manage and present information resources for academic purposes using appropriate technology.
Module content:
Apply effective search strategies in different technological environments. Demonstrate the ethical and fair use of information resources. Integrate 21st-century communications into the management of academic information.
Module content:
This module is intended to equip students with the competence in reading and writing required in the four high impact modules: Business Management, Financial Accounting, Statistics and Economics. Students will also be equipped to interpret and draw figures and graphs and to do computations and manage relevant formulas. Students attend two lectures per week during semester two.
This module is offered by the Faculty of Humanities.
Module content:
This module deals with the core principles of economics. A distinction between macroeconomics and microeconomics is made. A discussion of the market system and circular flow of goods, services and money is followed by a section dealing with microeconomic principles, including demand and supply analysis, consumer behaviour and utility maximisation, production and the costs thereof, and the different market models and firm behaviour. Labour market institutions and issues, wage determination, as well as income inequality and poverty are also addressed. A section of money, banking, interest rates and monetary policy concludes the course.
Module content:
This module deals with the core principles of economics, especially macroeconomic measurement the private and public sectors of the South African economy receive attention, while basic macroeconomic relationships and the measurement of domestic output and national income are discussed. Aggregate demand and supply analysis stands core to this course which is also used to introduce students to the analysis of economic growth, unemployment and inflation. The microeconomics of government is addressed in a separate section, followed by a section on international economics, focusing on international trade, exchange rates and the balance of payments. The economics of developing countries and South Africa in the global economy conclude the course.
Module content:
*Only available to BCom (Accounting Sciences) students
Introduction to management accounting, critical reasoning skills and problem solving techniques for management accounting, cost concepts, simple linear regression analysis for the purpose of forecasting future sales volumes and costs, time series analysis for the purpose of forecasting future sales volumes, Indexing for the purposes of inflating and deflating a set of financial data, introduction to financial management, the functioning of the financial markets including interest rate and foreign exchange mechanisms, mathematics for business including time value of money calculations, and the critical reasoning skills and problem solving techniques in a financial management context. Where appropriate spread sheet applications (Excel) will be addressed as part of the respective topics being covered.
Module content:
*Only available for BCom (Accounting Sciences) students
*Students who registered for FRK 101 in a previous academic year and did not pass the module, are only allowed to register for FRK 101 again if they achieved less than 35% for the module and may, with a mark below 35%, not register for FRK 100.
(This is a core module for BCom (Accounting Sciences) that forms part of the CA Programme. Modules are compiled and presented taking cognisance of the requirements of the SAICA syllabus.)
An introduction to the conceptual framework (theory of accounting); basic accounting equation; value added tax; discounts, revenue; accounting procedures from source documents via subsidiary journals to general ledger and trial balance; annual financial statements of a sole proprietorship; adjustments to financial statements; control accounts; departmental accounts; bank reconciliation statements; inventory; property, plant and equipment; cash and cash equivalents; investments; borrowings; interest calculations; insurance claims; entities without profit motive; branch accounting; permanent partnerships; partnership accounts; changes in partnerships; close corporations; companies; analysis and interpretation of financial statements using a cash flow statement; manufacturing entities; tracing and correction of errors; incomplete records.
A technical ability to apply the aforementioned knowledge to complex problems is essential.
Module content:
Introduction to information systems, information systems in organisations, hardware: input, processing, output, software: systems and application software, organisation of data and information, telecommunications and networks, the Internet and Intranet. Transaction processing systems, management information systems, decision support systems, information systems in business and society, systems analysis, systems design, implementation, maintenance and revision.
Module content:
General introduction.
General principles of the law of contract: introduction to the law of contract; consensus; contractual capacity; legality and physical possibility of performance; formalities; parties to the contract; conditions and related legal concepts; special terms and the interpretation of contracts; breach of contract and the termination of the contractual relationship.
Module content:
Law of purchase and sale; law of lease; credit agreements; law of agency; law of security.
Module content:
The entrepreneurial mind-set; managers and managing; values, attitudes, emotions, and culture: the manager as a person; ethics and social responsibility; decision making; leadership and responsible leadership; effective groups and teams; managing organizational structure and culture inclusive of the different functions of a generic organisation and how they interact (marketing; finance; operations; human resources and general management); contextualising Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in each of the topics.
Module content:
Descriptive statistics:
Sampling and the collection of data; frequency distributions and graphical representations. Descriptive measures of location and dispersion.
Probability and inference:
Introductory probability theory and theoretical distributions. Sampling distributions. Estimation theory and hypothesis testing of sampling averages and proportions (one and two-sample cases). Supporting mathematical concepts. Statistical concepts are demonstrated and interpreted through practical coding and simulation within a data science framework.
Minimum credits: 171
Module content:
In the first quarter of this module students are equipped with an understanding of the moral issues influencing human agency in economic and political contexts. In particular philosophy equips students with analytical reasoning skills necessary to understand and solve complex moral problems related to economic and political decision making. We demonstrate to students how the biggest questions concerning the socio-economic aspects of our lives can be broken down and illuminated through reasoned debate. Examples of themes which may be covered in the module include justice and the common good, a moral consideration of the nature and role of economic markets on society, issues concerning justice and equality, and dilemmas of loyalty. The works of philosophers covered may for instance include that of Aristotle, Locke, Bentham, Mill, Kant, Rawls, Friedman, Nozick, Bernstein, Dworkin, Sandel, Walzer, and MacIntyre. In the second quarter of the module the focus is on professionalism, careers and ethics. Codes of ethics in business and professions, professional codes, as well as ethical issues in the accountancy profession are discussed.
Module content:
In this module an introduction to taxation as a discipline in the South African tax environment is provided. The income tax concepts covered in this module are gross income, special inclusions, exempt income, general deductions, special deductions, prohibited deductions and allowed assessed losses. The implications of a capital gains tax event, specific sections of the Income Tax Act applicable on individuals as well as fringe benefits and specific allowances for individuals are discussed. Concepts such as the prepaid tax system, tax implications of donations tax events as well as the tax implications of a deceased person will be covered. Finally an introduction to the basic principles of VAT is included.
Module content:
*Only for BCom (Accounting Sciences) students
The purpose and functioning of management accounting, cost classification. The determination of product costs including raw material costs, labour costs, overheads and the allocation thereof according to traditional and activity-based costing methods, inventory management, the accumulation of costs according to job and process costing systems, the treatment of joint and by-products and the determination of costs according to a direct and absorption costing approach. Decisionmaking with reference to cost-volume-profit ratios, relevant costs, risk and uncertainty, decision trees, linear programming and capital investment budgets. Planning and control through the application of quantitative techniques, budgets and standard costing.
Module content:
*Only for BCom (Accounting Sciences) students
(This is a core module for BCom (Accounting Sciences) that forms part of the CA Programme. Modules are compiled and presented taking cognisance of the requirements of the SAICA syllabus.)
Preparation and presentation of company annual financial statements in compliance with the requirements of the Companies Act and Statements of Generally Accepted Accounting Practice relating to the following: the presentation of financial statements; revenue; inventory; property, plant and equipment; investment properties; impairment (of individual assets); provisions; leases; events after the balance sheet date; earnings per share; accounting policies, changes in accounting estimates and errors; certain aspects of financial instruments. Introduction to consolidations, including basic consolidation techniques for both wholly-owned and partly-owned subsidiaries. Certain aspects of the Companies Act, including directors’ emoluments and Schedule 4.
A technical ability to apply the aforementioned knowledge to complex problems is essential.
Module content:
Application of spreadsheets and query languages in an accounting environment.
Module content:
*Module content will be adapted in accordance with the appropriate degree programme. Only one of KOB 281– 284 may be taken as a module where necessary for a programme.
Applied business communication skills
Acquiring basic business communication skills will enhance the capabilities of employees, managers and leaders in the business environment. An overview of applied skills on the intrapersonal, dyadic, interpersonal, group (team), organisational, public and mass communication contexts is provided. The practical part of the module (for example, the writing of business reports and presentation skills) concentrates on the performance dimensions of these skills as applied to particular professions.
Module content:
Company law, law concerning close corporations, law of partnerships, labour law, law of arbitration and transport, law of insurance, law concerning negotiable documents, law of insolvency, law of succession and trusts.
Module content:
History of auditing: the concept ''profession''. The theory, including the postulates in auditing. Most important concepts, selected sections of the Companies Act which are prescribed by the Public Accountants’ and Auditors’ Board (PAAB) and the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). Publications of the SAICA and the PAAB. Principles of auditing, the audit process. Internal control and system design and evaluation.
Minimum credits: 160
Module content:
The purpose of the module is to enable the learner to calculate the value-added tax liability and to journalise transactions; calculate the normal tax liability (including the determination of taxable capital gains and assessed capital losses) of individuals, companies, estates and trusts,discuss tax principles on value-added tax and normal tax; and calculate and discuss provisional and employees' tax and to object against an assessment.
Module content:
*Only available to BCom (Accounting Sciences) students
The purpose and functioning of management accounting, cost classification. The determination of product costs including raw material costs, labour costs, overheads and its allocation according to traditional and activity-based costing methods, the accumulation of costs according to job and process costing systems, the treatment of joint and by-products and the determination of costs according to a direct and absorption costing approach. Decisionmaking with reference to cost-volume-profit ratios, relevant costs, risk and uncertainty, decision trees, linear programming and capital investment budgets, principles of project management. Planning and control through the application of quantitative techniques, budgets and standard costing. Performance measurement by means of the principles of responsibility accounting and the determination of transfer prices.
Financial management by taking cognisance of the purpose of financial management, working capital management, financing decisions, cost of capital, dividend policy, capital structure decisions, share valuation. The student should be capable of applying the underlying theory to advance case studies.
Module content:
*Only available for BCom (Accounting Sciences) students
(This is a core module for BCom (Accounting Sciences) that forms part of the CA Programme. Modules are compiled and presented taking cognisance of the requirements of the SAICA syllabus.)
Revision of work covered in FRK 201 and application of this knowledge to advanced problems. Preparation and presentation of company annual financial statements in compliance with the requirements of Statements of Generally Accepted Accounting Practice relating to the following: income taxes; leases (including sale and leaseback transactions); property, plant and equipment; investment properties; provisions; events after the balance sheet date; earnings per share (including headline earnings); intangible assets; impairment (including introduction to cash generating units); government grants; the effects of changes in foreign exchange rates (including hedge accounting); borrowing costs; employee benefits; non-current assets held for sale and discontinued operations; associates; joint ventures; cash flow statements; further aspects of financial instruments. Complex consolidation issues, including intra-group transactions; dividends; preference shares; revaluations; horizontal, vertical and mixed groups; insolvent subsidiaries; the acquisition of an additional interest. Analysis and interpretation of financial statements, as well as changes in capital structures.
A technical ability to apply the aforementioned knowledge to complex problems is essential.
Module content:
Application of statistical sampling methods in auditing. Sections of the Companies Act and the Closed Corporation Act prescribed by the PAAB and the SAICA. Publications of the SAICA, the PAAB and selected international auditing standards. The audit process. Internal control and system design and evaluation. Test of controls. Auditing and controls in an electronic data-processing environment.
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