When you study accounting, you will work towards a career that plays an important role in every business.
Accountants work in business of all sizes. They provide financial information for decision-making at operational and strategic level.
Accounting study options
Our accounting programmes cover a range of areas, including accounting information systems, management and financial accounting and taxation.
Course only study
If you have specific study or professional goals, our course only study option may be for you. With course only study, you can enrol in one course or a few, to gain the skills you need.
Go to the Course only information linked to below to find out more about this study option. Check the Choose courses tab to see which accounting courses you can study.
My studies have helped me manage my store more profitably and manage my people more effectively. It has opened up career opportunities for me in so many ways.
Moneel Pratap, Bachelor of Business (Accounting) graduate
Download our Business prospectus
At Open Polytechnic we specialise in flexible, distance and online learning that is designed to help you fit study around your work and life commitments.
For more information about what business programmes we offer download our Business prospectus (PDF 2MB)
Learn more
Availability
Our distance learning courses are offered throughout the year to help you fit study around your work and life commitments.
Courses are offered up to 12 times per year depending on demand and availability of academic staff.
Exact start dates are in the course information pages and in our Enrolment dates page:
Cost
- Course costs can be found on all course pages. The fees may increase annually.
- Qualification cost – to give you an idea of how much a qualification may cost in total over the duration of your studies, an approximate cost is provided for many of our qualifications. This is based on the required number of courses to complete the qualification and the average cost of those courses. It does not include annual administration fees, text books and course materials or external exam fees, and is subject to annual course fee increases.
Credits
Courses are assigned credits depending on how much time and effort is needed to complete their learning outcomes. In general, each credit represents approximately 10 hours of study time.
Delivery method
- Online – The course materials for online courses are delivered in an online format and all assignments are submitted online.
- Mixed – These courses are delivered using a mix of online and paper based course materials. This may include receiving paper course materials, submitting assignments online, or being required to participate in online forums and learning activities.
- Print Only - The course will be delivered using paper based courses materials, and assignments may need to be submitted in hard copy rather than online. This will depend on the course.
Whether courses are delivered online, on paper or a mixture of both, there may also be components such as workshops, noho marae, work experience and practicum to participate in. To find out what your course involves check the course information page.
EFTS
EFTS stands for equivalent full-time student. An EFTS is the study time required for each course and is used by the Tertiary Education Commission to decide if a course is part-time or full-time.
One year of full-time study is generally between 0.8 and 1.2 EFTS.
Level
You can tell how hard a course or qualification is by the level it is set at:
- Levels 1-4 are about the same as secondary school and basic trades training.
- Levels 5-7 are the same as university study.
Prerequisites
- Prerequisites are courses that must be completed before another course can be studied.
- Co-requisites are courses that can be studied at the same time as another course.
If a course has a specific prerequisite or co-requisite course, it will be listed on the course page under the title 'Prerequisites'. If no courses are listed, check the entry and other requirements under the qualification you are studying for. Some courses require you to have studied at a particular level prior to enrolling.
Student loans
Not all qualifications or students are eligible for student loans. You will need to meet criteria such as studying a minimum number of credits over a specific study period. It is up to you to apply for a student loan via StudyLink - Open Polytechnic does not do this for you.
Information about student loans and eligibility
Teaching weeks
Teaching weeks is the number of weeks that we teach a course. This differs from the enrolment period, which is based on the course start and end dates.
For example, a 20-week enrolment period will have 16 teaching weeks, followed by four weeks to accommodate marking, any extensions and reassessments, or exams.
Workload
The workload estimate given on a course page is calculated like this:
Number of credits x 10, divided by the number of teaching weeks for the course. The hours will be rounded up to nearest whole number.
Please note, this is a guide only. You may need more or less time for study, and you may also need to do more hours during assessment due dates or exams times.
Industry connections
We work with industry organisations and professional bodies to ensure our qualifications and courses prepare our learners for the workforce, and are up to date with industry trends and standards.
We also talk to employers every year to gain feedback on the skills and knowledge our learners gain through studying with us.
For more information on the CAANZ and CPA visit their websites:
Accredited qualifications
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), and CPA Australia recognise the Bachelor of Accounting
Meet some accounting graduates