Chartered accountants and auditors battling with changes in the business and technology landscape due to the current exponential technology evolution can now turn to the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences' School of Accountancy to upskill themselves for this new era.
Starting in early 2020, the School of Accountancy, will offer a modified Masters in Commerce (MCom) in Computer Auditing programme which will expose students to technical details in modern information technology environments that enable them to apply computer assurance principles in practice, and equip them with the conceptual skills to deal with future technologies.
According to the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), it has become more critical than ever to ensure that chartered accountants remain relevant in the roles they perform. As technology continues to improve and become more and more prevalent in the typical accounting space, it creates both challenges and opportunities for current and future members and associates of SAICA, the professional body said.
Programme leader Prof Riaan Rudman of the School of Accountancy, said the MCom (Computer Auditing) programme is aimed at bridging the skills gap caused by the fourth industrial revolution (4IR).
“In order to be ahead of the curve, accounting and auditing professions need to reposition themselves to remain relevant and upskill themselves for the 4IR within an audit context. Part of the course is to help people get a better understanding of not just the technological impact of the 4IR, but also its governance and assurance impact," he said.
Rudman said the biggest problem accountants and auditors have at the moment is understanding there place in the future and how to upskill themselves.
“Not everyone can be programmers. If you are, for example, an audit partner in an audit firm you would not necessarily have the inclination to go back to university to do a four-year programming degree. So what you do is figure out your skillset and how you can transfer and apply that skillset in a changing context to be able to operate and create value in a technology-driven business environment.
“When you understand processes and business flows, how do you bridge the IT gap so that when you sit at board level discussing IT systems with the IT guys, you are able to talk the same language without being bogged down by the technical detail? You do so by using your existing skillset to ask the right questions," said Rudman.
The part-time, two-year course consists of a lectured component in the first year of study and the writing of a short dissertation in the second year.
The programme applies a hybrid model, relying on virtual as well as face-to-face lectures. Students from Stellenbosch and surrounding areas can attend all the lectures in Stellenbosch, while students from outside of Stellenbosch can participate in the short session lectures through the year using the online platform, but must attend the block lectures at the Stellenbosch campus in person.
The minimum entrance requirements to the programme are as follows:
- The degree BAccHons or equivalent, and registration as a CA (SA); or
- A relevant BComHons degree that includes the outcomes required for this programme and relevant work experience or registration with a relevant professional body.
- Academic results are taken into account in the selection process.
Applications close on 1 November 2019.
