UTS Bachelor of Accounting 2011 (4 Viewers)

[atm1991]

Please see the new 2012 thread for information and discussion related to this year's application and selection process!

http://community.boredofstudies.org...elor-of-Accounting-2012?p=5341226#post5341226

 

[treefig]

hey, thanks for starting this thread. I'm in yr 12 at present, and my subjects are: Eng Ext II, Mathematics, Business Studies and Economics. I'm aiming for an ATAR of over 99, but not sure if i can get much higher

A few questions....i want to head into a finance career, eg mergers and acquisitions, but haven't ruled out law. Do you reckon it would be best to go for Bbus/LLB or the Bacc course? How does UTS compare to USyd?

I'm really looking at the Bacc at UTS....are there any options for doing a Bachelor of Laws as well?

any thoughts?

 

[atm1991]

hey, thanks for starting this thread. I'm in yr 12 at present, and my subjects are: Eng Ext II, Mathematics, Business Studies and Economics. I'm aiming for an ATAR of over 99, but not sure if i can get much higher

A few questions....i want to head into a finance career, eg mergers and acquisitions, but haven't ruled out law. Do you reckon it would be best to go for Bbus/LLB or the Bacc course? How does UTS compare to USyd?

I'm really looking at the Bacc at UTS....are there any options for doing a Bachelor of Laws as well?

any thoughts?

Ok, I'll approach this question as best I can and hopefully some older BAcc's might be able to help me out.

If you can achieve an ATAR of 99+ you would have certainly fulfilled the academic requirements for BAcc (95+). However, entry to the course is based also on the application forms you submit and more importantly the interview. From what I can gather amongst out current group, the interview must be very important, as I achieved a lower ATAR than most, yet still managed to get an offer straight up. So basically remember that for BAcc emphasis is placed on all parts of the selection criteria.

For M&A, I think a law degree may perhaps be beneficial to getting into the field, but I believe you could still get in without one. In BAcc (and BBus with accounting major) you do Business Law and Ethics, Applied Company Law, Taxation Law and you can study further law with a sub major in Business Law. You could also do a sub major in finance to get some knowledge in that area as well. So there is still plenty of law in a UTS BAcc or BBus degree. You can't combine BAcc with Law, but you can combine BBus and Law. Obviously very high marks would be necessary either way. I think your best bet might be to email the graduate recruitment officers or HR people at investment banks and corporate law firms you are interested in.

In terms of UTS vs USYD for commerce/business, I'm obviously going to be biased. But I really don't think USYD Commerce is as well regarded as it once was. Sure it has prestige and they get grads getting jobs still, but I think other unis including UTS, UNSW and to a lesser extent Macquarie have better options, particularly for accounting. I think UTS is on the rise, particularly in industry where the courses and specifically BAcc seem to be well regarded for producing graduates who aren't just book or theory smart, but actually know how to apply what is being taught and how to communicate in a business environment. Development of these important skills occurs largely through the year of internship training. For me, this was probably the biggest drawing point of the course.

Hope this helps a little, and I think whatever you end up doing, you should at least apply for BAcc cause like me, you will probably change your course preferences a million times throughout year 12 haha. Feel free to ask any more questions

 

[treefig]

Thanks for your reply - great help! and as an aside congrats on the BAcc! I wanted to go to USyd for ages, but i'm realising that reputation alone doesn't help you in the workplace - I was set on the Comm/Law degree at Syd for many years, but now UTS and Bbus/BLaw or in preference the BAcc look very attractive.

You said you achieved a lower ATAR than most...what ATAR range did most BAcc recipients get?

It seems the interview is very important...what kind of questions do they ask? i'm guessing you should wear a suit? I'm semi confident about getting an interview...I have a number of leadership, academic and sporting achievements (Bronze/Silver/Gold DOE, prefect, company commander in cadets, DUX of my prep school etc) to put on the form, so if i do make the interview, any tips? I tend to talk quite a lot, so would it be a good idea to tone it down? or just be natural and answer every question fully?

If you have any other thoughts they'd be appreciated

 

[atm1991]

Thanks for your reply - great help! and as an aside congrats on the BAcc! I wanted to go to USyd for ages, but i'm realising that reputation alone doesn't help you in the workplace - I was set on the Comm/Law degree at Syd for many years, but now UTS and Bbus/BLaw or in preference the BAcc look very attractive.

You said you achieved a lower ATAR than most...what ATAR range did most BAcc recipients get?

It seems the interview is very important...what kind of questions do they ask? i'm guessing you should wear a suit? I'm semi confident about getting an interview...I have a number of leadership, academic and sporting achievements (Bronze/Silver/Gold DOE, prefect, company commander in cadets, DUX of my prep school etc) to put on the form, so if i do make the interview, any tips? I tend to talk quite a lot, so would it be a good idea to tone it down? or just be natural and answer every question fully?

If you have any other thoughts they'd be appreciated

Most BAcc's were in the higher end of the 90's, with an average say around 95 and several very high 97's, 98's and 99's.

I would say definitely wear a suit to the interview. IIRC it says 'business dress is recommended' but you'd be crazy not to go in a suit. Extra curriculars are great and will certainly help your chances of getting an interview. I personally had hardly any extra curriculars aside from a few times I'd spoken to politicians as well as the president of CPA australia on behalf of my school and I was not a captain. I was stunned to get an interview so just went in to it and talked. I can't remember exactly what they asked but I know a few BAcc's have a better memory of it than me, so hopefully they post here. Mainly just things about yourself, subjects you study, why accounting, things you do outside of school that perhaps demonstrate some positive qualities as well as some lateral thinking questions. They included things like how would you find a needle in a hay stack, how would you tell if the light in a fridge was on if the door was shut, how would you measure the size of an aeroplane or something like that. I personally had the fridge one, but I know others had the other one's I mentioned.

So I guess in the interview my advice would be just to stay calm and relaxed, talk honestly about yourself and answer their questions in a way which seems polite and informed, but not arrogant. Don't sit there and simply recite every extra curricular you've ever done because it may come across the wrong way. Make sure to shake hands with both members of the interview panel when you enter, and when you speak to them look them in the eyes. If you can't look them in the eyes when you talk, they might start to question your ability to communicate effectively.

Again, I hope this is useful What school do you go to if you don't mind me asking? I might be able to tell you if someone is already down to visit your school. Do you know anyone from your school who does BAcc at the moment?

 

[treefig]

Okay well then i shall continue to aim high!

I was expecting questions like that...I will say that those kind of problem solving questions suit me so i hope i can get the initial interview.

I go to Shore...we'e already had a business + law info evening and one BAcc graduate spoke to us, hence where my main focus on this course comes from. Werner Pienaar was a Shore boy and i think he's completing the Bacc now?

Thank you very much for your help - its been very useful in clarifying a few things for me

sorry to bombard you with questions, however this is a great way for me to get a better picture of what the course entails etc
in terms of workload, how does it compare to the Bbus or Bbus/Blaw? how many days at uni?

thanks again!

 

[atm1991]

Okay well then i shall continue to aim high!

I was expecting questions like that...I will say that those kind of problem solving questions suit me so i hope i can get the initial interview.

I go to Shore...we'e already had a business + law info evening and one BAcc graduate spoke to us, hence where my main focus on this course comes from. Werner Pienaar was a Shore boy and i think he's completing the Bacc now?

Thank you very much for your help - its been very useful in clarifying a few things for me

sorry to bombard you with questions, however this is a great way for me to get a better picture of what the course entails etc
in terms of workload, how does it compare to the Bbus or Bbus/Blaw? how many days at uni?

thanks again!

I don't know the guy you said haha but thats probably because I'm a first year newb. i know most 2nd years and a couple of 3rd years. But good to hear that you heard about the course that way. My mate told me about it cause our careers advsior knew nothing about it. He just told me if all else failed I could do accounting at tafe. very reassuring.

Workload is decent, fast track before normal uni starts is intense and you learn lots very quickly, as well as visitng both the cpa and ca hq and some sponsor companies, as well as a 3 day camp at the beginning. Normal semester I'm doing 4 days and thats 5 subjects with only 15 contact hours. so it isnt crazy hours like engineering or anything like that. BBus only does 4 subjects a semester and so can probably get their timetable to 3 days

 

[shcottydont]

Wow Anthony! really on the ball.

And you have already had one person asking heaps of questions! Phenomenal to see.

Hey treefig great work on the questions, and good luck with your application and ATAR results.

One thing I can say to anyone and everyone out there either looking at applying for the BAcc, any other scholarships or just any course in general. JUST DO IT! You will never regret trying something.

You miss out on 100% of the opportunities you never take.

 

[treefig]

okay sounds good...I'm really hoping that i make it!! 15 hours/4 days is great - does that continue into 1st/2nd etc years? or does it step up each year?

Very helpful careers advisor there...at least you've ended up in an awesome situation!

Thanks again for your answers...its really helping me understand the course properly, as its very much a lesser known degree.

A few more if its okay...does everyone do their lectures together (eg only those in the BAcc all at once) or is it with the BBus etc cohort?

The scholarship/monetary part isn't important to me, its more the degree and where it can take me - do you do the pracs at the end of the 3 yrs in two 6 month blocks?

thanks again

 

[atm1991]

okay sounds good...I'm really hoping that i make it!! 15 hours/4 days is great - does that continue into 1st/2nd etc years? or does it step up each year?

Very helpful careers advisor there...at least you've ended up in an awesome situation!

Thanks again for your answers...its really helping me understand the course properly, as its very much a lesser known degree.

A few more if its okay...does everyone do their lectures together (eg only those in the BAcc all at once) or is it with the BBus etc cohort?

The scholarship/monetary part isn't important to me, its more the degree and where it can take me - do you do the pracs at the end of the 3 yrs in two 6 month blocks?


thanks again

Every semester you're at uni full time (ie: not on internship) you do 5 subjects, and I'm pretty sure that will always equate to 15 hours per week, but hopefully a 2nd or 3rd year might correct me if I'm wrong.

Lectures during main semester are combined with BBus, but most tutes are BAcc only. However, my finance tute has a few non BAcc's, and my ecos tute is probably only 40% BAcc's. Law, Accounting and stats are BAcc only. the internships are 2nd semester of year 1, and first semester of year 3. I'm the same as you, whilst the money comes in handy, it was not the motivation for me wanting the course. I wanted work experience and the chance to do that at some big firms as offered by BAcc was way too good to refuse or even to not apply for.

 

[Monstar]

hey, thanks for starting this thread. I'm in yr 12 at present, and my subjects are: Eng Ext II, Mathematics, Business Studies and Economics. I'm aiming for an ATAR of over 99, but not sure if i can get much higher

A few questions....i want to head into a finance career, eg mergers and acquisitions, but haven't ruled out law. Do you reckon it would be best to go for Bbus/LLB or the Bacc course? How does UTS compare to USyd?

I'm really looking at the Bacc at UTS....are there any options for doing a Bachelor of Laws as well?

any thoughts?

Mergers and Acquisitions is one tough field to get into. I can speak from experience and from what I hear from close mates at uni, without equipping yourself with a law degree you are putting yourself into an disadvantageous position. You'll find that many of your competition are always either 1) Bcom/BLaws UNSW 2) Bcomm/BLaws Usyd or 3) Macq and UTS... And basically if you're from macq and UTS you would need close to a perfect GPA and previous experience in a bulge bracket or a smaller firm in a related field.

As to whether a Law degree is beneficial in the actual work of M and A, I'm not sure.. But the feeling is if you have a law degree its sorta of a teller as to whether you have smarts.

How does UTS compare to USyd..? I'm gonna mimic what the other guy said and say that Usyd's commerce degree is on the decline, trust me on that one. My dad speaks to deloitte partners and from what the deloitte guys say that UNSW is preferred with UTS and Macq following.. Haha as to whether UTS people are more 'practical' than other candidates.. I seriously doubt it man. Everyone knows they hand Distinctions like candy over there.. so maybe its better you go to uts for a prettier transcript.

Hope this helps man. If you're serious about M&A follow the Law path..and you'll find your pathway there to be alot easier.


EDIT: Oh yeah, just read you came from Shore.. another major bonus. I find that alot of these dudes have private school backgrounds.. So chances are youll run into old alumni!

 

[treefig]

Okay thats a good point....i really want to do law but the BAcc just has so many benefits...could do a law degree after the BAcc if i make it?

I was firmly set on M & A but now considering accounting and other options as well...never really interested a great deal in becoming a lawyer etc

I know that many go to USyd and UNSW for the reputation rather than the quality of the skills gained, so not sure whether UTS is a better option for courses other than the BAcc?

Thanks guys for your input...very useful. everyone has a different perspective and depending on their background recommend different options, but there seems to be a consensus that UTS BAcc is awesome, USyd is better for Law but not Commerce/economics. I guess i have to see whether i make the BAcc first...

 

[atm1991]

Okay thats a good point....i really want to do law but the BAcc just has so many benefits...could do a law degree after the BAcc if i make it?

I was firmly set on M & A but now considering accounting and other options as well...never really interested a great deal in becoming a lawyer etc

I know that many go to USyd and UNSW for the reputation rather than the quality of the skills gained, so not sure whether UTS is a better option for courses other than the BAcc?

Thanks guys for your input...very useful. everyone has a different perspective and depending on their background recommend different options, but there seems to be a consensus that UTS BAcc is awesome, USyd is better for Law but not Commerce/economics. I guess i have to see whether i make the BAcc first...

Well mate you still have ages to decide what you want to do, but I recommend that you apply for BAcc, because you have nothing to lose. Just visit each uni's website, and really determine what differentiates their courses, cause often it's only subtle differences between them, and that might sway your decision one way or another.

 

[treefig]

agreed i definitely will...hope i get into it!
thanks for your help guys - much appreciated

 

[ojmayo32]

Definitely agree with the comments above. Bottom line is you can't go wrong with Bacc or Bus(or Com)/Law at UTS or UNSW. Try and contact people from the industry and ask what they prefer and where the educational backgrounds of their graduates come from. But definetly apply for Bacc and keep asking questions if you have any. Don't be shy. It shows your interested in the course and want to make an informed decision for your future. Hope we have helped so far =)

 

[Monstar]

Hey treefig,

I read in the paper and also spoke to a successful relative in singapore (he works in operational risk management) honours, even 2nd class (you have 1st, 2nd and 3rd.. 3rd being the shittest) is the norm amongst the applicants there. He was interviewing a trader from canada and he was first class honours in finance.. So maybe thats another option you could look into if you're into m&a and corp fin.

Another thing that needs to be added, a mate did a summer vacation job at pwc and he said the only summer vaccie in corp fin was a honours student!

Putting out alot of info because i dont want people to make the same mistakes i did.

 

[treefig]

ojmayo32: yeah agreed i will definitely be applying - already been further talking to my careers advisor about it. your help has been great so far guys - and yes i will keep asking questions!

Monstar: thats a good point...i'd love to do the BAcc but Law seems to be so important for M & A etc, yet i'm really considering accounting.auditing etc now...

btw you said "Putting out alot of info because i dont want people to make the same mistakes i did." - may i ask what the mistakes you made were? I really want to do the BAcc but i don't know just how important a law degree etc is for m &a or corp fin..?

i know i've said that many times but its the main decider for me...if i was offered the BAcc (as in got the call) i'd definitely accept it and be very happy in that course due to the opportunities it provides, but just not sure what i should do if that doesn't eventuate?

btw sorry guys i'm a bit of a noob at forums but i'm doing my best

 

[atm1991]

ojmayo32: yeah agreed i will definitely be applying - already been further talking to my careers advisor about it. your help has been great so far guys - and yes i will keep asking questions!

Monstar: thats a good point...i'd love to do the BAcc but Law seems to be so important for M & A etc, yet i'm really considering accounting.auditing etc now...

btw you said "Putting out alot of info because i dont want people to make the same mistakes i did." - may i ask what the mistakes you made were? I really want to do the BAcc but i don't know just how important a law degree etc is for m &a or corp fin..?

i know i've said that many times but its the main decider for me...if i was offered the BAcc (as in got the call) i'd definitely accept it and be very happy in that course due to the opportunities it provides, but just not sure what i should do if that doesn't eventuate?

btw sorry guys i'm a bit of a noob at forums but i'm doing my best

Thanks to all the guys chipping in to help with the questions and other info, that's why I started this thread I learnt today there is a 3rd year BAcc who has lined up interviews at IB's. Not sure if he's looking at M&A as such, but definitely IB. If you did really want to get into competitive finance jobs, honours is definitely another option which I forgot to mention. I'm sure that would definitely help your chances as well. I'm sure if you wanted you could do BAcc, major in accounting and finance, and then if your marks were good do honours in finance.

 

[Monstar]

ojmayo32: yeah agreed i will definitely be applying - already been further talking to my careers advisor about it. your help has been great so far guys - and yes i will keep asking questions!

Monstar: thats a good point...i'd love to do the BAcc but Law seems to be so important for M & A etc, yet i'm really considering accounting.auditing etc now...

btw you said "Putting out alot of info because i dont want people to make the same mistakes i did." - may i ask what the mistakes you made were? I really want to do the BAcc but i don't know just how important a law degree etc is for m &a or corp fin..?

i know i've said that many times but its the main decider for me...if i was offered the BAcc (as in got the call) i'd definitely accept it and be very happy in that course due to the opportunities it provides, but just not sure what i should do if that doesn't eventuate?

btw sorry guys i'm a bit of a noob at forums but i'm doing my best

Going to macquarie whilst having UTS and UNSW open to me. Its not especially important but it really does put you ahead of the rest when applying for summer vaccie jobs. But then again Bacc, like atm says has great industry connections and is a wonderful course for some intense networking (i hear you guys are a small group)...the work experience they feed you is invaluable and may prove to be a deciding point when you go for ib jobs.

All in all, i think you're on the right track.. from what i see in this thread you have 3 options
1) Bcom/Blaws at sydney or nsw
2) Bcomm/business and honours
3) Bacc

Keep in mind , ATLEAST a distinction average is needed.

As for the career in accounting, its really up to you. The Bacc is really the benchmark if you are just looking at audit and big4 firm work.. but i think youll soon find out that most of the big money is in finance. Like for example I used to be content with a nice mid tier or big 4 accounting job but now my goals have elevated to a banking job. why? you can get sent to perth for 120k a year with all fly back expenses paid as opposed to 45-50K starting salary for an auditor. Not to mention the work with the bank would probably, most likely be more interesting atleast to me.

 

[treefig]

haha okay my gf is at MQ and apparently it's fun but not the same as some others...definitely want to go to UTS, or possibly USyd, but UNSW is way too far from me.

That's pretty much right...i still don't know whether to go for Bcomm(or bus)/Law or the BAcc. I know it's ages away, and i know i have to get the marks/actually be offered the BAcc first, but i'm just trying to ask as many people and get as much info/opinions as possible before the time comes, but I will definitely be applying for the BAcc.

In regards to GPA/marks...how hard is a distinction average to get in Bcomm(or bus)/Law or the BAcc...i know its subjective but any opinions?

atm1991 that sways my wishes to the BAcc...i'm thinking honours in finance would be just as good as Law....really in the end so many people say uni is just to get your first job..from there (yes the knowledge is important) but you learn on the job...kinda true but also you need to get that first job to start with.

Also Monstar thats true...a friend of mine is a Partner at one of the big 4, and makes a pile, but thats not the starting position...IB's make more but its not that important to me....accounting would (probably?) have a better lifestyle attached in terms of social time available compared to IB, so thats anther issue...

thanks again guys