At Milpark, we are constantly upping our offering in response to needs in the higher education sector. Milpark seeks to set up people for success, only launching programmes with the necessary holistic support systems in place, alleviating the practical and psycho-social challenges and stressors that can hinder people’s studies. Milpark’s new BCom Accounting degree is aimed at students who want to become Chartered Accountants. The programme offers an accessible and flexible ‘in’ to a fully online journey in accounting, from the BCom up to PGDA and on to becoming a CA. It builds on the ongoing success of the Milpark/CA Connect PGDA and its excellent pass rates in SAICA’s Initial Test of Competence (ITC) examinations.
The new degree, offered by Milpark’s School of Professional Accounting incorporating CA Connect, is currently open for registration. This degree, when followed by Milpark’s SAICA-accredited PGDA, is the first and only completely online path to becoming a chartered accountant in South Africa.
Your Path to become a Charted Accountant – CLICK TO VIEW THE INFOGRAPHIC
“Milpark Education’s philosophy is based on the belief that many students have an academic record that does not reflect their capability but is rather representative of the circumstances they’ve faced. This BCom Accounting degree is designed to welcome those students and support them to unlock their true potential,” says Marilize Putter, Chief Academic Officer at Milpark Education.
Experts point to a range of challenges that accounting students face – from inadequate education systems to personal, professional or financial stressors. This is why the new BCom degree aims to address South Africa’s unique educational challenges by offering students a fully supported journey, including time-saving bridging to postgraduate study where necessary.
In terms of its learning approach, it offers a community of lecturers and students who walk the journey with you, providing one-on-one support at any time, plus live online small group sessions and mentorships. It also provides a lively and interactive online student platform, complemented by specialist advisors who help students manage themselves by providing motivational and psycho-social counselling.
“This has exciting potential to authentically make a difference. Our BCom Accounting degree represents a strong shift in Milpark’s strategic focus as we move beyond curriculum-driven education to a world of actualising human potential. We want to partner with our students, not only to establish them academically, but also to show them a world of learning and self-belief that is vital to enabling them to achieve genuine success,” says Andrew Horsfall, CEO of Milpark Education.
In 2020 the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) – in its first Accounting Teaching and Learning Journal – called for better interventions to help address the challenges South African candidate chartered accountants face. It recognised Milpark’s School of Professional Accounting (CA Connect) for the way in which it attracted and supported students in their accounting studies.
The BCom Accounting degree expands on the approach of the popular Milpark CA Connect PGDA, which has been successfully training chartered accountants for the past 13 years. Up until now, students have usually enrolled with the Milpark/CA Connect PGDA only after doing their undergraduate degree elsewhere, making their educational journey more cumbersome and stressful.
By enrolling in the BCom from the Milpark School of Professional Accounting, incorporating CA Connect, students can now start their journey with the same support and intentionality that they have historically only been able to receive at the end in the PGDA. Now they can study right through the CA journey with the specialised support of Milpark.
