Milpark Education has launched the first online BCom Accounting degree to take students on a holistic journey all the way from undergraduate to becoming accounting specialists and ultimately chartered accountants (CAs).
South African students are now able to enrol for a comprehensive, fully online BCom Accounting degree offering not only technical academic expertise but also comprehensive student support with greater flexibility in course structure and real one-on-one and classroom engagement in a proven interactive online environment. The new degree, offered by Milpark’s School of Professional Accounting incorporating CA Connect, is currently open for registration following its launch on 15 November 2022. This degree, when followed by Milpark’s SAICA-accredited PGDA, is the first and only complete online path to becoming a chartered accountant in South Africa.
“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, Executive Head of the Financial Services Schools.
According to recent reports, out of 47 889 registered chartered accountants in South Africa, only 7 094 are black and the majority are white. In 2020, only 24% of black students passed the Assessment of Professional Competence (ATC) exams – 30% lower than all other racial groups combined. Experts point to a range of challenges that black students especially face – from inadequate education systems to personal, professional, or financial stressors.
The new BCom degree aims to address South Africa’s unique educational challenges by offering students a fully supported journey with not only lecturer input through consultations, live sessions, and mentorships, but also peer support groups and study support groups as well as a lively and interactive student platform complemented by specialist advisors who help students manage themselves and provide motivational and psychosocial counselling.
“This has exciting potential to authentically make a difference,” says Andrew Horsfall, CEO of Milpark Education. “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, yes 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.”
The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA) in 2020 published a journal that 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 educating chartered accountants for the past 13 years. Up until now, students usually enrolled for Milpark CA Connect’s PGDA only after doing their undergraduate degree elsewhere.
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.
