Accounting Degree Pays Rich Dividends

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A new IT Sligo degree is proving to be a launch-pad to accounting careers for members of its inaugural graduation class.

The course is the BA (Hons) in Accounting (CAO Code SG146), launched in September 2010 as a major extension of the Institute’s teaching tradition in the discipline spanning four decades.

The degree is a three year fast track to qualification as an accountant and has attracted the maximum possible exemptions from the professional bodies, Chartered Accountants Ireland (ACA) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Pictured are five of the 15 course graduates following their recent conferrals. Even before receiving their parchments, most had already obtained full-time positions or decided to go on to do Master’s studies.

Sligo twins, Jennifer and Kristina Feeney, from Ballinful, and Eoin Gaughan, Rathcormack, have secured contracts with local accounting firm Gilroy Gannon.

Calry graduate Darragh Devaney is currently completing an employer sponsored Master’s degree in the Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School in UCD and will then start his training contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) next year.

Damien Lyons, from Belleek, Co Fermanagh has taken up an accounting role with local food and beverages company, Good4U.

On a recent visit to IT Sligo, Ronan O’Loughlin, Director of Education and Training at Chartered Accountants Ireland, highlighted the fact that 98% of Chartered Accountants are in employment with the other 2% between jobs.

With accounting accepted as an international qualification which opens up a variety of positions in diverse organisations at home and abroad, competition for places on the IT Sligo degree has been high. A total 69 students take the course at present

IT Sligo lecturer John Gaynor, who is Programme Chair for BA (Hons) in Accounting, said: “It is wonderful to see the high calibre of student attracted to the course and the high rate of employment on completion.  Points for this course were 270 this year with the average points in the class being 360.”

Mr Gaynor also pointed out that the gradireland ‘Graduate Salary & Graduate Recruitment Trends Survey 2012’ had identified that “the highest proportion of graduate jobs created in 2011 remained in the accountancy and financial management sector, which comprised 48.4 per cent of the total number of jobs”.

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Photo caption:

L-R are: Jennifer Feeney, Eoin Gaughan, John Gaynor, Programme Chair BA (Hons) in Accounting, IT Sligo, Kristina Feeney, Darragh Devaney and Damien Lyons.