Master of Professional Accounting

Open up your career options with a globally recognised accountancy qualification that you can fit in with work or fast-track by studying full time.

Ramp up your career with a recognised accounting degree

Make the move into accounting or get the certification you need to take the next step in your accountancy career. Learn to manage complex accounting and business issues and gain the confidence to provide specialist expertise.

Studying the Master of Professional Accounting at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, you’ll build an understanding of professional practice, ethics, and procedures. You’ll gain insight into the business landscape in New Zealand and across the globe.

You don’t need to have an accounting qualification or a background in the field to study. This makes the MPA ideal if you’re a recent graduate or a working professional looking to add accountancy to your skill set.

Experience our Master of Professional Accounting

Join Dr Yinka Moses, an academic who teaches part of the Master of Professional Accounting, for a short lecture on how accountants can help solve climate change.

Download the latest prospectus

Find out more about your study options. Fill in a form to download our professional and postgraduate programme prospectus.

Get the prospectus

Build the foundations

The Master of Professional Accounting is made up of 12 courses to provide you with a solid foundation in subjects such as business law, taxation, accounting systems and technology, auditing, sustainability, ethics, analytics, and strategic and financial accounting.

The programme meets all the academic requirements for entry into the CA programme through Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) and CPA Australia. It also offers nine course exemptions from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

CA fast-track MPA pathway

If your goal is to become a chartered accountant, you might be interested in our new CA fast-track MPA pathway.

Complete three additional chartered accountant courses

You will complete three chartered accountant courses at the University alongside the 12 foundation courses that make up the MPA. This can be completed in as little as 12 months of full-time study.

Exemptions for the CA programme

This study pathway will grant you exemptions from six of the nine courses in the CA programme through CA ANZ. This will significantly reduce the amount of study and the time it takes to become a chartered accountant.

1. MPA CA fast-track pathway

Complete 3 CA programme courses at the University alongside your MPA.

2. Provisional CA membership

Upon completion of your university studies, you may apply for provisional CA membership through CA ANZ.

3. GradDipCA (CA programme)

Your university studies will provide exemptions for 6 of the 9 courses for CA ANZ’s Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting (GradDipCA).

Complete 3 further courses through CA ANZ to be awarded this additional qualification.

4. Mentored practical experience

Complete 3 years of mentored practical experience required for full CA membership.

This can be done before, during or after GradDipCA study.

5. Full CA membership

Upon successful completion of all previous steps, you are eligible for full CA membership.

You can read more about these steps on the CA ANZ website

Scholarships for international students

We are currently offering a NZ$10,000 VUW Postgraduate International Scholarship to all eligible international students enrolling in a Master’s degree or Postgraduate Diploma programme. Your scholarship will be processed automatically when your programme application is accepted, and the amount will be deducted from your tuition fees.

Fees for the CA fast-track MPA pathway

The fees shown in the box above are for the traditional pathway of the MPA. The estimated fees for the CA fast-track MPA pathway are $32,300 for a domestic student in 2026.

This includes $30,388 for course costs and $1,912 for student services fees.

Fees for the CA fast-track MPA pathway

The fees shown above are for the traditional pathway of the MPA. If you want to include the additional CA fast-track courses, you’ll need to pay extra tuition fees of NZ$6,956.25 for 2026. The student services fee may also increase slightly.

Community

Postgraduate study at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington will help you build valuable relationships and networks with peers, university staff, and future colleagues from around the world.

You’ll have access to the Faculty postgraduate facilities and opportunities to attend events, workshops, careers sessions, and seminars such as the Student Learning Postgraduate Research skills sessions. You’ll also be able to meet with people from the chartered accountancy bodies on campus.

The Postgraduate Students’ Association provides information and a voice for you within the University.

Careers

The MPA helps you fast-track your accounting certification. It’s ideal for recent graduates and working professionals who want to add accountancy to their skill set.

As well as roles in accountancy firms, your MPA can set you up for a career in banking and finance, law, government, not-for-profit organisations, and companies large and small. You’ll be on track to move into roles such as chief financial officer, financial controller, auditor, and finance manager.

Employer support

The capability boost you get from doing an MPA means your employer may be willing to pay some or all of your costs.

Read our blog post about asking your employer for support.

Learn about how and what you’ll study for the Master of Professional Accounting.

What you’ll learn

Develop professional skills in:

• financial management
• accounting systems and technology
• business law
• auditing
• taxation
• sustainable and strategic decision making and performance
• financial reporting from a global perspective.

Build deeper expertise through advanced courses in financial accounting and strategic accounting.

How you’ll study

You can choose to start in Trimester 1 (March) or Trimester 3 (November). Assessment includes projects, tests, and examinations.

Classes are taught in a blended mode, with on-campus classes and online lessons via Zoom. Some in-person assessment is required. If you’re studying outside Wellington, you may seek approval to sit in-person assessments off-campus.

Recommended study plan for full-time students starting in Trimester 3, 2026

The following study plan allows you to avoid timetable clashes.

Trimester 3, 2026

• MMPA 501—Financial Accounting
• MMPA 502—Sustainable Decision Making and Control
• MMPA 504—Finance
• MMPA 507—Statistics.

Trimester 1, 2027

• MMPA 503—Business Law
• MMPA 508—Economics
• MMPA 509—Taxation
• MMPA 513—Accounting Systems, Ethics and Technology
• MMPA 531—CA: Risk and Technology (14 June–13 August 2027, for the optional CA fast-track pathway)
• MMPA 532—CA: Financial Accounting and Reporting (8 June–6 August 2027, for the optional CA fast-track pathway).