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Accounting change agents

13 September 2017

The article at a glance

University of Cambridge Judge Business School launches new part-time Master of Accounting degree to develop thought leaders in financial information. Cambridge Judge …

University of Cambridge Judge Business School launches new part-time Master of Accounting degree to develop thought leaders in financial information.

Cambridge Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge has launched a new two-year, part-time Master of Accounting degree programme, in association with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), which has been designed to develop global thought leaders regarding financial information.

Candidate applications open on 18 September for the programme’s first student cohort beginning in autumn 2018. The new Master of Accounting degree programme will offer quarterly teaching sessions allowing students to continue their current employment, while drawing on the academic and cultural richness of the Cambridge experience.

Dr Michael Willis, Director of the Cambridge Master of Accounting (Cambridge MAcc)
Dr Michael Willis

The new Master of Accounting will focus on developing students’ ability to make financially relevant decisions in the face of uncertainty and ambiguity, by relying on knowledge of accounting standards and statistical techniques in conjunction with judgment and discretion. It was formulated in consultation with senior practitioners and employers, who endorsed the programme’s aim to develop critical and innovative thinking in financial information.

Core courses include accounting applications for data science, predictive analytics and strategic performance management, and the programme also examines topical issues, such as blockchain and accounting issues revolving around global climate change. Students will also further develop professional skills such as interpersonal dynamics and negotiation.

Dr Michael Willis, Director of the Programme, said:

We are looking to develop genuine change agents who will guide how the world processes and interprets financial information going forward. Our target student is likely early career, on the fast track, and often asks ‘why’ when challenging how financial information is developed and handled. We think we are uniquely positioned to gather these talented students from around the world and share ideas about how to predict and steer the complex future they face in this business.