To be acknowledged as a leading centre of excellence in Accountancy.
Mission Statement
The Department of Accounting acknowledges South Africa’s fractured history and the diversity of its cultures and seeks to educate its students within the framework of a non-racial, non-sexist and socially just environment in line with the principles and values enshrined in the South African Constitution. We strive to advance transformation by recognising the potential of each student, to produce graduates who will actively contribute to the economic development of South Africa and the African continent, who are critical thinkers, ethically principled, engaged and articulate. Furthermore, we strive to produce graduates with an appreciation for scholarly development and research in Accountancy, who are committed to continuing professional development, community engagement and professional interaction, with skills and value sets that will enable them to be environmentally responsible, positive contributors to society.
About the Department
The Department of Accounting is one of the largest departments at Rhodes University, with twenty three staff members and more than 800 students.
The Department is accredited by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants for purposes of the qualifying examinations for admission as Chartered Accountants. Graduates of the Department have consistently achieved outstanding success in parts 1 and 2 of the qualifying examinations. The accredited courses also grant exemption for most of the intermediate-level modules of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA).
In addition to the Postgraduate Diploma in Accountancy (equivalent of the CTA), the Department also offers a Postgraduate Diploma in Taxation. This program has become a popular choice among students who wish to follow a career as a tax specialist. This programme is in the process of being accredited by the South African Institute of Tax Professionals for the entry to the Tax Professional qualification.
The Department also offers post-graduate programmes to PhD level. The Masters degree in Taxation is done by coursework and thesis on a part time basis and is highly regarded by the profession.
The SAIPA Top Achievers Awards have been won by four of our Phd graduates between 2019 and 2022 - one in each year.
The Department contributes to research in the field of accountancy through regular conference presentations, contributions to text books and publications in journals.
The lecturing staff are successful academics as well as professional accountants: most of the staff are qualified Chartered Accountants and many are recognised subject experts with impressive achievements to their names.
Many staff members are involved locally and internationally on governing bodies, audit committees and in advisory capacities.
The Department is well represented in the local region of the Southern African Accounting Association with staff members holding the positions of chairman, secretary and subject heads for financial accounting and taxation. Staff are also active in attending and presenting papers at conferences. The Department expects this to grow as its postgraduate opportunities are expanded through the offering of additional postgraduate degrees and diplomas.
The staff in the Department have an open door policy, as far as is possible, bearing in mind that we have many other duties. We encourage students to ask questions, challenge their lecturers’ viewpoints and provide constructive criticism of study material, lectures and tutorials. This must obviously take place within the parameters of good manners and acceptable standards of discipline and behaviour. We also believe in transparency and fairness. You are preparing to enter a profession in which ethics plays a cardinal role. We, as a Department, abide by our ethical code both in the letter and the spirit, and we expect the same from our students.
