Enquires on which degree to take

ahtoot89 SG · 2009-08-28T21:08:06+00:00

Yeah, as far as I know, ACCA qualification is considered by most employers as equal to a degree. I know of a lot of people with poly diplomas who went on fo...

deepak.c SG

To Forbiddensinner: I'm not confident of obtaining A-level grades that allow me to enroll into Accountancy in local uni so I think I've to settle for other alternatives. I'm concerned that in downtimes, I'm still able to retain/find a job. From what I've gathered, if I manage to secure a Masters in Finance, I should be able to find job stability so I'm now looking for the path to that goal. Hm...thanks for the reply! I'll go and check out the local universities regarding using a private degree to apply for Masters. ^_^

To deepak.c: ACCA is considered better than UOL Acc. & Fin.? Even with a UOL degree in Acc. & Fin., as long as one takes the ICPAS examination, one can still become an Associate of ICPAS(as mentioned by ah san too!) I'm curious that why you think ACCA is crap in SAA since SAA is the training arm of ICPAS. May I know which programme did your friend, as you've mentioned above, study??

To charlize: Your friends must be real hardworking to obtain the CFA designation. From what I see, having a CFA or CPA signifies that you have some certain seniority in the sector. Something like a Doctorate(CFA/CPA) compared to a degree(UOL/ACCA, etc). No surprise that they have a high salary but the problem is what qualification to attain that designation? Is ACCA a more probable choice to aid me compared to a UOL degree??

To ah san: Wow! I've so many questions! Does UniSIM gives sufficient tutors' support during free times? What is the % of people completing the degree in your batch of students? You've mentioned that the attrition rate is high, but I do not know how high it means. Does it represents that one is able to find a place in the industry right after graduating? Being an auditor now, do you know what are the qualifications that most of your colleagues hold? I hope to find out which programme/school is more preferred among the employers.

Oh yea, thanks for telling me the passing rate of ICPAS examination! The question was burning in me for sometime because I believe that being an Associate of the ICPAS is essential for an accountant/auditor. Is that true? Since I'll be working in Singapore, from what I know, a local degree would have an edge over overseas degrees(those obtained in Singapore. Going overseas is supposedly more "acclaimed"??, thus preferring to enter a local university.

As for Masters in a local university, I've yet to enquire but it is comforting to know that I should be able to take Masters without a graduate degree from the university. My impression of it is that it is very difficult and people get white hair trying to graduate from it while working, haha!(I hope it's not true!! >.<) Imagining juggling work with even more advanced curriculum than an undergraduate degree! *shivers down the spine* Or is that the way taking a Masters should be?? haha =P

I am prejudicial towards UOL external degree programmes, that's why I consider it a lower rated qualification. If you take UOL then ACCA, your foundation level accounting might not be up to standard, you might have to spend more time to buck up your foundation level accounting.

I have attended lessons from 3 institutes before and I feel that SAA is the worst of the lot. Initially I had the same misconception like you, thinking that SAA is the training arm of ICPAS, it should be good. There is no contention that the lecturers have qualifications to teach, but it's just that their teaching skills are lacking. But then again, that was quite sometime back, perhaps teaching standards have changed.

Lee012lee SG

What to do, employers look at the amount of letters behind your name these days.

Woe to the uni graduate who thinks her basic degree is a big thing.

Though employers look at the amount of letters behind the name these days, they will first look at your working experience, duties, responsibilities and performance in your past jobs.

Qualifications are necessary but not the only criteria for job applications or promotions.

ahtoot89 SG

haha thanks guys!(and girls) Was busy with NS so I didn't come here for some time. Looking at all the replies I've got, I'm currently still getting first hand information from my friend which by coincidence enrolled one of the schools. I'll see what comments he has to make as the time goes by. Then again, I might just go study language at local uni since my grades are still adequate for that, haha.

Many thanks to those who replied, especially ah san whom has a first-hand experience regarding to the questions that I've posted. Frankly speaking, I'm still confused and fearful about the working life in the near future to come. Deciding on which school to study does not aid me to fret for my future work life any less. Even if I were to get into NUS Business Faculty, I believe I would still be worrying about it. I guess I need time to sort that out. Life's tough and I hope I can come across a solution to this problem before I ORD

Thanks again people! =D

charlize SG

Though employers look at the amount of letters behind the name these days, they will first look at your working experience, duties, responsibilities and performance in your past jobs.

Qualifications are necessary but not the only criteria for job applications or promotions.

Theoretically yes.

However, during the interview, the employer has absolutely no idea how you performed in your previous jobs other than what you tell them or write in your resume. Their choice is essentially from what they can guage from you during the interview.

Given a choice between 2 candidates with the "same" skills, experience, previous job responsibilities, but with say different qualifications (maybe one with just a basic degree while the other has an MBA), ALL ELSE BEING EQUAL, the employer will likely choose the person with the highest education qualification.

I would love to agree with your "Qualifications are necessary but not the only criteria for job applications or promotions" and that "they will first look at your working experience, duties, responsibilities and performance in your past jobs." However, you must know how the civil service works - this is one sector where being a scholar means you have it made, unless you really screwed up BIG BIG time.

In the private sector, more qualifications means more doors are opened for you, though performance is the ultimate decider. But increasingly, I see paper qualifications are becoming more important even in the private sector.

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