Accounting

This one-year full-time course offers a postgraduate route to a career in professional accounting. It offers you the chance to complete much of the study and examination requirements involved in qualifying as an accountant. Upon successful completion of all requirements of the course, you may be eligible from all but the Final Admitting Examination (FAE) of Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI).



In addition, MAcc graduates may qualify for exemption from all papers in part 1 of the AITI Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) qualification and also potentially may be eligible for exemption from the Applied Knowledge and Applied Skills sections of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualification.



The course offers more than exemptions. As well as intensive tuition in the core technical materials assessed in the professional examinations, you will gain exposure to the emerging contemporary issues in accounting and finance that will shape your working environment and the future economy. Personal competencies and skills in commercial judgment are also developed to give you a competitive edge as you embark on your career in accounting. Digital integration and sustainability underpin course content and course design.

Students take 90 credits as follows – 60 credits of taught modules (Part I) and 30 credits of research modules (Part II). Part II consists of 30 credits devoted to the development of independent research skills relevant to the work of a modern professional accountant in practice, industry and financial services.



Modules ~ Part I



Students take 60 credits as follows - all listed core modules (50 credits) and 10 credits of elective modules:



Core Modules



AC6200 Financial Reporting for Groups (5 credits)

AC6210 Management Accounting 1 (5 credits)

AC6211 Management Accounting 2 (5 credits)

AC6212 Corporate Finance 1 (5 credits)

AC6213 Corporate Finance 2 (5 credits)

AC6214 Auditing, Assurance, and Professional Ethics (5 credits)

AC6215 Advanced Auditing and Assurance (5 credits)

AC6218 International Financial Reporting 1 (5 credits)

AC6219 International Financial Reporting 2 (5 credits)

IS6210 Analytics for Accountants (5 credits)



Elective Modules - Students take modules to the value of 10 credits from the following: 1

AC6216 Advanced Taxation 1 (5 credits)

& AC6217 Advanced Taxation 2 (5 credits)



AC6230 Introduction to Taxation

& AC6231 and Taxation: Income Tax and VAT



1Students take either AC6216 & AC6217, or AC6230 & AC6231, depending on whether they have completed the required module prerequisites for the advanced taxation modules (AC6216 and AC6217).



Modules ~ Part II - Students take 30 credits as follows:



AC6220 Accounting Research Report (30 credits)



Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Accounting - NFQ Level 9, Major Award

Students who successfully achieve the pass standard in Part I may opt not to proceed to Part II and may opt instead to be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma in Professional Accounting.

Applicants must have at least a Second Class Honours Grade 1 in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8) with a significant accounting specialisation, and expect to qualify for exemption from the CA Proficiency 1 (CAP 1) examination of Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI).



Applicants who meet the CAP 1 requirement, with the exception of CAP 1 Taxation, may also apply but if they are selected for admission, they must take the AC6230 and AC6231 taxation modules while registered on the programme.



Applicants with significant ACCA exemptions (see equivalency table to CAP 1 exemptions below) are also eligible to apply but must supply written evidence of the ACCA exemptions expected. For example, input their degree qualification into the ACCA exemptions calculator: (https://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/help/exemptions-calculator.html), save/print the results page, and submit this along with their application.



CAP 1 subjects ACCA

Finance F9 Financial Management (FM)

Management Accounting F2 Management Accounting (MA)

F5 Performance Management (PM)

Financial Accounting F3 Financial Accounting (FA)

Taxation F6 Taxation UK/IRL (TX)

Law for Accountants F4 Corporate and Business Law UK/IRL (CL)

Source: https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/Prospective-Students/Apply-and-Join/Exemptions/acca



For Applicants with Qualifications Completed Outside of Ireland

Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements. For more information see our Qualification Comparison page.



International/Non-EU Applicants

For full details of the non-EU application procedure visit our how to apply pages for international students.



In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

Note that not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above. For more information contact the International Office.



English Language Requirements

Applicants who are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university-approved English language requirements. Visit our PG English Language Requirements page for more information.

Closing Date: Rolling deadline. Open until all places have been filled. Early application is advised.



Non-EU Closing Date

Open until all places have been filled or no later than 15 June. Early application is advised.

1 year full-time.

Start Date 7 September 2026

The course prepares you for employment as a trainee accountant and it has been designed with significant contributions from partners, directors, and training managers in major accounting firms.



Each of the 'Big 4' firms (Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and PwC) has indicated a willingness to support students who wish to complete the MAcc at UCC prior to undertaking professional training.



Skills and Careers Information

The accounting profession is the largest single employer of graduates in Ireland

An accounting qualification is a primary entry route to senior roles in general management

Opportunities in the financial services sector internationally have provided a demand for accountants qualifying in Ireland far in excess of the requirements of professional practice alone

Irish-qualified accountants are in demand to fill varied roles worldwide