Hi All
I am trying to decide on which route to take to complete my qualification. My husband and I are still in South Africa but plan to move to NZ in the first half of 2013. I have a diploma in accounting and want to further my studies. The plan is for me to study full time at home once my husband finds work, but I need to get started now, so intend to enrol in a distance learning program that I can begin as soon as possible from SA.
I found that I can complete the CPA Program (for entry to CPA Australia) foundation level as an alternative to completing a degree and then progress to the CPA professional level course of study. This sounds very appealing because it involves far fewer subjects, costs a lot less, and could take a lot less time than a beachelor degree. However, I'm making these assumptions based on the reading I've done so am not sure if I'm right or not. I'm also concerned about the work experience requirement of the CPA. My main concern is that I may not be able to find suitable employment in New Zealand to satisfy the work experience component of the CPA.
I would really like advice from fellow forumites in NZ who have done either a BBS Acc / BAcc degree or a CPA via distance learning, as to which of these routes you would recommend and which would be the most sensible route for employment. I'm currently in Accounts Payable and although I have a diploma my experience is very limited due to the silo envoronment I work in. I would like to eventually gain experience to lead me in the direction of a career in property accounting or internal auditing. I really love being in AP but this is not a skill in demand internationally.
Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated.