Dr. Simon Ho Professor and Director of School of Accountancy The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Although never viewed as the most exciting of professions, the lure of accountancy as a career path has always been strong, according to Simon Ho, director of The Chinese University of Hong Kong's (CUHK) School of Accountancy.

"We now have about 150 students joining us every year; but as recently as 1993/4, the figure was as low as 60 per year," he points out.

This burgeoning of prospective accountants has raised the bar considerably for those wishing to take a degree in the subject.

"Among local students accountancy has always been a popular subject, and of the 70 major subjects the university offers, it is always among the top five most popular," says Dr Ho. "The grades required are therefore quite high, generally at least an average B grade in the HKALE."

Dr Ho believes that the demand for accountants among Hong Kong companies will continue to grow in line with the increasing importance of capital markets, and states that supply is even now still not enough.

"Previously, many firms relied on overseas returnees or foreigners to fill their vacancies, and for qualified, competent local accountants the career is a stable option," he says.

"Generally, students can find a job with little difficulty if they have reasonable grades, and within three years of graduation should be able to become fully qualified CPAs. In terms of career prospects, it is not unusual for local graduates with about 10 years of experience to become partners with a Big 5 firm, so long as they work hard and perform well. Accountancy is a steady career with good remuneration."

Although demand for the CUHK's BBA in Professional Accounting programme is consistently high, few students subsequently opt for postgraduate study in the field. Non-accountancy degree holders have the option of the GDPA (Graduate Diploma in Professional Accountancy) conversion course, but in terms of Master's-level accountancy candidates, most opt for the more universal MBA programmes.

"Many professional accountants have very hectic working schedules, and once they are fully qualified CPAs it makes little practical sense for them to take a MPhil or Phd course," says Dr Ho. "MBAs offer a good grounding in general management, which makes them a popular choice, but there is little incentive for students to take the very advanced accountancy topics covered in the Master's degrees."

Such a stance is contrary to the academic culture overseas, where postgraduate accountancy study is very popular among senior industry figures.

"There is now a very large gap in terms of high-level local expertise, and this may prove to be a problem in future when it comes to hiring qualified and experienced local professors," Dr Ho adds.

He hopes to overcome this challenge by promoting the concept of high-level study and lecturing to senior professionals, but in the meantime he remains upbeat about the prospects for undergraduates.

"To be a successful accountancy student it is not necessary to be a great mathematician, but you do need to have an interest in and a good feel for numbers," says Dr Ho. "It is important to be logical and pay attention to fine details, and maintain a sense of prudence and professionalism when handling cases."

Text: Edward Chung

Taken from Career Times 2002/03/29