Core curriculum for accounting graduate schools
Core curriculum for accounting graduate schools
*Although the grant period has ended, this initiative continues as an internal project of Aoyama Gakuin University.
Program Overview
Accounting graduate schools are professional master's programs at graduate schools with the aim of training accounting experts. In principle, each accounting graduate school sets its own curriculum based on its own founding philosophy, but there are also subjects that all accounting graduate schools must teach as standard. This program positions these as the core curriculum, and has two goals: (1) to investigate and research the core curriculum at accounting graduate schools, and (2) to consider the implementation framework (forming the conditions under which the multiple subjects that make up the core curriculum can be implemented).
Although accounting graduate schools have completed the arrangement of course subjects corresponding to the Certified Public Accountant Examination, there is not yet a complete agreement on the topics that should be covered. In addition, there is not necessarily a sufficient implementation framework for the systematic organization of curricula that take into account international standards, and the content is diverse. In this program, we have positioned four subjects - accounting professional ethics, international accounting standards, audit information technology, and internship - as core subjects that should be incorporated into the core curriculum from an international perspective, and have conducted a detailed study of the implementation framework.
This program was initially launched as an initiative by three universities: Tohoku University, Aoyama Gakuin University, and Kwansei Gakuin University, but later Hokkaido University, Chiba University of Commerce, and Kansai University also joined in. In addition, the program received cooperation from three partner organizations: the Japan Association of Graduate Schools of Accountancy, the Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Nonprofit Organization International Association for Accounting Education.
Program implementation report
The review committee for this program held six meetings in fiscal year 2008 and six in fiscal year 2009. In addition, each committee member divided the work and conducted overseas surveys three times in fiscal year 2008 and two times in fiscal year 2009. In the Canadian survey conducted from October 25 to 30, 2008, we visited ACL, a company that provides audit support software used worldwide, and investigated the usage status of audit support software. In the European survey conducted from November 8 to 13, 2008, we participated in the Asian Pacific Conference on International Accounting Issues in Paris and collected information on the education method of international accounting standards. We then visited the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland and collected information on the status of education for accounting professionals. In the Buenos Aires survey conducted from February 28 to March 7, 2009, we attended a meeting of the International Federation of Accountants and the International Accounting Education Standards Board and collected information on the revision policy of international education standards. During the Canadian survey from September 13 to 19, 2009, we visited Columbia University School of Professional Studies and the University of Victoria to collect information on the status of internships. We then revisited ACL and secured their promise of full cooperation in creating textbooks for the use of audit support software. During the US survey from November 21 to 24, 2009, we participated in the Asian Pacific Conference on International Accounting Issues in Las Vegas to collect information on teaching methods for international accounting standards.
The Review Committee shared the results of the visit surveys with all committee members through reports from the committee members who participated in the visit surveys, and this led to the consideration of the implementation framework by the working groups (WGs) established for each of the four core subjects. The status of the WGs' deliberations was reported to the Review Committee on a regular basis, and further consideration was given to them. The Review Committee also considered the items that should be covered in the Certified Public Accountant Examination subjects and the content of the National Review Committee, which will be described later.
Program Outcomes
The results of this program were disseminated to accounting graduate school personnel and certified public accountants nationwide through the National Core Curriculum Review Meeting (held twice) and symposiums. At the National Review Meeting held on March 14th and 15th, 2009, an interim report on the program was presented, explaining the significance of the core curriculum review and exploring the needs of various stakeholders regarding education in accounting graduate schools. At the National Review Meeting held on February 21st, 2010, a report titled "Accounting Graduate School Core Curriculum Review Committee Results Report" presented the final results of the program, outlining items to be included in subjects for the Certified Public Accountant examination and the implementation framework for the four core subjects. Symposiums were held on November 2nd, 2009, and January 25th, 2010, with invited speakers from overseas, disseminating information on international trends in accounting education and methods for teaching International Accounting Standards. It is expected that the results of this program will be incorporated into the core curriculum development of each accounting graduate school through collaborating organizations such as the Association of Accounting Graduate Schools.
Furthermore, in the Graduate Graduate School of Professional Accountancy at Aoyama Gakuin University, the four core subjects of this program are already required or elective subjects as of 2011. Professional Ethics is a required subject, while IFRS I, IFRS II, IT Case Studies, and Externship are elective subjects. The results of this program are utilized in the lectures and other materials of these subjects.