Letterkenny Institute of Technology is now accepting applications for their Master of Arts in Accounting degree. Ahead of the application deadline on 24th August 2018, Donegal Daily heard from past students to find out what career opportunities are made possible with the course.
Studying the Master of Arts in Accounting at LYIT comes with many benefits.
The standard of education and the exam exemptions are two major plus points for students of the programme.
Dean Toland and Peter Tourish are two local men who are working in senior roles at Optum in Letterkenny after graduating from LYIT. The FinTech company is one of Donegal’s largest employers and is a part of United Health Group (A Fortune 100 company).
“The Masters Degree in Accounting attracts generous exemptions from all professional accounting bodies which accelerates you to the end goal of becoming a professional accountant,” said Dean, who graduated in 2016.
LYIT MA Accounting graduate Dean Toland
Dean chose to study both the Bachelor of Business (Hons) in Accounting degree and the Masters degree in Accounting due to the great reputation of the programmes at LYIT.
The MA programme teaches skills such as how to account under International Accounting Standards (IAS) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).
Presentation, leadership and team-work are all key elements of the course that benefit students when they go out into the workforce.
Dean said: “The lecturers there give you all the support you require but at the same time encourage you to think independently, to work through problems methodically and to come to your own conclusions. I feel this is important and was an asset I used in order to pass my Chartered Certified Accountant(ACCA) exams first time over two sittings (within 3 months) in addition to the Part 2 exams with the Irish Taxation Institute.”
Dean was hired by an accountancy practice after graduation. He then joined a local US multi-national company as an Associate and progressed to a Senior Financial Analyst within 12 months.
“At the time of leaving the MNC I was solely responsible for overseeing the audit of seven entities with assets under management of over $1billion. I was then fortunate enough to land my current role with Optum, the employer of choice for value-add roles locally,” Dean said.
Strong encouragement is given to students to pursue professional accounting and tax exams which help them progress in their careers.
Dean said he enjoyed the cost-saving benefits of studying locally with a second to none standard of education: “The standard of education you will receive at LYIT will hold up against any third-level institution elsewhere. From my experience, the lecturers are of a very high standard, class sizes are relatively small and the educational facilities are top-class.”
LYIT MA Accounting graduates Peter Tourish and Dean Toland
Dean’s colleague, Peter Tourish from Letterkenny, studied as a mature student at LYIT.
He returned to education during the recession via the Access programme.
“I never thought when I started an Access course in Letterkenny Institute of Technology (LYIT) in 2009 it would lead to me Qualifying as an Accountant in 2017,” Peter said.
“The prospect of returning to education did not faze me at all as I felt I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
“The percentage of mature students within LYIT makes it easier for mature students to feel welcome and part of the culture,” he said.
Peter studied Business Studies and Accounting and was awarded a first class Honours in Accounting in 2013. Peter then enrolled in the Master of Arts in Accounting Part Time whilst also working in Practice.
In 2015 he was awarded a 2:1 Master of Arts in Accounting. This part time option offered by the LYIT runs over two years and facilitates those individuals that are working. He passed his final Professional Accountancy exam in January 2017.
Peter also enjoyed the benefits of exam exemptions gained at LYIT.
“As I passed the required exams through my Honours Degree this then enabled me to get exemptions from nine of the fourteen professional exams that are required to become a member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
“Studying at LYIT gave me the confidence and belief to continue with my professional Accountancy exams,” he said.
Peter worked in diverse accountancy roles in a local practice and as a Senior Financial Analyst at Pramerica Systems Ltd.
Now, as a Senior Accountant at Optum, Peter works within the Optum Finance function which provides general ledger accounting support across several UK trading/holding companies.
LYIT MA Accounting graduate Peter Tourish
Peter is keen to recommend the LYIT to anyone considering studying for a career in accounting.
He said: “I would definitely recommend the LYIT to any prospective student. I always found the lecturers to be helpful and willing to go the extra mile if the student was showing a genuine interest in performing to their best ability. I would encourage all students to interact as much as possible with lectures.”
If you wish to apply for the Master of Arts in Accounting at LYIT visit https://www.lyit.ie/CourseDetails/D401/LY_BACCT_M/Accounting for further information.
You can also get in touch with Patricia Doherty, Head of Department of Business by emailing Patricia.Doherty@lyit.ie
LYIT offers a wealth of choice to learners, with 11 postgraduate Masters available for applicants in 2018 on both a full-time and part-time basis. Discover all the courses at lyit.ie
Hear two more LYIT Postgrad Stories in the video below:
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