Academic Pathway

A PhD or Masters by Research in the accounting or finance discipline.

To be eligible for this pathway, you must currently hold an academic role and have completed at least three years of full-time academic employment (approx. 35 hours per week), including two consecutive years, at a higher education provider within the past 10 years.

While specific titles are not mandated, typical roles include Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Professor, Assistant Professor, or Associate Professor. Other roles may also be considered, provided they were full-time and recognised within the academic or professional community.

In reviewing applications, assessors will consider the size, reputation, and academic standing of the applicant’s institution, as well as their professional experience and alignment with CPA Australia’s competency requirements to become a CPA. Whether the university is accredited, public or private will not be determinative but may be used to inform overall evaluation.

Assessors will consider “subject(s) that leads to CPA Australia’s accreditation” as ones referring to CPA Australia’s core competency requirements (e.g. Management Accounting, Financial Accounting and Reporting).

All standard admission criteria also apply, including Fit and Proper requirements, Professional Practice Certificate (PPC) eligibility (where applicable), and verification of identity and documentation.

Supporting documents required

1. Academic Application Form - Fill out the out the Academic Pathway application form, signed and dated prior to completing your online CPA membership application. Start your CPA membership application here. 
2. Proof of Identity / Identification (ID) - e.g. Passport, Drivers Licence, National Identity Card.
3. A letter of support from your Department/Faculty/Head of School
   The letter of support must include:
   • your full name 
   • position title
   • whether you are employed on full-time or part-time basis, and specify the number of hours you work per week
   • a summary of your teaching role at the university
   • name and contact details of the referee.
4. A testimonial from a current member of CPA Australia or another IFAC member body
   The IFAC testimonial must:
   • be signed by a current, fully qualified CPA (CPA or FCPA) or IFAC member in good standing
   • be issued on organisational letterhead, dated within the last six months
   • include:
     • your full name and position
     • referee’s relationship to you
     • referee’s professional body name, member ID, and contact details
     • details that demonstrate your academic capabilities and professional conduct.
5. Course outline/syllabus - syllabus or course outline of the accredited or equivalent subject(s) you teach.
6. Evidence of degree completion - in most cases, academic award certificates need to be provided as evidence of degree completion.
   • For Australian and NZ qualifications, as evidence of degree completion, we can accept an official transcript that has a “degree conferred” or “degree awarded” or “eligible to graduate” statement instead of obtaining the letter of completion or academic award certificate.
   • For overseas qualifications,  a degree certificate may be required to help us determine whether an overseas qualification is comparable to at least an Australian bachelor’s degree level and if the subjects they studied are eligible for exemptions from foundation exams. The discretion for approval of overseas awards without a degree certificate sits with the Membership Team Leaders.

Translation required for non-english documents

All supporting documentation needs to be provided in English. If your documents are in another language, you will need to get them translated by a professional translator.

We will assess both the original and the translated documented as part of your application.

You can start your CPA Australia membership application here. First, you’ll need to create an account so you can receive your unique CPA Australia ID. You can then use that ID in the Academic Pathway application form (specified in Step 3).

Note: Please disregard the predicted outcome you will see on your online application prior to submission. This does not relate to the Academic Pathway.
(The predicted outcomes will also present the incorrect membership fee. You can avoid this by not itemising the subjects within your undergraduate degree, or by contacting us to have it manually removed prior to submission.)

The Academic Pathway application form seeks information from you regarding: 

Once you have completed the Academic Pathway Application form email it to us at: [email protected].

Note: Supporting documents should be attached to the Online Application Tool and not sent via email.

We’ll assess your application and, if required, request further information from you to support your application.

You may be eligible to earn CPA designation straight away, but if not, you may be eligible for some other pathways to becoming a CPA.