MPA Proposal: Long term intention of studying MPA in Australia

This document presents a comprehensive research proposal focusing on the long-term intentions of students from diverse cultural backgrounds (Nepal, India, China, and Africa) pursuing a Masters in Professional Accounting (MPA) in Australia. The proposal outlines the research aim, objectives, and questions, including an overview of the MPA program and its relevance in the current job market. The literature review examines professional accounting education, competencies gained, global job demand, and career opportunities. The methodology section details the research philosophy, approach, design, strategy, sampling, data collection, and analysis techniques. The proposal aims to understand the students' motivations, aspirations, and how the MPA program shapes their future career paths, with the overall dissertation structure divided into five chapters, including introduction, literature review, methodology, data analysis, and conclusion and recommendations.

Running head: PROPOSAL
Long term intention of studying MPA in Australia
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1PROPOSAL
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................2
1.0 Overview................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Research aim..........................................................................................................................2
1.2 Research objectives...............................................................................................................3
1.3 Research questions.................................................................................................................3
1.4 Research scope.......................................................................................................................3
1.5 Structure of the dissertation...................................................................................................4
1.6 Summary................................................................................................................................4
Chapter 2: Literature review............................................................................................................5
2.0 Overview................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Professional accounting education........................................................................................5
2.2 Competencies achieved by studying professional accounting...............................................6
2.3 Demand of professional accounting jobs at global scale.......................................................7
2.4 Long-term intentions of pursuing professional accounting...................................................7
2.5 Career opportunities of studying professional accounting....................................................8
2.6 Summary................................................................................................................................8
Chapter 3: Research methodology...................................................................................................9
3.0 Research philosophy..............................................................................................................9

2PROPOSAL
3.1 Research approach.................................................................................................................9
3.2 Research design.....................................................................................................................9
3.3 Research strategy.................................................................................................................10
3.4 Sampling technique and sample size...................................................................................10
3.5 Data collection process........................................................................................................11
3.6 Data analysis technique.......................................................................................................11
3.7 Ethical considerations..........................................................................................................11
3.8 Gantt chart...........................................................................................................................12
References......................................................................................................................................13

3PROPOSAL
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.0 Overview
The job sector has become highly competitive due to which the students need to enroll
themselves in courses those are highly specific. According to Wen et al. (2018), taking into
account the current job market, global universities are offering highly specific courses for
students from all over the world with the aim of developing competent candidates for jobs. One
such highly specific accounting course is Masters in Professional Accounting (MPA) that is
offered in Australia. Australia is one of the highly preferred destinations for higher studies and
students from all over the globe visit Australia for undertaking various courses with the long
term intention of securing a desired career in this highly competitive job market.
Masters in Professional Accounting is designed for the students those possess the long
term intention of obtaining specialized knowledge and research skills in accounting and related
areas of business. As a result, the students learn to implement advanced conceptual and practical
accounting knowledge for undertaking rewarding careers in accounting and related areas of
business. In addition to, the course also offers the direction for further specialized learning that
helps in applying coherent and advanced knowledge of accounting and business concepts for the
students of different cultural origin that includes India, China, Africa and Nepal (Duff 2016).
1.1 Research aim
The aim of the study is to determine what and why is the long term intention of four
different culture-origin students studying MPA (Masters in Professional Accounting) in
Australia. The four different cultures considered for this research are Nepal, India, China and
Africa.

4PROPOSAL
1.2 Research objectives
The objectives of the research are:
 To understand the concept of professional accounting
 To critically analyze the professional competencies achieved by studying MPA
 To investigate the job prospects after completion of MPA at global platform
 To determine the long term intentions for pursuing MPA
 To suggest ways of accomplishing the intentions of studying MPA
1.3 Research questions
The questions of the research are:
 What do you understand by professional accounting?
 What are the professional competencies achieved by studying MPA?
 What are the job prospects after completion of MPA at global platform?
 What are the long term intentions for pursuing MPA?
 What are the suitable ways of accomplishing the intentions of studying MPA?
1.4 Research scope
Completion of the research offers the scope of understanding the accounting job
prospects in Nepal, India, China and Africa as well as in international job platform. Studying the
long term intention of the students of different backgrounds helps in understanding the benefits
the course is offering to the students at international level. As a result, the research provides a
scope of understanding what the course has to offer for the students and how it tends to shape up
their future in the long run. Additionally, the research also provides an opportunity to investigate

5PROPOSAL
how completion of an MPA degree successfully in Australia will help in allowing the students to
take a career in accounting field by developing the necessary skills and expertise required.
1.5 Structure of the dissertation
The overall dissertation is divided five major chapters that include the introduction
chapter followed by literature review, research methodology, data analysis, conclusion and
recommendations.
1.6 Summary
Thus, in this chapter, it can be summarized that an overview of the research background
has been provided successful that helped in developing suitable research objectives, aim and
question that provides an opportunity to determine the long-term intention of four different
culture origin students studying MPA in Australia. Current accounting job prospects of India,
Nepal, Africa and China has been evaluated in order to justify the potential reasons of how and
why the students want to accomplish those goals.

6PROPOSAL
Chapter 2: Literature review
2.0 Overview
In this section, past researches is studied with the aim of understanding the concept of
professional accounting. This section compares and contrasts the views and opinions of different
authors in terms of professional accounting and the competencies it offers to the individuals
those intend to study the course. The long term intentions of the students for studying
professional accounting is analyzed by shedding light on the concept of the subject,
competencies it has to offer, the demands of professional accounting the the global job sector and
the methods that can be used for achieving the long-term intentions.
2.1 Professional accounting education
The intention of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) is to strengthen the
accountancy profession at a global platform that intends to help the public interest and contribute
towards the development of international economies. As commented by Utami, Priantara and
Manshur (2017), the content of professional accounting consists of accounting, finance related
knowledge, organizational and business knowledge and information technology competencies
and knowledge. However, as argued by Tucker and Schaltegger (2016), the concept of
professional accounting highlights the ability to obtain research skills and knowledge in
accounting and related business areas. As a result, the individuals having a professional
accounting degree possess the ability to use critical thinking in diverse and different business
concepts.
The idea gathered from this section highlights the long term intentions of the students of
four different cultures of Nepal, India, China and Africa to pursue the course of Masters in

7PROPOSAL
Professional Accounting (MPA) in Australia. Undertaking this highly specific accounting course
allows the students to apply coherent and advanced knowledge of accounting and business and
strengthen the global economies.
2.2 Competencies achieved by studying professional accounting
The students of four different cultures of Nepal, India, China and Africa have long term
intentions of pursuing MPA in Australia due to the various advantages it has to offer to the
individuals once they have the competencies. According to Daly et al. (2015), having a
professional accounting degree provides an opportunity for the individuals to use their coherent
and advanced knowledge of accounting and business concepts diversely. As a result, the
individuals develop the ability of solving problems, designs and making decisions methodically
that helps in identifying and proving innovative solutions to complex problems with intellectual
independence. However, as argued by Adapa, Rindfleish and Sheridan (2016), the competence
that individuals develop after having a professional accounting degree is the ability to
communicate proficiently in professional practice to a variety of audiences in professional
accountability. As a result, the individuals are able to gather deep awareness about professional
accounting practices.
Therefore, the long term intentions of the students of four different cultures of Nepal,
India, China and Africa to pursue the course of Masters in Professional Accounting (MPA) in
Australia is to develop the competence to apply accounting and business fundamentals for
analyzing, designing and operating business models using suitable accounting tools and methods.

8PROPOSAL
2.3 Demand of professional accounting jobs at global scale
Having a professional accounting degree is highly demanded and acknowledged in
today’s job sector. As mentioned by Yap, Ryan and Yong (2014), the graduates with
professional accounting degree are able to gain professional recognition and fill up the shortage
of professionally recognized accountants at the global platform. Professional accounting degree
is highly demanded in global job scale because this provides an opportunity for the students to
obtain specialized knowledge and research skills in accounting and related areas in business. As
a result, the students, in the global job platform are able to apply practical and technical
accounting knowledge and undertake rewarding careers in accounting field. However, as
criticized by Jackling and Natoli (2015), having professional accounting degree at global job
platform is preferred because the course provides an opportunity to develop accounting skills and
knowledge in the backdrop of fast and complex growing discipline of finance and accounting.
Therefore, the long term intentions of the students of four different cultures of Nepal, India,
China and Africa to pursue the course of Masters in Professional Accounting (MPA) in Australia
is to develop their academic qualifications and securing high pay job.
2.4 Long-term intentions of pursuing professional accounting
The long term intentions of the students of four different cultures of Nepal, India, China
and Africa to pursue the course of Masters in Professional Accounting (MPA) in Australia can
vary but the ultimate goal is to secure a job in the accounting field. According to Crawford et al.
(2014), as the subjects offered in professional accounting is far more practical compared to other
accounting subjects, one of the long-term intention of pursuing MPA in Australia is to ensure
great career opportunities. Each organization irrespective of the size requires accountants and
with increased business ventures the demand of accountants with coherent and technical skills is

9PROPOSAL
increasing. However, as argued by Carnegie and O’Connell (2014), apart from ensuring great
career in accounting field, long term intention of pursuing professional accounting degree is to
ensure high pay rate accountant job. Increased competition in accounting job sector is evident
and securing a high pay job is of utmost significance. Countries like India, Africa, China and
Nepal have high competition in accounting job sector and MPA intends to benefit their career
both nationally and internationally.
2.5 Career opportunities of studying professional accounting
Upon having a successful Masters in Professional Accounting degree, the students of four
different cultures of Nepal, India, China and Africa will have wide range of career opportunities
open for them. The career opportunities in after pursuing MPA in Australia includes public
accounting, auditing (both internal and external), management consulting, taxation, teaching,
business administration, management accounting, financial accounting, forensic accounting and
financial management (Blackmore, Gribble and Rahimi 2017).
2.6 Summary
Thus, in this chapter, it can be summarized that professional accounting is one of the
most preferred accounting courses in the current job sector, as this provides an opportunity for
the students who intends to study the course to have a successful and long-term career in
accounting. Having a professional accounting degree aim towards securing a high pay
accounting job at a global platform that is necessary for surviving the tough job market. Students
belonging to cultures such as India, Nepal, China and Africa, the having a post graduate degree
in professional accounting intends to secure a high rise accounting job for the students of those
countries because accounting job sector is highly competitive and stiff.

10PROPOSAL
Chapter 3: Research methodology
3.0 Research philosophy
Positivism philosophy will be used for this research because this will facilitate the use of
factual knowledge and logic for understanding the long term intentions of students of different
cultural origin such as India, Africa, Nepal and China for obtaining the Masters in Professional
Accounting Course in Australia. Additionally, the use of positivism philosophy will help in
studying how and why the two students of each origin decided to pursue an education in this
field in Australia. The use of factual knowledge and logic helped in making quantifiable
observations that allows in investigating the long-term intention. Therefore, positivism
philosophy will be the most suited one for this research (Kumar 2019).
3.1 Research approach
Deductive approach will be used for this study because this will provide an opportunity to
refer the previously conducted researches that has been conducted in similar research area. As a
result, the researcher will be able to compare and contrast the viewpoints and opinions of
different researches about the intentions of pursuing highly specific career outside their own
country. The use of deductive approach will also facilitate in understanding the long term
intentions that students are developing now-a-days in terms of higher education and career.
Additionally, deductive approach will be used because this is the best suited approach that can be
used with positivism philosophy (Mackey and Gass 2015).
3.2 Research design
Descriptive research design will be used for this study. The use of descriptive research
study will help in identifying the long term intentions those are influencing the students to

11PROPOSAL
undertake higher studies in international universities such as Australia. In addition to, the use of
descriptive design will allow identifying the significance of studying MPA course for the
students of different cultural origin such as Nepal, China, India and Africa. On the other hand,
the use of descriptive research design will help in finding the reasons that led to the development
of the long term intentions of studying Masters of Professional Accounting among the student of
different cultural origin of Nepal, China, India and Africa (Silverman 2016).
3.3 Research strategy
Interview research strategy will be used for this research. Semi-structured will be used fro
this study because this will provide an opportunity to communicate personally with the students
of each cultural origin and understand their plans and long term intentions for selecting Maters of
Professional Accounting as a course for obtaining a post graduate degree away from their home
country in Australia. The use of semi-structured interview will also help in developing an in-
depth insight from two students of each cultural origin about how and why they intend to
accomplish the goals that can be achieved after achieving a Masters in Professional Accounting
degree (Taylor, Bogdan and DeVault, 2015).
3.4 Sampling technique and sample size
For this research, non-probability sampling technique will be used. The use of non-
probability sampling technique will provide an opportunity for the researcher to select two
students from different cultural origins of Nepal, India, Africa and China for understanding the
long term intentions and the reasons for developing such intentions for studying MPA in
Australia. The sample sizes for the semi structure interview are two students of each cultural
origin, that is, 8 students in total (Flick 2015).

12PROPOSAL
3.5 Data collection process
Primary data collection process will be used for this research because this will allow the
researcher to collect latest and updated data for investigating the research topic. In addition to, as
the researcher will be collecting data for the first time from the four students of different cultural
origin of Nepal, India, China and Africa for understanding their long term intentions of studying
MPA in Australia along with determining the reason and the process they plan to follow for
accomplishing those goals (Neuman and Robson 2014).
3.6 Data analysis technique
Qualitative data analysis technique will be used as this will help in analyzing the
interview responses given by the eight students, two from different cultures of Nepal, India,
China and Africa. For analyzing the data by using qualitative data analysis technique, the
recorded semi-structured interview verbatim will be explained and interpreted followed by
discussing it by referring to the information presented in the literature review section. This will
provide an opportunity to break up the recorded interview and analyzing the long term intentions
of the students of different cultural origin for studying MPA course in Australia (Bresler and
Stake 2017).
3.7 Ethical considerations
Abiding by the ethics of research is crucial is completing the research successfully. As
the research is based on interview, signing the consent forms by the interviewees before
collecting data is crucial. This will help in ensuring that the interviewees took part on the
interview with conscious individual consent. On the other hand, ensuring data confidentiality is
another significant ethical considerations under which the researcher will have to ensure that the

13PROPOSAL
identity and the data provided by the interviewees are kept confidential and are not disclosed
without their consent (Haahr, Norlyk and Hall 2014).
3.8 Gantt chart
Main activities1st week6th week12th week18th week20th week24th week
Topic selection
Reviewing
literature
Developing
Research
methodology
Collection of
primary data
(interview)
Analysis and
interpretation of
data
Findings
Conclusion and
Recommendation
Final submission

14PROPOSAL
References
Adapa, S., Rindfleish, J. and Sheridan, A., 2016. ‘Doing gender’in a regional context: Explaining
women's absence from senior roles in regional accounting firms in Australia. Critical
Perspectives on Accounting, 35, pp.100-110.
Blackmore, J., Gribble, C. and Rahimi, M., 2017. International education, the formation of
capital and graduate employment: Chinese accounting graduates’ experiences of the Australian
labour market. Critical Studies in Education, 58(1), pp.69-88.
Bresler, L. and Stake, R.E., 2017. Qualitative research methodology in music education.
In Critical Essays in Music Education (pp. 113-128). Routledge.
Carnegie, G.D. and O’Connell, B.T., 2014. A longitudinal study of the interplay of corporate
collapse, accounting failure and governance change in Australia: Early 1890s to early
2000s. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 25(6), pp.446-468.
Crawford, L., Helliar, C., Monk, E. and Veneziani, M., 2014, March. International Accounting
Education Standards Board: Organisational legitimacy within the field of professional
accountancy education. In Accounting forum (Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 67-89). Taylor & Francis.
Daly, A., Hoy, S., Hughes, M., Islam, J. and Mak, A.S., 2015. Using group work to develop
intercultural skills in the accounting curriculum in Australia. Accounting Education, 24(1),
pp.27-40.
Duff, A., 2016. Corporate social responsibility reporting in professional accounting firms. The
British Accounting Review, 48(1), pp.74-86.

15PROPOSAL
Flick, U., 2015. Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research
project. Sage.
Haahr, A., Norlyk, A. and Hall, E.O., 2014. Ethical challenges embedded in qualitative research
interviews with close relatives. Nursing ethics, 21(1), pp.6-15.
Jackling, B. and Natoli, R., 2015. Employability skills of international accounting graduates:
Internship providers’ perspectives. Education+ Training, 57(7), pp.757-773.
Kumar, R., 2019. Research methodology: A step-by-step guide for beginners. Sage Publications
Limited.
Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., 2015. Second language research: Methodology and design.
Routledge.
Neuman, W.L. and Robson, K., 2014. Basics of social research. Toronto: Pearson Canada.
Silverman, D. ed., 2016. Qualitative research. Sage.
Taylor, S.J., Bogdan, R. and DeVault, M., 2015. Introduction to qualitative research methods: A
guidebook and resource. John Wiley & Sons.
Tucker, B.P. and Schaltegger, S., 2016. Comparing the research-practice gap in management
accounting: A view from professional accounting bodies in Australia and Germany. Accounting,
Auditing & Accountability Journal, 29(3), pp.362-400.
Utami, W., Priantara, D. and Manshur, T., 2017. Professional accounting education in Indonesia:
Evidence on competence and professional commitment. Asian Journal of Business and
Accounting, 4(2).

16PROPOSAL
Wen, L., Yang, H., Bu, D., Diers, L. and Wang, H., 2018. Public accounting vs private
accounting, career choice of accounting students in China. Journal of Accounting in Emerging
Economies, 8(1), pp.124-140.
Yap, C., Ryan, S. and Yong, J., 2014. Challenges facing professional accounting education in a
commercialised education sector. Accounting Education, 23(6), pp.562-581.