Sample SOP for Master’s in Professional Accounting, Australia

A survey by Research and Markets says that the accounting market is going to expand and hit $735.94 billion by 2025. From transactional to strategic, the accounting sector has evolved in due course of time. Technological advancements have largely transformed the accounting and finance industries. One of the programs that is gaining popularity is a course in professional accounting. It is a specialized program within the realm of accounting that teaches you about how you can provide a wide variety of financial and accounting services to different people, businesses, and government bodies. Financial reporting, accounting, taxation, and management accounting, are some of the services provided by a professional accountant that helps various kinds of businesses operate smoothly.

Studying for a Master’s in Professional Accounting will help you achieve tremendous growth in your career. Australia is known for having some of the world’s best universities that offer an MS in Professional Accounting program. To seek admission into one of these prestigious universities, you need to write an impressive SOP for a Professional Accounting. In this document, you have to give a preview of your academic and professional career so far, what motivated you to pursue this program, and how it will help you achieve your career goals. For your convenience, we have included a Master of Professional Accounting SOP sample in this blog. It has been written based on the assigned format and guidelines. While writing this document if you face any problems, you can seek professional help from Contentholic, one of the top agencies known for its high-quality SOP writing services. In this blog, you will learn how to compose a well-structured statement of purpose for a Master’s in Professional Accounting.

The Power of a Compelling Narrative: Why SOP Matters?

A statement of purpose is a depiction of your personal narrative about the program you are about to study. With the help of this document, the admissions committee gets an insight into your reasons for pursuing an MS in Accounting. It helps them decide whether you are a genuine and deserving candidate who is a perfect fit for their program. What can you do to be distinct in a situation where there are several other students like you with the same level of qualifications and interests who are applying for this program? Writing a good SOP is what will set you apart from the others. You get a chance to present your story and talk about your skills, abilities, and attributes in a way that explains why you deserve to be a part of this program. 

You share how your academic and professional experiences so far have shaped your decision to pursue a Master’s in this subject, and what you plan to do in the future after attaining this degree. By writing about specific curriculum details and how this program aligns with your career goal, you demonstrate your understanding of the subject and its relevance and demand. In your SOP for Professional Accounting, you can showcase your vision, determination, and preparedness for the program. In a field as competitive as accounting, a well-crafted SOP plays a deciding factor in whether or not you make it to the program of your choice.

Writing a Winning SOP for MS in Professional Accounting, Australia

When asked to write an SOP for accounting, you have to ensure that you include the details given below:

– Introduction: A Good Start

Start with an engaging statement such as a quote or a personal experience that reflects your deep interest in the program you are about to pursue. The opening paragraph should set the tone of your SOP, and keep the reader intrigued in knowing more about why you want to study this subject. Keep your personal introduction short, and mention the program and university you are applying for. 

– Academic Background: Foundations of your Journey

Explain your academic career, especially those incidents or achievements of yours that motivated you to pursue higher studies in this domain. If you have studied accounting or a related discipline, focus on how this knowledge will help you during your Master’s. You can also write whether you were assigned any leadership responsibilities or were involved in any extracurricular activities that display your skills and abilities for the program. 

– Professional Experience: Practical Insights

Having some sort of professional experience always works, as it helps you to talk about more skills and competencies that can demonstrate your worth in being a part of the program. This works especially well if your previous or current job is related to accounting. You can use this experience to show how certain events or accomplishments on the work front influenced your decision to opt for this program. Also, focus on how having practical experience working in this field will enhance your overall learning experience. 

– Interest in Professional Accounting: Why an MS in this field?

This part is one of the most crucial components of your Master of Accounting SOP. You have to properly justify what made you interested in this field of study. Perhaps you can talk about how you initially got drawn towards this subject. Write the curriculum details of the program and how they align with your interests and goals. You can also explain the relevance and demand of professional accounting and how earning a Master’s degree in this domain improves your career prospects. 

– Studying at a Particular University

Highlight the specific features of the university you have applied to, because of which you chose to study there. For instance, you can talk about its accreditation, faculty, teaching, research and development facilities, student support services, placement cell, industry connections, etc. You can also explain how earning an MS in Accounting degree from here will add more value to your profile. 

– Choosing Australia over other countries: Addressing the Reasons

Explain why you chose to study in Australia and not any other country, especially your native country, for an MS in Professional Accounting. Write about the country that has the best university and program that suits your interests and will help you achieve your career goals. Emphasize how the country provides an ideal environment for studying and has better industry connections, research, and job opportunities, due to which you decided to study here. 

– Career Aspirations: An Insight into the Future

Be specific about what you intend to do after completing your Master’s, whether you are aspiring for a particular job in this sector, aiming for higher studies, or if you wish to start something of your own. Do write about your short and long-term goals. Write about how this program will help you develop the necessary skills, competencies, and accounting acumen. 

– Closing Statement: A Positive Affirmation

End your accounting SOP, by reiterating your sincere interest in being a part of the program and how it will be beneficial for your academic and professional pursuits. Write about how you look forward to having a wholesome learning experience in Australia. Express your gratitude to the admissions committee for their valuable time and consideration.

I have been very fortunate to grow up there. I have always been a meritorious student, clearing my intermediate and high school examinations with 72% and 78% marks respectively.

My Bachelor’s in Commerce from 2007 to 2010 at Deshbandhu College helped me cement my choice of career in accounting. I was rigorous in my understanding of corporate and cost accounting, along with taking tax and law subjects. My one year of working as an associate at Hughes Communications India Ltd. showed me the path forward to a Post-Graduation Program in Finance Management and Marketing at ICFAI, where I studied from 2011 till 2013, securing a CGPA of 7.9. During this time I interned at Aditya Birla Money Ltd., to understand the working of a large corporation and learn about regulations and exchanges in the commodity market.

The work experience I garnered has been a five-year period of tremendous professional growth for me. Starting out in 2013 at Bajaj Allianz Insurance as Assistant Manager, I concentrated on IRDA compliance, billing and commission, onboarding, tracking and renewal along with MIS. I ensured accurate record keeping for all brokers and agents, and assisted the accounts team with month-end close processes. Without limiting myself, I took initiative to coordinate the selection and hiring process for other agents, for which I received an award from the CEO for achieving excellent recruitment numbers from the top management university in India. Continuing in the same way, I built relationships with all our channel partners and assessed the financial impact of their new products, which led to me being awarded the title of Best Management Trainee. 

As I moved onto a senior position in account management in 2014 at Perfect Data Technologies Pvt. Ltd., switched to maintaining day to day accounts of the company using Tally ERP 9 software. I also tracked, prepared, submitted and managed government and private tenders on a pan-Indian scale, and maintained billing folders for all tenders, including monthly invoices and expenses, in accordance with standard procedures. I consistently followed up with the government or priate organizations in question for their RFQs and tenders. I was responsible for the general upkeep of the filing and accounts system, and for the preparation of bid prices and sales invoices. While juggling these duties, I voluntarily assisted the writing of quarterly audit reports and closing reports and also worked as a Risk Advisor to many reputed clients in the education industry of India.

Since 2016, in my current role as Regional Manager for India’s largest online B2B platform, Indiamart.com, I have developed a keen sense in budget forecasting and financial reporting. As an affable person who enjoys building inter-personal relationships, I work with multiple teams in my day to day work, in addition to my individual responsibilities. My leadership skills have been honed by heading the supplier development team in conducting audits. I efficiently handle a separate client acquisition team as well. Along with this, I ensure regional compliance and quality adherence in my sector. I also contribute creatively by designing promotional schemes for clients, ensuring that all initiatives are pushed within the allocated budget. I further enhanced my skills by successfully completing Fincorp’s certification course in Tally ERP 9 software from 2018 to 2019, in order to remain up to date with the industry’s accounting demands. I have been very fortunate to have had my perseverance recognised in the form of awards at the national level from the company.

Although I feel fulfilled in my career, I seek a fresh challenge. Choosing to go back to the classroom is a critical decision for me, and I’m willing to invest time and money in order to receive training and formal degree from a world-renowned institute such as CDU. In India, the focus in Masters courses tends to be more on theoretical knowledge and high examination scores. All of them are also not recognized globally. Therefore, I wish to be part of a program that is practically strong, and will allow me to use the skills I have gained in my professional career. I seek to now become an innovator and solve complex commercial problems at the multinational level, rather than being only an executor of tasks. I see myself at a position of business leader; one who understands nuances and fluctuations of global markets, and is able to devise effective solutions and financial strategies using this knowledge. In short, I want to take advantage of the great leap forward that I will be able to gain after completing my studies. 

I will also build a strong foundation for becoming a Certified Professional Accountant, which has been a lifelong aspiration for me. I eventually plan to enrol in a suitable CPA program which will award me the certification which is highly revered in all accounting firms across India and Asia as a whole and will help me consistently climb the career ladder. Not only will I be able to expand my area of expertise to work at positions in consultancy, taxation, financial analysis, risk assessment and treasurer; I will also be able to, with confidence in my abilities, apply to global firms such as Price Waterhouse Co, Ernst and Young, Deloitte and many more, to work in upper-management positions. While my progression in my career and balance of lifestyle is paramount, the monetary gains from such jobs, which can range anywhere from INR 30 to 40 lakhs per annum in India or 100,000 to 120,000 dollars in Australia, will allow me to build a secure future for myself and my family.

CDU was a natural choice for me when I decided on pursuing a Master’s degree, owing to its respected position worldwide and its excellent stats, which I have taken the liberty to recap briefly: 

• CDU is one of 5 top Australian Universities with respect to post-graduate employment and salary outcomes.
• It is ranked in the top 2% of all the universities in the world.
• It comes in at number 34 in the Top under-50 universities globally.
• CDU is identified by Times Higher Education as one of an elite global group of ‘rising stars’ – a new generation of challenger universities quickly rising in world rankings.
• Each year CDU teaches over 4,000 Indigenous students in over 150 locations across the NT.

CDU is a dual-sector university, which offers flexibility and choice to me in picking the right study pathway for myself. The smaller class size and low student to teacher ratio will ensure that I am able to approach my professors and avail their advice when needed. I thrive in different work environments and am an excellent communicator, and I want to take that a step further by taking advantage of CDU’s focus on multiculturalism and diversity – which comes from a representation of over 55 nationalities in its student pool – to make myself feel comfortable in any professional interactions globally. I would also like to divide my time between the cities of Darwin and Sydney or Melbourne, allowing myself a college experience based on life in a vibrant tropical setting as well as a fast-paced city environment. Finally, there is a small comfort in the fact that as Australia’s northernmost university, CDU is a bit closer to home. It offers the perfect mix of new Aboriginal culture to learn from, and yet the familiarity from some strains of South Asian traditions is present as well.

Australia is a beautiful country and the balanced quality of life enjoyed by the local people is an attractive prospect for me. Alongside the natural beauty, it is renowned globally as a leading educational hub for people the world over and the protection given to international students under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act (2000) is second to none. Purely in terms of student life, Australia currently boasts of having five cities out of the top 30 university towns in the world, owing to its mix of cultures, affordability, quality of life and employer activity. Due to these factors and my own initial research, I have concluded that there is vast choice afforded to students in terms of internships and observer-ship opportunities that will prepare me to move forward into acquiring a work visa to get employed in the field and gain experience of working in the Australian financial industry.

I am looking forward to experiencing Australia with my wife, who will shift base with me while I study. She is planning to undertake client servicing and handling, drawing on her wealth of experience gained from 6 years of working in this industry. She is a highly talented and motivated individual, who will be an asset any job she chooses in the service sector. As a couple who is open to change, we personally identify with the vibrant and inclusive ideology of both, the university and the country, which makes us extremely confident that we will be a wonderful fit in the local community of Darwin and other metropolitan cities as well.

I have witnessed India’s exponentially growing economy, in terms of trade and exports to a multitude of nations including Australia. Given this globalisation of markets, I seek the necessary exposure to remain at par with an inter-connected financial world. I am fully aware of the rigour demanded by the program and believe that I am more than prepared to handle high-pressure projects. I have been completely captured by the plethora of possibilities offered by this new globalised business world, and I want to contribute meaningfully to this tide.   

Conclusion

This Sample SOP for MS in Professional Accounting program from Australia highlights the applicant’s academic background, work experience, and passion for pursuing a career in accounting from an Australian University. Applicants demonstrate a solid foundation in accounting and finance and an interest in pursuing advanced knowledge in these areas. Their work experience gives them a working knowledge of accounting and they identify specific areas of interest, such as tax and auditing, among the program offerings. With their passion and commitment, they are well positioned to make a meaningful contribution to the accounting profession and use their skills and knowledge to drive personal and professional success.

Seek valuable assistance from Contentholic and avail SOP writing services in Delhi and we will help you in framing and shaping your SOP with utmost care. We also provide feedback on your SOP which will help you in determining where your SOP was lacking and how you need to fix it. Get the best SOP Writers in Delhi to help you in constructing a compelling and approval-worthy SOP.

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