Masters Programmes

Risteard

Hey everyone,

Just wondering if anyone can give an insight in to the masters programmes offered in DCU and UCD?

I was offered a contract and the masters route starting 2013/2014 and was wondering if anyone can tell me about them.

Obviously the thing that jumps out is the fees of Smurfit compared to DCU.

Just wondering is the extra couple of grand for UCD worth it? I know you get CAP2 exemptions either way which has me leaning to DCU.

Any opinions?

biscuits11

Hi I did the Masters in Accounting in DCU. The course is very tough but it does offer good exemptions. I obtained good results from the course and here are some of my opinions on the course.

General Information
Semester 2 is much harder than Semester 1 so ensure to make the most of semester 1 e.g. nights out etc as in semester 2 you will much busier and nights out will be less frequent.
Fees are cheaper which is a good thing.
If you are willing to work very hard for the entire year you will get the rewards however be prepared for an extremely tough year.
The majority of lecturers were excellent and, were very open to students and were always available to help in any way they could. This is certainly a huge plus for DCU.


Negatives
Course is extremely tough however this will be the case in UCD or DCU. :eek:
Some subjects in DCU have nothing to do with CAP2 exemptions e.g module called "Critical Perspectives in Accounting" and "IT & The Accountant" these modules take up a serious amount of time as they are 100% CA and the CA's are very tough averaging over the year 7000-10000 words per module although some of this does include group work.:(
On the subject of CA, The masters in DCU is extremely CA intensive when compared to other masters course's and this means that you are under pressure for the entire year. Also the final CA assignment is due in the final week of April which is crazy as it puts students under serious pressure for the summer exams which would be hard enough without the added pressure CA deadlines place on you. Some might say why don't you get your CA's done before the end of April?? However due to the amount of CA's this is very unlikely and unpractical.:mad:
There is a high failure rate with probably 50% of the class having 1 repeat with some have 2,3 and 4 repeats.:eek::eek::eek:
The thesis can be seen as a negative however it is not the worst thing to do once you get into it. Summer School in UCD sounds like a better option to me, however this would be my opinion it may not suit others.
Also a lot of Academic reading which at the beginning is quite daunting.

Little things that annoy about DCU
Printing is expensive considering the amount you will have to print for lectures assignments etc.:mad:

As the course is so tough you will certainly spend late nights within DCU whether it be in computer rooms or the library, however after 5.30 to get food in DCU is a disaster as most of the restaurants close at this time so it’s a disaster if you are not living on campus which I was not.


Positives
Class is small probably 2 classes of 30 so this is great as it allows easier access to lecturers and ensures that you class is very close and easy to make new friends.:)
Fee's are certainly a positive.:)
Majority of lecturers were excellent and very helpful.:)
Timetable was good with the worst days probably on monday and tuesdays.
The exam timetables are well spread out for both Xmas and summer exams.

Summary of DCU
Expect a very tough year, if you are willing to work very hard you should find the course manageable, exceptionally hard work is required for a minimum of a 2:1. If I could rewind time would I do the course in DCU again?? I'm not sure!, I owe a lot to DCU as I got my job from the course and made friends for life in DCU, however in my opinion and having spoken to others there are easier master courses to do. On the other side I'm sure employers are aware of this and take the difficulty of the course into consideration when employing graduates etc . You will make great friends in DCU as the classes are small. Essentially if you put the work in you will get the rewards. Best of luck.:)

markg86

Risteard wrote: »

Hey everyone,

Just wondering if anyone can give an insight in to the masters programmes offered in DCU and UCD?

I was offered a contract and the masters route starting 2013/2014 and was wondering if anyone can tell me about them.

Obviously the thing that jumps out is the fees of Smurfit compared to DCU.

Just wondering is the extra couple of grand for UCD worth it? I know you get CAP2 exemptions either way which has me leaning to DCU.

Any opinions?

Why does it matter about the fees if you got a contract I thought the employer pays the fee's?

cson

Big 4 sponsor up to circa €8k.

Do not go to DCU is all I'll say, if you want me to expand on this PM me as I won't go into it publically.

markg86

cson wrote: »

Big 4 sponsor up to circa €8k.

Do not go to DCU is all I'll say, if you want me to expand on this PM me as I won't go into it publically.

Oh OK so your allowed up to 8k for fees and promised a training contract and that's the deal?

Risteard

Thanks for the replies.

Very helpful and informative post biscuits, cheers.

bigmc23

don't mean to hijack the thread folks but could anyone tell me if they think it's easier to qualify as a chartered accountant if you go down the masters route as apposed to doing your CAP2's whilst working?

Risteard

bigmc23 wrote: »

don't mean to hijack the thread folks but could anyone tell me if they think it's easier to qualify as a chartered accountant if you go down the masters route as apposed to doing your CAP2's whilst working?

I obviously haven't started yet, I'm still in my final year of undergrad but I was on work placement for 9 months and just about everyone I asked, said that they'd recommend the masters. They said it's probably easier to do the masters on its own rather than trying to juggle work, lectures studying and exams, despite the exam leave you get. The flip side of that though was they said doing the CAP2s would probably stand to you when doing FAEs as you'd have the experience of professional exams already.

But as I said pretty much everybody I asked recommended the masters, whether they had done it that way or the CAP2s.

An Citeog

Risteard wrote: »

bigmc23 wrote: »

don't mean to hijack the thread folks but could anyone tell me if they think it's easier to qualify as a chartered accountant if you go down the masters route as apposed to doing your CAP2's whilst working?

I obviously haven't started yet, I'm still in my final year of undergrad but I was on work placement for 9 months and just about everyone I asked, said that they'd recommend the masters. They said it's probably easier to do the masters on its own rather than trying to juggle work, lectures studying and exams, despite the exam leave you get. The flip side of that though was they said doing the CAP2s would probably stand to you when doing FAEs as you'd have the experience of professional exams already.

But as I said pretty much everybody I asked recommended the masters, whether they had done it that way or the CAP2s.

From someone who's done CAP 2 and FAEs, I'd completely agree with this.

Hewhodares

I've heard from friends that the UCD masters is better the DCU. From my own and friends experiences, DCU isn't a great College. UCD Smurfit was highly recommended by my friends.

How much does having a masters increases the chances of getting a Job through the Milkround? I've been offered a masters place(not in UCD or DCU) but don't want to spend €8.5k on it if I don't get training contract. How much of a step up is it from a Postgraduate Diploma work wise? The one I'm thinking of doing only has 5 modules/8 exams and a Thesis. From looking a Exam papers its Just a more in depth version of the Diploma exams?


Also has anybody any tips for filling out the application forms? Im finding some of the questions a bit tough. (The Your skills section in PWC),(Additional Information section in Deloitte),(The questionnaire section in Ernst&Young, The team work/leadership question and the question if you do not meet the Leaving Certificate requirements)

Sorry for being off Topic

Hewhodares

I've heard from friends that the UCD masters is better the DCU. From my own and friends experiences, DCU isn't a great College. UCD Smurfit was highly recommended by my friends.

How much does having a masters increases the chances of getting a Job through the Milkround? I've been offered a masters place(not in UCD or DCU) but don't want to spend €8.5k on it if I don't get training contract. How much of a step up is it from a Postgraduate Diploma work wise? The one I'm thinking of doing only has 5 modules/8 exams and a Thesis. From looking a Exam papers its Just a more in depth version of the Diploma exams?


Also has anybody any tips for filling out the application forms? Im finding some of the questions a bit tough. (The Your skills section in PWC),(Additional Information section in Deloitte),(The questionnaire section in Ernst&Young, The team work/leadership question and the question if you do not meet the Leaving Certificate requirements)

Sorry for being off Topic

bigmc23

An Citeog wrote: »

From someone who's done CAP 2 and FAEs, I'd completely agree with this.

your probably right. Though IMO taking an extra year to qualify via masters is a big downside

20 Times 20 Times

bigmc23 wrote: »

An Citeog wrote: »

From someone who's done CAP 2 and FAEs, I'd completely agree with this.

your probably right. Though IMO taking an extra year to qualify via masters is a big downside

Having a masters should not be under estimated

An Citeog

bigmc23 wrote: »

An Citeog wrote: »

From someone who's done CAP 2 and FAEs, I'd completely agree with this.

your probably right. Though IMO taking an extra year to qualify via masters is a big downside

An extra year in college is better than an extra half year on your contract that incorporates another busy season.

An Citeog

Little Pea wrote: »

bigmc23 wrote: »

An Citeog wrote: »

From someone who's done CAP 2 and FAEs, I'd completely agree with this.

your probably right. Though IMO taking an extra year to qualify via masters is a big downside

Having a masters should not be under estimated

The only benefit of having a masters in accounting is the exemptions it gives you from CAP 2. There's not much worth unless you follow it through and get the chartered qualification though.

bigmc23

An Citeog wrote: »

An extra year in college is better than an extra half year on your contract that incorporates another busy season.

After completing the PDA, hopefully, I'll just have the three year contract to do. Alternatively its the PDA, then masters, and also the 3 year contract albeit minus CAP2?

An Citeog

bigmc23 wrote: »

An Citeog wrote: »

An extra year in college is better than an extra half year on your contract that incorporates another busy season.

After completing the PDA, hopefully, I'll just have the three year contract to do. Alternatively its the PDA, then masters, and also the 3 year contract albeit minus CAP2?

Didn't realise you were coming from the PDA, so in that case, I'd strongly recommend just going straight into doing CAP 2. The 3 year contract is a massive plus.

My advice re: doing a masters only applies if your undergrad gives you CAP 1 exemptions and you're looking at a 3.5 year contract.

bigmc23

An Citeog wrote: »

Didn't realise you were coming from the PDA, so in that case, I'd strongly recommend just going straight into doing CAP 2. The 3 year contract is a massive plus.

My advice re: doing a masters only applies if your undergrad gives you CAP 1 exemptions and you're looking at a 3.5 year contract.

If I do well in the PDA I could apply for the masters in accounting, so you wouldn't recommend this route for me then?

Dellboy2007

Similar to biscuits, I owe a lot to DCU as it got me a job. I chose to go to a uni as, coming from an IT, I felt it would better my chances of securing a job. Interestingly, some of my undergrad classmates went onto an IT to do the Masters and they secured just as good jobs.

Anyway, my undergrad was largely based on applying practical knowledge, sure isn't that what accounting is all about? DCU seem to think that being able to write essays is what makes you a better accountant. Ok maybe i'm being a bit facetious, but towards the end of the year I realised what it was they were trying to do. They were attempting to open our eyes to the problems going on in the accounting world, they wanted to foster change in us, to try and help us to deal with a crisis or issue that is not prescribed for in the accounting texts (all very exciting stuff....).

I completely understand why they were doing this. For nearly 30 years, there has been calls for an overhaul of accounting education because the accounting role changed and accountants are now expected to do more than just bean count. If DCU choose to do what some other colleges do who run Masters courses and literally do the bear minimum and only do the 5 CAP 2 subjects they are not being seen to meet this need for change.

The problem is, nobody knows how to bring about this change in accounting education.... it's the reason why doing a Masters in DCU, DIT or UCD will be so different.

Personally, I would have liked less academic writing and more emphasis on practical application of knowledge. That's not to say that there wasn't practical elements of the course, obviously there was or we wouldn't have got CAP 2's, I just found that there was a massive workload involving reading/writing academic articles, so there was little time to practice questions. This probably explains why *a lot* of people failed exams, i.e. little under half the course failed finance.

Pandoras Twist

An Citeog wrote: »

The only benefit of having a masters in accounting is the exemptions it gives you from CAP 2. There's not much worth unless you follow it through and get the chartered qualification though.

It also exempts you from the first part of the AITI tax exams.

I did the masters in Smurfit. I've laid out a few points below.

There is a large class size (c.125 students) in one lecture hall for pretty much all your classes. This doesn't really detract from the quality of the lectures as everyone is there to work so there is very little talking in class.

Its a tough year and I found the course content a good step up from Commerce but I managed it fairly well and still had a social life and a part-time job.

The fees are around 11,000. If you are with the big 4 around 7,600 ish is paid directly by the firm and they give you another 2,500 to live off during the year which I put towards fees too. If you haven't been sponsored yet, a friend who hadn't gone for the milkround previously was hired during the year with no hassle and they were given about 2,000 euro towards their fees, but I think this is done on a concession basis so I wouldnt go counting on it.

Personally I didnt like Smurfit as a campus as there isn't many options for lunch, Blackrock is a serious hassle to get to both with public transport and traffic if you're driving and the library opening hours are a joke. The timetable also irritated me as it changed every week and all the lectures were delivered in 2 hour blocks. These are all minor enough concerns though.

In terms of reputation I wouldn't see Smurfit as being all that greater than DCU, and you get your exemptions either way. If I hadn't done commerce in UCD (and therefore knew some of the lecturers and the way UCD works) I'd have done the DIT masters above either of them as it's easier to get to for me and is far cheaper.