ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the first
professional accountancy body to sponsor massive open online courses
(MOOCs) on UK company FutureLearn’s social learning platform for professional
recognition.
The global body for professional accountants will
work with FutureLearn’s university partners to make
learning content in the fields of accountancy, finance and
business, available to FutureLearn’s international learner base, online,
free of charge.
Simon
Nelson, Chief Executive of FutureLearn, said, “Our free online courses
provide a valuable means of supplementing professional knowledge, and
also reaching learners with career options they might not previously
have considered. I’m pleased to welcome the ACCA as a world-renowned and
trusted source of knowledge in business and finance; together we can
provide essential knowledge to working accountants, and inspire the next
generation of finance professionals.”
Helen Brand OBE, Chief
Executive of ACCA and alumnus of the University of Exeter, said, “This could be the
start of professional training towards a prestigious and respected
global qualification. But it doesn’t stop there – MOOCs can also be used
by our ACCA members to meet their needs for continuing professional
development throughout their careers.
“As the global body for
professional accountants, we have led innovation in the profession,
starting computer based exams way back in 1998. Access to the
accountancy profession is important to ACCA; one of our core values is
that of opportunity – enabling those with ability to become a finance
professional, with or without a degree. Using the online technology that
is now part of all our everyday lives means that this partnership is
opportunity in action.”
Professor Robin Mason, Dean of the University
of Exeter Business School said, “With two-thirds of our research rated
as world-leading or of an internationally excellent standard, we are
perfectly placed to deliver a course that is both engaging and informed
by cutting edge thinking.”
The first MOOC to launch as a result of this collaboration will be called Discovering Business in Society,
developed by academics at the University of Exeter. Launching on
FutureLearn in September 2014, the course is aimed at anyone interested
in learning the principles of business, including prospective
undergraduate students, working professionals without a background in
business and anyone interested in entering the finance profession and
seeking a route to ACCA membership.
The
course will receive professional accreditation from ACCA, granting
exemption from paper F1 (Accountant in Business) of the ACCA
Qualification. This will provide those learners who fully participate
and pass the associated exam with the opportunity to continue on a
journey to ACCA membership and a rewarding career in finance. Learners can sign up for the course
now, at www.futurelearn.com/courses.
