MSc IFM graduates benefit from a facilitated path to the Swiss Certified Public Accountant

by Prof. Dr. Stefan Hunziker and Prof. Dr. Michael Blankenagel, Co-Heads of MSc International Financial Management, and Marcel Fallegger (CMA), Senior Research Associate and IMA Campus Advocate at the Institute of Financial Services Zug IFZ

Graduates of the programme MSc International Financial Management (IFM) now benefit from several possibilities of dispensation in the programme to become a Swiss Certified Public Accountant. EXPERTsuisse approved the Lucerne School of Business’ request to exempt the graduates of the IFM from the module examination in «Accounting & Finance» under certain conditions.

The specialised master programme MSc IFM is the first programme of a Swiss university of applied sciences and arts which benefits from a dispensation. The approval of the request is proof of the comprehensive education in the disciplines Accounting, Controlling and Financial Management of the IFM programme.

What is EXPERTsuisse?

EXPERTsuisse is the specialist association for auditing, taxes and fiduciary. The association trains, supports and represents its Swiss certified experts. Well over two-thirds of Switzerland’s economic output is generated by companies for which members of EXPERTsuisse work.

What is the Swiss Certified Public Accountant?

As experts in accounting standards, auditors inspect and verify financial statements which are based on national or international accounting standards. Additional activities are the audit of company foundations, capital increases and reductions. Moreover, auditors support their customers in financial and management accounting, business appraisals as well as in insurance and tax matters.

What are the conditions for graduates of the IFM programme to get the exemption?

Graduates who want to benefit from the dispensation have to complete the IFM programme successfully. In addition, they have to select and pass specific elective modules as part of the programme in the disciplines Financial Accounting & Reporting, Managerial Accounting and Corporate Finance worth 15 ECTS in total with a sufficient grade in each module. These electives are already part of the IFM programme so students just have to select the appropriate modules. If these clearly defined criteria are fulfilled and a special proposal is approved, it is possible to start in the third semester with the official examination procedure instead of starting in the first semester. In this way, the candidates need one year less for the programme.

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