CA Sri Lanka launches Degree program in Applied Accounting

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) launched its first degree program in applied accounting at a ceremony held under the patronage of Minister of Higher Education S. B. Dissanayake recently.

Secretary, Ministry of Cooperatives and Internal Trade, G K D Amarawardena and Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education Dr. Sunil Jayantha Nawaratne were present.

The new degree program is a landmark in the tertiary education sector of Sri Lanka and aspires to meet the dearth of university level education institutes in the country due to limited intake to local universities.

CA Sri Lanka President, Sujeewa Rajapakse said that the BSc in Applied Accounting which has been approved by the University Grants Commission is another feat in the institute's continuing endeavour to provide youth with the best qualifications in the accounting field.

"In recent times, we saw thousands of students unable to gain entry into universities due to limited intake. This led to many students spending substantial sums of money to follow degree programs at foreign universities and in some cases students joined foreign universities of questionable repute," he said.

Rajapakse said that as a responsible institute and as a leading tertiary education provider, CA Sri Lanka decided to help remedy this increasing dearth in recognised higher educational opportunities in Sri Lanka, and launched its own degree degree in applied accounting.

He said that CA Sri Lanka as the national body of accountants supports the government's vision to ensure that youth are empowered with professional skills and academically qualified for their long term success and to ensure the country has a skilled workforce.

"I think this degree program, will play a tremendous role in helping our nation achieve the objectives of a skilled workforce before long, so we can realise our country's development-driven ambitions," Rajapakse said.

The inaugural degree program which will commence in June this year will be conducted by the institute's full-fledged School of Accounting and Business (SAB).

Chief Executive Officer of CA Sri Lanka, Aruna Alwis said that throughout the institute's five-decade long existence, CA Sri Lanka has constantly assured quality education that is accessible to all in accordance to social needs and individual aspirations.

"Therefore, as a step forward and to meet the continuous market demand, the institute is introducing the BSc (Applied Accounting) General and Special Degree Programs to fulfill the increasing demand in the field of accounting and to create employable graduates with knowledge, skills and attitudes," he said.

Alwis said that CA Sri Lanka is equipped with the requisite infrastructure to ensure a rewarding learning experience for its students. He said that the course modules will be conducted by qualified and experienced academic staff and the institute will maintain the academic standards stipulated by the University Grants Commission throughout the degree program.

"I invite youth to take advantage of this opportunity offered by CA Sri Lanka and embark on a successful and rewarding career," he said.

CA Sri Lanka is one of the largest tertiary education providers in Sri Lanka outside the university system with over 41,000 students.

The institute has a membership of 4,300 full-qualified Chartered Accountants.