UWA Handbook 2025

Unit Overview

Description

Ethics introduces candidates to fundamental concepts and professional skills that are developed throughout subsequent units and are essential for professional practice as a Chartered Accountant. Students are introduced to skills for professional reflection, essential for objectively evaluating their own practice and for continuous improvement, and to consider the Code of Ethics that informs all of the sub-disciplines of accounting. Students analyse an organisation and its business environment and examine how it creates value in the context of ethical decision making. They are encouraged to take a holistic view when analysing an organisation, going beyond the numbers and asking ‘why'. This holistic analysis provides the foundation from which to identify risks, evaluate alternatives and make sound recommendations. A key component of this unit is an interactive workshop where students collaborate to consider ethical issues and apply professional judgement to topical and authentic ‘what if' business scenarios.

In Risk and Technology, students analyse how businesses create and protect stakeholder value with a focus on risk management, data and technology. Students evaluate and respond to the benefits, risks and challenges organisations face arising from existing and emerging technologies, process automation and the use and application of data. Students will develop skills and knowledge in areas of technical practice including identifying, analysing and managing risk, computational thinking, analysis and reporting of data and emerging technologies. In real world case-study based activities and associated assessments, students will apply ethical considerations to risk management and technology and develop skills to communicate technical data to a variety of audiences. Chartered Accountants ANZ designed this unit in partnership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS).

Credit

6 points

Offering
(see Timetable)

Availability	Location	Mode
Non-standard teaching period	UWA (Perth)	Face to face
Non-standard teaching period	UWA (Perth)	Face to face
Non-standard teaching period	UWA (Perth)	Face to face

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) recommend risk management strategies to address financial and non-financial risks affecting an organization; (2) evaluate and communicate the results of data analyses, presented in a range of formats, to provide relevant information for decision making; (3) identify and evaluate existing and emerging technology solutions and contribute to an IT strategy to meet business objectives and strategy; (4) apply the principles of computational thinking to generate solutions to authentic business problems

; (5) research an organisation and its environment to identify and evaluate factors that influence business decision-making; (6) reflect on own knowledge, skills and experience, and on areas for further development as a Chartered Accountant; (7) apply the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants to address common ethical dilemmas; and (8) collaborate with peers and communicate information effectively.

Assessment

Indicative assessments in this unit are as follows: (1) online assessment; (2) written case activity; (3) written submission; and (4) written assessments and group presentation for the ethics component of this unit (Pass/Fail). Further information is available in the unit outline.

To pass this unit, a student must: (a) achieve an overall mark of 50 per cent or higher for the unit; and (b) achieve the requisite requirements(s) or a mark of 50 per cent or greater, whichever is higher and specified in the unit outline, for the written assessments and group presentation for the ethics component of this unit (Pass/Fail) component.

This unit is assessed on an ungraded pass/ungraded failed basis. All assessment items must be successfully completed.

Student may be offered supplementary assessment in this unit if they meet the eligibility criteria.

Unit Coordinator(s)

Dr Glen Hutchings

Unit rules

Prerequisites

ACCT5432 Introductory Financial Accounting (ID 2664)
and MGMT5504 Data Analysis and Decision Making (ID 3513)
and ECON5541 Economics for Business: Applications and Policy (ID 5315)
and FINA5533 Finance Essentials (ID 6240)
and ACCT5511 Intermediate Corporate Financial Accounting (ID 2666)
and ACCT5633 Accounting for Planning and Control (ID 2672) and for students in the Master of Professional Accounting a weighted average mark of 65%
or 42340 Graduate Diploma in Commerce (Chartered Accounting) (ID 1511)

Co-requisites

LAWS5508 Commercial and Company Law (ID 3360)
or ACCT5531 Financial Accounting: Theory and Practice (ID 2669)
or ACCT5522 Principles of Auditing (ID 2668)
or ACCT5637 Principles of Taxation (ID 2673)

Note

To pass this unit students must successfully complete two Chartered Accountant subjects (Ethics & Business and Risk & Technology). If a student fails one of the two subjects they may be required to pay Chartered Accountants ANZ directly to repeat that subject.