ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. It offers business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.

Its reputation is grounded in over 100 years of providing world-class accounting and finance qualifications. ACCA understands the real issues facing small businesses as 63,000 of its members work in SMEs or small partnerships worldwide. ACCA's theme for 2009-2010 is Accountants for Business. This theme emphasises the important roles accountants play in both the private and public sectors, promoting their role as advocates of sound business practices, champions of sustainable business development and identifiers of value drivers which lead to high-performing organisations.

This qualification enables you to become a Chartered Certified Accountiant, use the designatory letters ACCA, and work in any aspect of finance or management in any business.

CAT (Certified Accounting Technician) is a technician level professional qualification awarded by ACCA, providing students with strong foundation in accountancy, IT and various aspects of management.

This is an open entry qualification and there is no time limit given to complete the qualification, offering both young and mature adults who have no formal qualifications the opportunity to pursue an internationally recognised qualification.

With this qualification, you will be abel to support financial managers in any type of business all over the world. On completion of the examinations you will be able to call yourself a Certified Accounting Technician and use the designation CAT after your name.

The CFA Charter has become known as the designation of professional excellence within the global investment community. It is the definitive standard for measuring competence and integrity in the fields of portfolio management and investment analysis. This qualification is administered and awarded by CFA Institute, UK.

The skills cultivated in the CFA programme can be key assets for future career development. It equips you with the knowledge needed to make better investment decisions, and makes you a more viable candidate to assume positions with a wider range of responsibilities.

CIMA offers the most relevant international accounting qualification for business. They are the world's leading and largest professional body of management accountants, asking business finance leaders from around the world to share their insights into how CIMA Chartered Management Accountants create value for their organisations.

Computer-based examinations are available for ACCA and CAT papers. These are available on a first-come-first-served basis and are subject to the availability of examination workstations.

The Oxford Brookes University degree benefits the students as they can earn a degree. The degree is equivalent to all other degrees awarded by Oxford Brookes University and is recognised all over the world. The Oxford Brookes University is highly regarded and the degree is based on practical, professional and employer-driven requirements. The key skills identified by QAA (Quality Assurance Agency) of the United Kingdom are skills students acquire having gone through the programme.

ACCA students are automatically opted into the BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting degree when they register for the ACCA qualification. Students who have opted out of the degree scheme on registration can opt in before they attempt any one or all of ACCA Papers F7, F8 and F9. Students cannot opt in if they have already passed any of these three papers.