The deadline for entering the Accountancy scholarship for a place on a Diploma in Financial Strategy run by Oxford University's prestigious Said Business School is now only two months away. Details are in the box on the right.
CCH, Accountancy's publisher, has teamed up with the school to promote the qualification, which was launched last year, and offers the course as part of its range of CPD offerings.
The first year-long course is now nearing completion and, following its success, the school is inviting applications for next year's course, starting in April 2007. It is designed for those with a good degree and at least five years' work experience.
Jonathan Black, the business school's programme director, says: 'The Diploma in Financial Strategy at the University of Oxford is a masters-level postgraduate qualification that provides the essential parts of an MBA for accountants and other senior finance professionals. It is an opportunity to broaden and enhance skills while gaining an Oxford qualification.
'The diploma is rigorous and intellectually challenging. It is designed to offer graduates the profile of an investment banker, the strategic approaches and techniques of a consultant and the stewardship skills of an accountant.'
The programme is based on four modules of teaching in the areas of strategic management, finance, and management control systems. Each module is taught over four full days of teaching in April, June, September and December.
The diploma complements the ICAEW chartered accountancy qualification and will contribute towards members' CPD requirements.
On successful completion of the diploma, participants who want to study business in greater detail will be encouraged to apply for the University of Oxford Executive MBA programme. Credits from the diploma will be made transferable, exempting participants from certain parts of the MBA programme.
Accountancy will pay the fees of one chartered accountant to join the course. To win this prize, worth £10,000, you need to write an essay addressing the following question:
Is business becoming more risky, or more risk-averse? And why?'Business' should be read as including not just companies, but also professional firms, public sector and not-for-profit organisations.
It should be between 1,200 and 1,300 words in length and should be submitted with an application for a place on the course - see the application form on www.sbs.oxford.edu/diploma for details of how to enter. The closing date is 28 February 2007. The winning essay will be selected by the school and published in Accountancy. The winner will be asked to write a diary of their experiences over the course of the year, which we will also publish.
They will also be featured in Accountancy. There is no cash alternative.
The essay and diary may be edited for publication.
LAST YEAR'S WINNERThe winner of the first Accountancy scholarship was Ben Davies, ACA, a business analyst at the South Bank Centre, which encompasses venues such as the Royal Festival Hall and Hayward Art Gallery.
You can read Ben's diary of his course in the September 2006 issue(p130), the May 2006 (p48) and December 2006 (p60). His original winning essay, on how the accountancy profession contributes to the social and economic well-being of society, was published in the April 2006 issue (p55).