An accountant is a person whose job is to keep, inspect, and analyze financial accounts.
Below is How To Become an Accountant In Ghana
If you have a passion for becoming a professional accountant in Ghana, then you are in the right place. In this guide, we’ll take you through the process and requirements for becoming a qualified and chartered accountant in Ghana.
Becoming a professional accountant in Ghana is not as easy as it seems. It requires advanced education, formal certification, and a firm commitment to learning the trade. In fact, a large number of accounting graduates in Ghana have not chartered accountants as they don’t have any professional certification to back their claims.
Before we go into how to become an accountant in Ghana, let’s take a look at the general overview of accounting.
What Does An Accountant Do?
Generally, accountants manage money. They deal with financial reporting, budgeting, pay, purchasing, procurement, and tax. In some companies, they may also audit financial figures.
How To Become A Chartered Accountant In Ghana
Below is a step-by-step procedure and requirement for becoming a chartered accountant in Ghana.
1. Obtain High School Education
The first thing that you need to become a professional accountant in Ghana is to go through secondary school education. This is the basics of becoming an accountant. Now, while in high school, you need to be in a commercial class.
By this we mean you need to offer subjects that are needed to study accounting in higher institutions.
Now, regardless of your class, you are expected to pass your O’level with a minimum of credits passes in three (3) core subjects English Language, Mathematics, Integrated Science or Social Studies, and Three (3) Elective Subjects in the following groups; Business, General Arts, and General Science.
Once you have your papers complete, congratulations you are on the right path to becoming an accountant.
2. Obtain a Tertiary Education
Once you have met the above minimum requirement, you need to further your education. This could be either a university, a technical university, or a polytechnic.
In these institutions, you are expected to study accounting as a course. However, even if you never studied this course during your university/polytechnic days, you can still become an accountant bypassing their professional exams.
But this will require you to spend more years compared to those that studied accounting or accountancy in school.
3. Obtain Accounting Certifications
This is the last step to becoming a professional accountant in Ghana. In fact, most accounting graduates don’t get to this point. You really need this certification before you can become a professional accountant.
The certification is gotten from a professional accountancy body. You can enroll in the Institute of Chartered Accountants Ghana (ICAG). But before you do that, you need to meet their minimum admission requirements.
Lis to schools offering Accounting Ghana
Below is the list of accredited universities offering accounting (with options in banking and finance) in Ghana.
University of Professional Studies
Central University College
Wisconsin International University College
University of Ghana
Catholic University College of Ghana
University for Development Studies
Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration
University of Cape Coast (B.Ed Accounting and B.Com Accounting)
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Accounting and Finance)
Valley View University
Lancaster University (Accounting and Finance)