The Curriculum Conundrum

Many people say that once you finish college, you are prepared for everything the world will throw at you. You are already equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills, and much-imbued with the steadfastness and discipline that these become your edge as you enter the so-called 'rat race'.

The UST-AMV College of Accountancy, while being a young institution, has been efficiently making strides towards becoming the country's premier center of accounting education. Recent results have evinced that UST has been consistently improving in the CPA examinations; and the need for progressive innovation has propelled, among others, a partnership between UST-AMV and Deutsche Bank to offer the audit-driven SAP (Systems Application & Products) Program in addition to the computer courses offered, a well-placed move as it is indeed relevant especially in an increasingly globalized and connected world.

On the other hand, although form is relatively the same, there is a discrepancy among the accounting batches' curricula. The present graduating batch, previous alumni included, basically have a "Major in BSA" curriculum -- almost entirely composed of general courses offered in the first and second academic year, and then a mass of profession-related courses in the latter half. This could be attributed to the gradual developmental shift of studies following the independent status gained by UST-AMV from the College of Commerce in 2004. Meanwhile, the other undergraduates (starting from Batch 2010) have a "purely Accounting" curriculum, which has devolved from the "major in BSA" standard courses aforementioned and has taken the 'fast track' -- they have included major courses as early as freshman year. To note, the 'old' curriculum has an essentially 'academic' program, where performance is only based on quizzes and the major exams. The new curriculum includes additional courses such as Thesis Writing. Could this be a disparent advantage of the undergraduates? Could this mean that the previous graduates and graduating students of the program are 'underhanded', lacking in preparation?

Thesis writing, for a long time now, has been the boon and bane of many students struggling to earn a much-coveted college degree. Many colleges provide this course as the culmination of knowledge and aptitude, a litmus test to see how well a student has learned throughout his education. A lot of effort is spent brainstorming, toiling, deducing and defending such work -- it is almost a real job if one takes it too seriously.

As a fourth year student, it is admittedly a relief that Thesis Writing was not offered in the program. But then it seems unfair, this discrepancy in curricula. There is even the possibility of offering on-the-job trainings (OJTs) in the near future, a need sorely lacking in the present situation. Learning isn't supposed to be only confined inside the four walls of a classroom. For a profession as fundamental and kinetic as that of accounting, students should be exposed to the 'real practice' to be able to fully grasp the ideas and concepts that are literally floating in one's head, waiting for the next examination to get them over with. Accounting isn't merely a case of numbers and logic; it is not only a matter of knowing what to do, but also how well you execute it.

Time and again, our professors convince us that studying in AMV is enough proof that we are capable of overcoming the odds, reinforced by the rigorous training would-be CPAs face year after academic year. They even say that we are 'overworked' compared to other accounting schools, which could only mean a good thing. Also, capability isn't just measured by acing tests, it's about knowing the lessons by heart.

Thesis or no thesis -- basta tatak AMV, tatak magaling.