UKZN academic Mr Tarish Jagwanth says graduating with a Master of Commerce in Accounting degree is a step in the right direction as his goal is a long career in academia.
Jagwanth’s research topic, Financial Accounting as a Determinant of Success in Financial Management (ManFin) and Auditing at UKZN, focussed on the design of the accounting curriculum at the University, specifically whether Financial Accounting serves as an effective prerequisite for Auditing and ManFin.
Expanding on his reasons for this research, Jagwanth said he had been passionate about the topic throughout the duration of his study.
‘Being a previous accounting student at UKZN, I am aware of the rigorous nature of the accounting programme. Therefore I felt if my study findings contributed to new knowledge in the field, which could aid in possible curriculum redesign for the better in the future, this would assist in improving student throughput at the University, which is our goal as tertiary accounting educators.’
Jagwanth of Pietermaritzburg said his study was unique as ‘students’ perceptions of the accounting programme comprised a large portion of the findings, as they were in the best position to answer questions regarding the courses having been there themselves’.
He said his studies were challenging as he had to manage his time effectively and balance work and studies. ‘I found that forming a writing cohort with other academics within the discipline really helped my progress. We would study together in the evenings and on weekends and invest time in our research until late in the night on almost every day of the week. This was extremely tiring after a full day’s work but proved to be worth it in the end as it helped me to finish in nine months.’
Jagwanth thanked his family and also his supervisor Dr Raj Rajaram for their constant support throughout the duration of his studies.
Jagwanth has registered for his PhD in which he hopes to explore an additional avenue of research following on from where he left off in his masters degree.
Words: Sithembile Shabangu
