Experience report Expert in Accounting and Controlling: Course director Michael Ackermann explains how you can prepare specifically for the Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE).
Please tell us about your background.
My name is Michael Ackermann and I have been working as a part-time lecturer for several years. For about a year now, I have been responsible as course director for continuing education, further training as an expert in accounting and controlling at the KV Basel business school, which is offered in cooperation with the Controller Academy. As a qualified auditor and qualified business economist UAS with many years of experience as head of finance and controlling, I now work full-time as an independent entrepreneur in financial management consulting.
Who is the Expert in Accounting and Controlling course particularly suitable for?
The Expert in Accounting and Controlling course prepares participants for an Advanced Federal Professional Examination (AFPE) over the course of five semesters. In this respect, in addition to appropriate motivation, adequate prior education and relevant professional experience must also be present. At the time of taking the federal examination, this professional experience must be between two and five years, depending on the previous education. A typical previous qualification is either a specialist certificate from a Federal Professional Examination (e.g. Finance/Accounting or Fiduciary Specialist), a College of Applied Sciences, a College of Higher Education or a university degree.
What career prospects do you have as a certified expert in accounting and controlling?
The Expert in Accounting and Controlling course trains future decision-makers and specialists in accounting and controlling. Typical functions after the accounting and controlling course could be
- CFO / Head of Finance
- Head of Accounting
- Head of Group Accounting
- Head of Controlling
- Head of Treasury (responsible for the entire financial system as the master of the money)
- Head of Corporate Planning
- Commercial management
What do participants learn on the Expert in Accounting and Controlling course?
The continuing education, further training course Expert in Accounting and Controlling is very broad and deep. Participants become sought-after experts in the field of accounting and controlling. In 5 semesters and around 700 lessons, participants receive further training in Swiss and international accounting, controlling, corporate finance, taxes, leadership and data management. From my professional experience as Head of Finance, I can judge very well what people need to bring to a responsible finance function. I have always enjoyed working with graduates of the continuing education, further training course Expert in Accounting and Controlling because the participants are highly qualified and have a strong track record.
How much does the Accounting and Controlling Expert course cost?
The Expert in Accounting and Controlling course is subject-financed. This means that participants receive around half of the costs back from the federal government when they take the federal examination. Taking this federal contribution into account, the excellent continuing education, further training at our school still costs the participant around CHF 10,000.
What makes Basel a particularly interesting training location for budding experts in accounting and controlling?
We offer continuing education, further training in accounting and controlling in close cooperation with the Controller Akademie. We often use the same lecturers and assessments as well as identical guidelines. The great advantage is that students from the region of Northwestern Switzerland do not have to travel far to attend the school, as classes take place a 5-minute walk from the SBB train station in Basel. Furthermore - and this is an important advantage for future experts in accounting and controlling - our classes are not very large, so that the exchange between students and lecturers remains optimal.
