The Institute of Accounting Science (IAS) is a private South African higher education provider based in New Market Park, Johannesburg (Gauteng), focused predominantly on postgraduate accountancy education leading to the Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) designation. Its current public-facing site operates under the brand 'Destination CA' (DCA). IAS states it is accredited by the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), and registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA); specific DHET/SAQA registration numbers are not published on the site and could not be independently verified. In January 2023, SAICA accredited IAS to deliver a Professional Programme (the Integrated Learning Professional Course) for entry into SAICA's Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), making IAS the fourth provider in South Africa to hold such accreditation. IAS describes its teaching staff as having a combined 100+ years of CTA teaching experience but does not publish specific student enrolment figures. The institution operates from a single confirmed campus in Johannesburg; it states an intention to expand to other major South African cities as demand supports, but no additional operating campuses (e.g. Pretoria, Durban, Cape Town) are currently confirmed on the official site. No specific founding/establishment date is published.
Qualifications & Programmes
- Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting (PGDA) / Certificate in the Theory of Accounting (CTA) — one academic year, January or June intake; 120 credits across four compulsory courses (Financial Accounting IV, Management Accounting and Finance IV, Auditing IV, Taxation IV, 30 credits each); day-time or flexi (evening) study modes; SAICA-accredited, DHET-registered, SAQA-registered; qualifies graduates to write SAICA's Initial Test of Competence (ITC)
- Integrated Learning Professional Course (ILPC) — SAICA-accredited Professional Programme for SAICA's Assessment of Professional Competence (APC), accredited effective January 2023
- ACTION Professional Programme (APC preparation) — competency-based programme supporting APC candidates
- BCTA — a refresher/bridging course for the PGDA/CTA programme (explicitly stated by IAS as not SAICA-accredited)
- IAC Board Course — preparatory course for the Institute of Accounting and Commerce (IAC) board examination