Accounting is a rigorous and time-consuming profession. To become an accountant in Kenya, an individual must graduate from one of the nation's many accounting schools. The accounting schools train students for the realities of the profession and prepare them to take the necessary examinations as required by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya.
Bridge College of Professional Studies
Established in 1993, Bridge College is located in Kenya's capital, Nairobi. The college's School of Business Management offers students an Advanced Diploma in Accounting and finance course. It is an 18-month program that is divided into three six-month terms. Each term costs between 9,000 and 10,500 Kenyan Shillings (between $109.95 and $128.28 USD) as of June 2010. The course offers classes on bookkeeping, entrepreneurship, accounting, business law, financial management, auditing and taxation.
KCA University
KCA University offers business management courses to students. The university was created in 1989 after a report determined that Kenya needed to graduate at least 400 accountants every year to meet business demands. The School of Professional Programmes offers an Accounting Technicians Certificate (ATC), a Certified Public Accountants (CPA) degree and an Association of Chartered Accountants (ACCA) degree. The ATC course prepares decree holders to maintain accounting records and other related technical tasks. The CPA course allows degree holders to follow up with additional specialized courses in accounting such as the ACCA. The ACCA is an internationally-recognized degree that allows a degree holder to work outside Kenya.
Strathmore University
Strathmore University is located in Nairobi. Its School of Accountancy offers several degrees, including the Certified Public Accountant Course (CPA) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). The CPA course includes classes in subjects such as Cost Accounting, Financial Management, Taxation and Company Law. A graduate with a CPA degree can work as accountants, tax managers or go on to take specialized courses in accounting such as the ACCA. The ACCA degree allows a graduate to work outside of Kenya as an accountant and can be taken full time or part time.
Pinnacle Business School
Pinnacle Business School is located in Nairobi and was established in 2007. It offers full-time and part-time students the Accounting Technicians Certificate (ATC) and a Certified Public Accountants (CPA) degree. Students taking the ATC course take classes in Business Mathematics, Principles of Management and Auditing. The CPA course includes classes in Entrepreneurship and Communication, Economics, Cost Accounting, Auditing and Assurance. Each school year at Pinnacle Business School is divided into two semesters. The first semester runs from January through May while the second semester is from July until November.