Leg-up to the professions

City University London's Cass Business School runs a BSc in accounting and finance in collaboration with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) that offers students credits for prior learning, similar to the ICAEW's Undergraduate Partnership Programmes at the university business schools at Cardiff, Manchester and Warwick ("The fast track is now widening", 5 May).

But we go one better. In the third year, we provide tuition for the four ICAEW examinations that students must sit externally. This helps our students, who are then well on their way to the ICAEW professional Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) qualification.

A word of caution, though. Employers may expect universities to provide their training, but there is a difference between university education and training for professional or vocational examinations. University education is for life. Training for passing professional exams leads to cramming.

Bala Balachandran, Director, Accounting and finance, Cass Business School, City University London