How GBS Dubai supports ACCA students with real-world experience

Before diving into hands-on learning, it helps to clarify the pathway. Many students enter the programme through the diploma in ACCA stage (Foundations in Accountancy or the Diploma in Accounting and Business). It provides them with solid understanding of the principles of financial and management accounting. As students progress through the Applied Skills and Strategic Professional levels, they build knowledge in taxation, audit, financial reporting and other topics. At GBS Dubai, we integrate practical exposure right from the early stages, so students do not just memorise concepts, they apply them.

Since the ACCA qualification requires 36 months of relevant work experience, students should get practical experience as soon as possible.

One of the core pillars of how GBS Dubai supports ACCA students is through ACCA training and workshops that bring theoretical learning to life.

a) Application-based workshops:

Each module is complemented by workshops where students work on case studies, simulate accounting challenges and rehearse professional tasks. For example, in a taxation workshop, students might work on a mock corporate tax return, or in audit workshops, they might carry out sample audit planning and risk assessments.

b) Guest practitioner sessions:

We invite finance and accounting professionals from Dubai to lead masterclasses. These sessions cover IFRS updates, internal audit in practice or emerging trends such as environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting. This gives students an opportunity to see how accounting is practiced in real firms.

c) Soft-skills and employability laboratories:

Technical competence is only half the story; students also need communication, presentation and professionalism skills. Our workshops include CV clinics, mock interviews, presentation rehearsals and business writing laboratories, all aligned to the demands of accounting employers.

Because these workshops are embedded across all levels, students regularly engage in with hands-on ACCA learning, not just passive listening.

GBS Dubai’s unique strength is its mentorship programme. We pair ACCA students with experienced accounting professionals who act as mentors, offering guidance, reviewing progress and helping to bridge academia and industry.

How it works:

• Matching and onboarding: Early in the programme, students are matched (based on interests, optional ACCA papers and desired sector) with mentors who are chartered accountants, finance executives or audit professionals.
  
  
• Regular check-ins: Mentors and mentees meet monthly (in person or virtually). The mentor helps with technical doubts, career planning and interview preparation.
  
  
• Project-based mentorship: In later stages, mentors may suggest mini-projects or challenges (for example, preparing a management accounting package for a mock company, or analysing a listed company’s financial statements). Students submit work to mentors and receive feedback.
  
  
• Networking and exposure: Mentors may also introduce students to their firms, invite them to observe board-level reporting, or help them secure short internships or live projects.

The ACCA professional mentorship programme dramatically boosts students’ confidence by teaching them not only what to learn, but how to apply it in real world.

One of the most tangible ways GBS Dubai supports ACCA students is via internships for ACCA students and placement assistance.

a) Industry tie-ups and live projects

GBS Dubai has partnerships with local and regional accounting firms, corporate finance departments, audit houses and consultancies. Through these tie-ups, we frequently run live projects where students are embedded (under supervision) to assist with a real assignment, whether internal audit work, financial reporting support or tax review tasks.

b) Internship windows

We allocate dedicated internship windows in the semester calendar so that students can work part-time or full-time in industry settings. Because students hold a UAE student visa, they may participate in internship programmes (with a No Objection Certificate) under our guidance.

c) Placement and career services

Our career services team works with students to prepare them for placements.

• We organise career fairs focusing on accounting and finance roles
• We run mock assessment centres (case-based, group tasks, interviews)
• We provide resume review, cover letter workshops, LinkedIn optimisation
• We catalogue internships and entry-level roles in Dubai, especially suited to ACCA students

Many students complete their internships while studying and then convert them into full-time roles. That helps accelerate the practical exposure component required by ACCA for full membership.

One of the distinctive features of our ACCA support is the integration of ACCA hands-on learning into the curriculum. It is not an afterthought, but an integral component of every module.

• Integrated assignments: At the end of theoretical units, students solve real-world case studies (for example, financial reporting for a manufacturing firm, budgeting exercises, variance analysis) rather than purely exam-style practice.
  
  
• Group simulations: Students serve in simulated firms in roles (e.g. head of audit, head of tax) and prepare presentations, audit plans or board reports.
  
  
• Industry visits and accounting site tours: We arrange visits to audit firms, CFO offices and finance departments in Dubai to see real accounting processes in action.
  
  
• Capstone / final practical modules: In the final stage, students often undertake a capstone project that reflects real working conditions (e.g. consolidating financials, advising on investment appraisal or designing internal controls).

By layering these experiences progressively, students graduate not just with the ACCA certification, but with practical confidence.

Beyond domain knowledge, employers expect ACCA professionals to demonstrate analytical thinking, collaboration, ethical judgment, communication skills and adaptability. GBS Dubai actively encourages this skill development in ACCA dimension.

• Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM): As part of ACCA, students must complete EPSM. In GBS Dubai, we embed guided workshops around ethical dilemmas, professional conduct within the UAE and GCC context and debates about emerging topics such as sustainability reporting.
  
  
• Data analytics and accounting technology laboratories: We offer technical clinics on Excel, Power BI, ERP systems (for example, Oracle or SAP modules) and financial modelling. This ensures students are not just number crunchers but ready for modern accounting environments.
  
  
• Communication clinics: Students practise writing financial analyses, board memoranda and oral presentations. We also coach cross-cultural communication, a vital skill in Dubai’s international environment.
  
  
• Leadership and teamwork sessions: Through group tasks, peer assessments and leadership simulations, students sharpen soft skills that complement their technical accounting mastery.

This multi-pronged approach ensures that when our graduates step into roles, they bring not only technical standards but well-rounded professional skills.

Dubai is a major finance hub in the Middle East. For ACCA students, this means access to multinational corporations, audit firms, family business groups, fintech startups and regional headquarters. ACCA practical exposure in Dubai is thus rich and diverse.

• As a campus located within Dubai Knowledge Park, we are geographically and institutionally well positioned to bring in guest lecturers and industry partners.
  
  
• Our student career team sources internships within Dubai and the UAE region (not just local firms but regional affiliates).
  
  
• Students get exposure to IFRS, IFRS for SMEs, UAE VAT, GCC audit practices, and regional compliance norms. They learn not just global accounting but how it’s applied locally.
  
  
• Through our mentor network, some students get invited to shadow CFOs or audit partners on real assignments, giving them direct insight into high-level decision making.

This gulf between theory and real exposure is precisely what sets GBS Dubai apart as more than just a teaching centre.

While ACCA as a whole reports over 536,000 students and 208,000 members globally, the key is how local institutions perform in preparing students to succeed. At GBS Dubai:

• We are proud to hold ACCA Gold Approved Learning Partner status, reflecting our ability to deliver quality training and student support.
  
  
• Many students report securing internships even before full qualification, converting to full-time roles, a testimony to placement support and mentorship.
  
  
• Graduate testimonials frequently recieve practical exposure and employability support as decisive in securing roles (e.g. 'placement activities are pretty good … help with interviews' from feedback).

These results reinforce the claim: students who join our ACCA programme don’t just learn; they practice and perform.

To bring it all together, here is how a typical ACCA student at GBS Dubai progresses through real-world learning:

1. Early diploma stage (foundations/diploma in ACCA): along with foundational theory, attend workshops and case exercises and begin hands-on experience.
   
   
2. Mid stages (applied skills): paired with a mentor, apply case studies, attend soft skills sessions and begin light internships or live projects.
   
   
3. Later stages (strategic professional): take on capstone projects, deep internships, shadowing experiences and real assignments.
   
   
4. Placement and transition: with resume support, interview coaching, and continuing mentorship, students often land roles or convert internships to jobs.
   
   
5. Post-qualification: maintain mentor contact, network through alumni and be ready for evolving roles in accounting and finance.

Each step of the ACCA support we provide ensures the student is not left alone to navigate, whether it is technically, professionally or experientially.

Why is this emphasis on real-world experience not merely a 'nice to have’, but essential?

• Employers demand 'experience': Many finance roles expect fresh graduates to already know accounting software, financial statements, variance analysis and internal controls. Pure theoretical knowledge is rarely sufficient.
  
  
• Better exam contextualisation: Students who see how theory maps to real tasks retain concepts more deeply and perform better in exams.
  
  
• Confidence and professionalism: Having done mock board reports or audit planning gives you more confidence in interviews. You can talk about what you have done, not what you have learned.
  
  
• Fulfilling ACCA’s experience requirement: The 36 months’ experience requirement must be documented and supervised, which the projects, internships and mentorships at GBS facilitate in a structured way.
  
  
• Market relevance: Dubai’s accounting and finance environment is fast paced. Students who have seen how things work here (VAT, IFRS, GCC audit culture) are more knowledgeable than those who have only studied theory.

Thus, GBS Dubai’s model gives you a head start not just in passing exams, but in launching your accounting career.

If you are considering to enrol in an ACCA programme, ask the institution about how you will gain real-world experience. At GBS Dubai, our commitment as an ACCA Approved Gold Learning Partner is more than a badge. It is a promise to support you through structured ACCA training and workshops, professional mentorship, internships and embedded ACCA hands-on learning throughout your journey.

We believe theory lays the foundation, but practice builds the structure. With our placement support, skills development strategy and real exposure to Dubai’s vibrant market, ACCA students at GBS are set not just to qualify, but to excel in the profession.

If you would like to learn more about our ACCA programme and how we deliver real-world experiences to our students, explore our ACCA course page or reach out to our admissions team. Your pathway to becoming a chartered accountant in Dubai (and globally) starts by combining knowledge with experience. That is exactly what GBS Dubai offers.

To know more about GBS Dubai's ACCA programme please connect with our student support team.