The College of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph is pleased to announce that its accounting program has been accredited by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (CPA Ontario) [1]. With this new accreditation, graduates of the Bachelor of Commerce program’s accounting major who successfully complete the newly developed Graduate Diploma in Accounting will gain advanced standing to the CPA Capstone 1 module in the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP).

For more information about CPA PEP, Please visit the CPA Ontario website [2].

The CPA designation is Canada’s pre-eminent accounting and business credential. In order to obtain the CPA, candidates must complete the prerequisite education requirements, the CPA PEP, the Common Final Examination (CFE) and 30 months of qualifying practical experience. Through the Graduate Diploma in Accounting, students will cover the core modules and elective modules in Assurance and Taxation of the CPA PEP allowing them to proceed to the CPA Capstone Modules 1 and 2. Upon successful completion of these modules, students will be eligible to write the CFE.

“Receiving accreditation for our accounting program is a major step for accounting here at the University of Guelph and recognizes the quality of our program, students and faculty,” said Julia Christensen Hughes, Dean of the College of Business and Economics. “We are excited that our students will be able to take advantage of this opportunity to pursue their CPA designation.”

New Graduate Diploma in Accounting

The four-month Graduate Diploma in Accounting program consists of courses that build and integrate students’ knowledge in financial reporting, strategy and governance, management accounting, audit and assurance, finance and taxation. It also provides in-depth competencies in the areas of assurance and taxation.

For more information please contact:

Fred Pries, PhD, CPA, CA
Associate Professor of Accounting
fpries@uoguelph.ca