Business Administration

Accounting certificate

The Accounting certificate program is a comprehensive accounting program designed for mature students who wish to pursue a career as an accounting technician or in financial management. The program is designed to serve the special needs of students wishing to accelerate their progress towards the achievement of graduate membership in one of the professional societies. Specifically, the Accounting certificate will provide students with significant advance credit towards the professional program of the Society of Management Accountants, the Certified General Accountants, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Students are advised to acquaint themselves with the transfer credit/course exemption policies of the accounting societies.

The program may be taken on a part-time basis over several years or on a full-time basis over three semesters. As enrolment is limited, early application is encouraged. The course workload of the full-time program is rigorous and demanding. Prospective students must be prepared to devote above-normal effort and time to their studies.

This commitment is considered essential for successful completion of the program. Professional bodies provide scholarships for students entering their programs. Details may be obtained from the program chair or the Financial Aid and Awards office.

A Bachelor of Business Administration — Accounting option is also available.

Entrance requirements

1. B.C. secondary school graduation, or equivalent.

2. Principles of Mathematics 12 (C+ or better), or UFV MATH 095 (C+ or better) or MATH 110 (C+ or better), or a MATA score of 67% or better, or equivalent. MATH 111 and 115 also meet this requirement but have Math 12 as a prerequisite.

3. Students must meet the prerequisites for CMNS 125. 

4. Completion of BUS 144 or BUS 145 or the equivalent (C+ or better).

5. Completion of BUS 160.

6. Completion of BUS 162.

Note 1: Applicants with minor deficiencies may, at the discretion of the Business Administration department, be considered for conditional admission.

Students who do not meet these requirements might consider the Business Studies program path.

When to apply

Applications are accepted for entrance to the Fall semester only. For application deadlines, see Specific intake application process.

How to apply

1. Submit the application fee, along with your UFV application for admission form, to the Admissions and Records (A&R) office. Application forms are available from any A&R or Student Services office. You can also print an application form from our website at www.ufv.ca/ar, or you can apply directly through the internet at www.pas.bc.ca.

Additional documents required for a complete application:
• Official transcripts (or interim transcripts) of all post-secondary institutions attended showing grade/course achievement as per program entrance requirements. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to UFV from the originating institution; see the Transfer Credit section for details.

The following must be included:

a. Official transcript (or interim transcript) from high school
b. B.C. English 12 with C+ or better or equivalent.
c. B.C. Principles of Math 12 with C+ or better or equivalent.
d. B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent

Note: Students making an early application must provide evidence of courses in progress as soon as available.

2. In April/May an orientation will be offered for all Business Administration programs. Attendance at the orientation is mandatory.

3. Upon admission, you will be provided with registration information. A deposit is required when you register (see the Fees and Other Costs section). This money will be applied toward your tuition fees. Final payment of all course fees is due the end of the second week of classes.

4. In cases where interim transcripts are submitted, an admission decision may be made conditional upon completion of academic requirements. Proof of completion of entrance requirements must be submitted by the date stated on your acceptance letter.

Program re-entry

For re-entry to a Business Administration program, GPA will be calculated based on the courses that will be used to fulfill the program requirements only (program GPA). Limitations on the number of courses retaken will apply.

Basis for admission decision

Applicants who meet the entrance requirements will be admitted in order of their application date. This date is set when an application, all required documentation, and the application fee have been submitted.

Professional programs

Students should choose electives appropriate for the professional program they intend to follow. Consult the program chair or respective professional program transfer guide.

All the professional programs have work-experience and grade requirements. In addition, these programs change from time to time so interested students should consult the respective professional society or association for up-to-date details.

Length and location

Students taking the program on a full-time basis usually complete it in three semesters. Part-time students may take up to seven years to complete the requirements. We recommend that people working full-time take no more than two courses per semester. All students may have to travel between campuses during their program. Most 300-level courses are offered only on the Abbotsford campus.

Residency requirements

At least 25 percent of the course work must be completed at UFV.

Transferring courses to other institutions and associations

Students intending to pursue commerce or business administration studies at UBC, SFU, UVic, or UNBC are advised to study those institutions’ calendars carefully before enrolling in any UFV courses which have a BUS designation. Students should consult an educational advisor in Student Services or at the institution to which they intend to transfer, or refer to the Provincial Transfer Guide at www.bctransferguide.ca for transfer details.

Many business administration courses are transferable to B.C. colleges and institutes. To obtain maximum transfer credit, students should ensure that electives chosen are transferable and appropriate for the desired program.

Most accounting and finance-related business administration courses offered at UFV have transferability with the professional accounting associations — the Institute of Chartered Accountants (CA), the Society of Management Accountants (CMA) and the Certified General Accountants Association (CGA). A number of the department’s courses are also recognized by the Municipal Administrators’ Education Council, the Canadian Credit Union Institute, the Institute of Canadian Bankers, and the Purchasing Management Association of Canada.

Distance education

A number of courses applicable to the degree, diploma, and certificate programs are available by distance education through TRU-OL. If your work schedule, or UFV’s timetable, prevents you from taking a course when needed, or you find it impossible to obtain a seat in a course because it is full, you may be able to arrange to take an equivalent course through the publicly funded TRU-OL. Contact the Business Administration department to get information about equivalent courses available on this basis, and to request a Letter of Permission (written authorization) to include them in your program.

Recognition of previously completed Business Administration courses

Former UFV business administration students who finished their studies more than 10 years ago and students who completed courses in other programs and/or at other post-secondary institutions prior to starting a UFV Business Administration program should contact the Business Administration department to determine whether any courses/credits can be recognized for or transferred to the desired UFV Business program. Applicability of courses and/or transfer credits is determined on an individual student basis.

The following criteria are used:

• Relevance and suitability of the course to the program as determined by the Business Administration department
• Generally, courses taken more than 10 years ago will not be considered applicable; courses taken more recently may not be considered applicable if there has been significant change in the course subject matter since the course was taken.
• Grades received (a C grade is the minimum acceptable if the course was taken at another institution)
• Courses taken at other institutions may not be used to meet the program residency requirements.

Fees and additional costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section.

Textbooks and supplies cost approximately $750–900 per year. Textbooks should be considered an investment and become part of your business library. You may be required to purchase one or more computer software packages. Software costs should not exceed an average of $200 per year and are in addition to the textbooks costs cited above. You should also consider purchasing or arranging access to an industry-compatible computer.

Academic performance requirements

Students must obtain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 (C average) in their final semester as well as cumulatively in order to be awarded the certificate. Students whose cumulative grade point average and/or semester grade point average falls below 2.0 during their program are subject to academic warning and/or removal from the program (see this section for details).

Note: The maximum number of courses applying to Business Administration programs that can be retaken is five, whether for repeating or for upgrading. This maximum applies to any one program and cumulatively to all Business programs taken at UFV.

Program outline

Core courses

Electives (choose one)
 

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.