School of Business

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 Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada). 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 a School of Business program advisor or the Financial Aid and Awards office.

An Accounting major is also available in the Bachelor of Business Administration degree.

Entrance requirements

1. B.C. secondary school graduation, or equivalent.
2. Prerequisites for STAT 106.
3. 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 249 (formerly BUS 149, 162).

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

Students who do not meet these requirements might consider Qualifying Studies.

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. Apply online at ufv.ca/admissions/admissions/apply.

Additional documents required for a complete application:

The following must be included:

1. Official transcript from high school
2. B.C. English 12 with C+ or better or equivalent (see Note 2)
3. Evidence of successful completion of the prerequisites for STAT 10
4. B.C. secondary school graduation or equivalent

Note 1: Students making an early application must provide evidence of courses in progress as soon as available.

Note 2: English 12 equivalent courses include English 12 First Peoples, English Literature 12, AP English, and IB English A (standard level or higher level).

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

3. Upon admission, you will be provided with registration information. A deposit is required prior to registration (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. 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 School of Business 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% of the course work must be completed at UFV.

Transfer credits

Recognition of previously completed business courses

Former UFV business 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 program should contact the School of Business 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 School of Business
• 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.
• Courses taken at other institutions may not be used to meet the program residency requirements.

Transferring courses to other institutions and associations

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

A number of the School of Business's courses have transferability with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada), allowing a student graduating with a BBA Accounting option to meet the prerequisite requirements (PREP) of the CPA program. A number of courses are also recognized by a variety of other professional accrediting associations such as CHRP (Certified Human Resource Professional).

Fees and additional costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section.

Textbooks and supplies cost approximately $1,000–1,500 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. 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) or above 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 program warning and/or removal from the program.

Undergraduate continuance

Students enrolled in undergraduate courses (courses numbered 100 or above) must maintain an undergraduate Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of at least 2.00 to remain enrolled in Good Academic Standing at UFV. Students in Good Academic Standing will have no registration limits placed on them. Failure to meet the minimum CGPA requirement will result in restrictions on registration and may eventually lead to academic suspension from undergraduate studies at UFV. Students on Academic Warning or Academic Probation are limited to registering in 10 credits. For further details, see the Academic standing and undergraduate continuance section of the academic calendar. Academic standing is governed by UFV’s Undergraduate Continuance policy (92).

Program outline

Core courses

Electives (choose one)

Course listings

For complete details on courses see the course descriptions section.