Graduate Diploma in Professional Accountancy

The landscape of accounting in Canada has changed with the unification of the accounting profession into one designation, Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA). The CPA designation is built upon The CPA Competency Map which will be covered in CPA’s bridging program, Prerequisite Education Program (PREP), and Professional Education Program (PEP). CPA PEPcomprises of a series of modules that focus primarily on enhancing candidates’ ability to apply professional knowledge as well as professional values, ethics, and attitudes in a professional context. CPA PEP includes three parts: (1) two core modules, (2) two elective modules, and (3) two capstone modules. The Graduate Diploma in Professional Accountancy program, university delivery from an accredited school, provides candidates an opportunity to complete the core and elective modules of the PEP on a full-time basis over the Summer term. Completion of the Graduate Diploma program may provide candidates an opportunity to be admitted directly into the capstone modules of the CPA PEP, subject to the approval of CPA Ontario.

Candidates who have completed the equivalence of the CPA Prerequisite Education Program (PREP) in McMaster University’s Honours Commerce program (and MBA program) are eligible to apply for the Graduate Diploma.

Completion of the Graduate Diploma with an average of B (70 - 74%) and a passing grade (≥ 60%) in each course may also provide candidates an opportunity to be admitted directly into the capstone modules of the CPA PEP, subject to the approval of CPA Ontario.