Program: Graduate Diploma in Professional Accountancy - McMaster University

Apr 08, 2025

School of Graduate Studies Calendar, 2020-2021

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 Prepatory Courses, and Professional Education Program (PEP). CPA PEP comprises 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.

Admission

The admission requirements are:

(i) A four-year honours bachelor degree;

(ii) At least a B- (70 - 72%) average in courses on economics; statistics; corporate finance; introductory, intermediate and advanced financial accounting; introductory, intermediate and advanced managerial accounting; accounting theory; audit and assurance, and taxation with a passing grade (≥ 60%) in each course; and

(iii) At least a B (73 - 76%) average in each of the last two years of university study.

To comply with the School of Graduate Studies’ admission requirements for graduate diplomas, applicants must have at least a B+ average (equivalent to a McMaster 8.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) out of 12) in the final year in all courses in the accounting discipline, or relating to the accounting discipline.

Candidates from other Canadian universities who have completed the equivalence of the technical and enabling competencies of the CPA Preparatory Courses will be considered, on a case-by-case basis, for admission to the Graduate Diploma program, subject to an assessment of the detailed course outlines for courses listed under (ii). Candidates must submit the relevant course outlines in their application.

Course Requirements

The Graduate Diploma in Professional Accountancy program consists of five half courses and two quarter courses offered in the summer term as follows: