Professional Accounting
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Program Overview
This one-year post-grad program is designed for university and college graduates looking for a career in professional accounting. Courses will be enriched with hands-on integrated technology applications and case studies based on real-world scenarios. Further real-world industry exposure will be maximized with guest speakers and hands-on projects. The program is designed to integrate all of the course topics and to develop students' critical thinking skills, research skills, and decision-making skills.
Program Details
Program Code
PAC2
Credential:
Ontario College Graduate Certificate
Duration
45 weeks
Start Dates
Locations
Availability
Full Time Offerings
2025 September
London
Open
Start Dates
Locations
Availability
Full Time Offerings
2025 January
London
Open
2025 September
London
Open
Your Learning Experience
Professional Accounting is a one-year Ontario College Graduate Certificate program. You’ll learn from skilled faculty that will teach you best practices in accounting and business while offering the real-world exposure you’ll need to succeed in your accounting career. Courses will align with the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) requirements and successful graduates of the Professional Accounting program will have completed the equivalency of the CPA Preparatory (PREP) level courses.
Not only will you develop specialized skills and knowledge of core accounting principles, but you will also make extensive use of Microsoft Excel and other industry-standard accounting software. You’ll graduate ready to prepare financial information to support management decision-making, calculate performance measures, prepare budgets and forecasts, monitor accounting procedures and more.
Available in a traditional in-class format with a September admission.
Laptop requirements
Please note, a laptop is recommended for this program. It is recommended that students use a PC laptop vs. a Mac laptop, as Windows is required to be able to load program-specific software. For more information on preferred requirements, visit the Laptop Requirements page on the Fanshawe CONNECTED website.
Career Information
Graduates of Fanshawe’s Professional Accounting program will have employment opportunities in many organizations, including public accounting firms, government offices, not-for-profit organizations, public and private corporations, small businesses and financial institutions. Self-employment is also an option.
Graduates will be able to:
prepare financial information to support management decision-making;
- prepare financial statements and related disclosures;
- calculate and report on financial and non-financial performance measures;
- support the development and maintenance of the organization’s management control and risk management systems;
- monitor and recommend improvements to accounting procedures, accounting information systems and internal controls;
- monitor cash flow and cash flow requirements;
- prepare budgets and forecasts;
- prepare information for external auditors;
- support the auditor in planning and executing the audit; and
- help prepare tax filings and comply with remittance requirements.
Did you know Fanshawe consistently ranks high in graduate employment rates among large colleges in Ontario?
Here are some examples of career opportunities for graduates of Fanshawe’s Professional Accounting program:
Accounting Clerk
Responsible for matching invoices to purchase orders, performing data entry and reconciling bank statements with the general ledger.
Accounts Payable Clerk
Responsible for processing invoices and cheque requisitions for payment.
Bookkeeper
Assist with payroll, contractors, accounts receivable, accounts payable, internal manufacturing projects, fiscal year-end, HST/GST return preparation and subsidy applications using commercial software.
Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to
1. Integrate ethical decision making processes into all aspects of the accounting profession.
2. Apply recognized accounting principles to the systematic recording of transactions relating to assets, liabilities, owners’ equity, revenue and expenses.
3. Prepare appropriate transactions relating to partnership and corporate business structures.
4. Prepare accurate and relevant financial statements.
5. Analyze financial and managerial accounting information to assist in decision making.
6. Formulate accurate and timely financial information using accounting software.
7. Integrate accounting information necessary for effective management decisions.
8. Compare, contrast and select, from among various methods of product and service costing, those appropriate to a financial situation.
9. Prepare effective operating budgets.
10. Utilize statistical techniques effectively in the analysis of financial information.
11. Integrate computer technologies into various business situations.
12. Calculate measures appropriate to a variety of financial management situations.
13. Recommend appropriate information systems structures, planning and usage in a business.
14. Recognize potential legal implications within a business situation.
15. Produce effective written managerial communications.
16. Evaluate the economic concepts to be applied to a business situation.
Related Programs
Academic School
Program Coordinator:
Joanne Lansink
Academic Advisor:
Ingrid Amezquita Montoya
Admission Requirements
One of:
A Two- or Three-Year College Diploma, or a
Degree
(Note: minimum 'C+' average or cumulative 2.5 GPA)
- OR -
Acceptable combination of related work experience and
post-secondary education as judged by the College*
- OR -
Five years of work experience in the accounting field as
judged by the College to be equivalent*
NOTE:
*Applicants may be required to submit a resume and cover
letter that includes details of work experience.
International Admission Equivalencies
Admission equivalencies for Fanshawe depends on your country of study. Please enter your location to see the requirements for your country below.
English Language Requirements
English Language Requirements
| Test | Score |
|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 88 |
| IELTS Academic | Overall score of 6.5 with no score less than 6.0 in any of the four bands |
| CAEL | Overall score of 70 with no score less than 60 in any of the four bands |
| PTE Academic | 59 |
| Cambridge English | Overall score of 176 with no language skill less than 169 |
| ESL4/GAP5 | Minimum grade of 80% in Level 9, 75% in Level 10 |
| Duolingo | Overall score of 120, with no score lower than 105 |
Recommended Academic Preparation
Recommended Academic Preparation
It is highly recommended that students be proficient in the
following areas before entry into the program:
Mathematics
Business Communication
Computer applications, particularly Microsoft Word, Excel and
PowerPoint
Recommended Personal Preparation
Recommended Personal Preparation
Students are advised to prepare for a very rigorous and intensive program of study.Advanced Standing
Advanced Standing
- Applicants may apply for advanced standing on the basis of previous academic achievement at another institution and/or Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR). Advanced standing qualifies the applicant for direct entry to a second or higher level of the program.
Applicant Selection Criteria
Applicant Selection Criteria
Where the number of program eligible applicants exceeds
available spaces, the Applicant Selection Criteria for this program
will be:
Preference for Permanent Residents of Ontario
Receipt of Application by February 1st (After this date,
Fanshawe College will consider applicants on a first-come,
first-served basis until the program is full)
Achievement in the Admission Requirements
Courses
| Level 1 | ||||
| Take all of the following Mandatory Courses: | ||||
| ACCT-6001 | Financial Accounting-Intro | 5 | ||
| This is an introductory accounting course that will give students an overview of the accounting cycle and the preparation of financial statements. Topics include basic accounting concepts, recording transactions, adjusting entries, preparing and analyzing financial statements. Students will also be introduced to accounting for certain asset and liability accounts. | ||||
| ECON-6004 | Economics | 3 | ||
| This course will utilize cases to examine key economic concepts. Topics will include both microeconomic and macroeconomic issues. Emphasis will ensure that students are able to evaluate the economic concepts to be applied to a business situation. | ||||
| METH-6013 | Quantitative Methods | 5 | ||
| The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the field of statistics and its many applications in business and commerce. Students will learn and apply statistical knowledge, tools, and techniques, which will allow students to approach problems logically, investigate issues scientifically, and understand and analyze the impact of decisions on business. Topics include: presentation and description of data, probability, probability and sampling distributions, statistical inference, regression analysis, time series, and statistical quality control. | ||||
| LAWS-6038 | Business Law | 3 | ||
| This course is an introductory survey of Canadian Business Law and in particular the law in Ontario. Topics covered include: the constitution and court system, alternative dispute resolution, torts (particularly negligence and professional responsibility), contracts, sale of goods and consumer protection legislation, property (personal, real, and intellectual), security interests, agency, forms of business organization, the legal aspects of credit, and employment law. The purpose of the course is to enhance the students' decision-making ability with respect to various business transactions and, with regard to ethical considerations, help identify, manage and control legal issues that arise in a business setting. | ||||
| FINA-6038 | Finance | 4 | ||
| This course introduces students to finance concepts and provides the essential knowledge of various tools used in corporate finance. Students will examine the corporate finance environment and its impact on decision making; introductory finance concepts including time value of money, net present value, investing and risk management. Additional topics include capital budgeting techniques and cost of capital and capital structure for short, medium and long-term financing decisions. | ||||
| COOP-1020 | Co-operative Education Employment Prep | 1 | ||
| This workshop will provide an overview of the Co-operative Education consultants and students' roles and responsibilities as well as the Co-operative Education Policy. It will provide students with employment preparatory skills specifically related to co-operative education work assignments and will prepare students for their work term. | ||||
Tuition Summary
London
*Total program costs are approximate, subject to change and do not include the health and dental plan fee, bus pass fee or program general expenses.