Accounting

General information

The Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree prepares graduates with strong employability skills and the foundations for excellence in managing business corporations.

Organizations are examined from a number of perspectives, including how they are managed and the changing environments in which they operate. National and international contexts of business are explored, along with relevant issues facing managers in business, labour and the public sector.

Students receive extensive practice in applying theory to the processes of decision-making and problem solving through computer-based exercises and simulations, case study analyses, problem-based learning activities and field-based projects.

Year 2, the core year, is an introduction to each of the functional areas of business – accounting, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing, organizational behaviour and human resources – and an examination of the ways in which these are integrated within an operation. In Years 3 and 4, students may apply to major or major and minor in one or more functional areas.

In Year 4, students benefit from the Pre-Capstone Workshop, Capstone Study Project and Strategic Management courses. Students in the Pre-Capstone Workshop prepare their proposals and project outlines for completion in Capstone Study Project. These unique courses provide an opportunity to consolidate learning from earlier years of the program on the site of a partnering organization and under the supervision of both university faculty and the organization’s management team. In lieu of Capstone Study Project, qualified students may also enrol in the Internship program (details below).

Accounting major

The UOIT Accounting major is designed for students interested in becoming a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), and for students who want to develop a strong foundation in accounting. The UOIT Accounting program provides all the courses needed to meet the requirements of the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP). In addition to covering all the knowledge requirements for the CPA, the UOIT Accounting major places heavy emphasis on the skills and abilities needed to obtain a CPA and to be a successful professional accountant. The UOIT Bachelor of Commerce Accounting major combined with the graduate diploma in Accounting has been accredited by CPA Ontario for advanced standing in the CPA PEP. Completing the minimum requirements for the Accounting major does not make a student eligible for admission to the CPA Professional Education Program. Admission to the CPA PEP requires completion of the requirements set out by CPA Ontario.

A major in Accounting requires a minimum of 30 credit hours in accounting courses. Students must complete six accounting core courses and a minimum of four accounting elective courses.

Admission requirements

Admission is competitive. The specific average or standing required for admission varies from year to year. Students are selected by taking into consideration a wide range of criteria including school marks, distribution of subjects taken, and performance in subjects relevant to the academic program. Possession of the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance. Preference will be given to applicants with the best qualifications.

Current Ontario secondary school students must complete the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) with six 4U or 4M credits including English (ENG4U) with a recommended minimum average of 60 per cent and one of Advanced Functions (MHF4U) or Calculus and Vectors (MCV4U) or Mathematics of Data Management (MDM4U) with a recommended minimum average of 60 per cent. All other applicants should refer to admissions  for the requirements for their specific category of admission.

Internship program

This program offers students who have successfully completed two years of study, including having achieved a cumulative 3.0 GPA (B average on a 4.3 scale), an opportunity to engage in a contracted learning partnership with businesses locally and globally. Faculty members may provide links to various internship placement opportunities or a student may secure an employer who meets the criteria as prescribed by the Faculty of Business and Information Technology.

The internship program not only gives students an opportunity to apply classroom concepts to the challenges of organizational life, but also helps them to gain valuable and relevant work experience to promote networking and life-long career success. Participating employers are given the opportunity to bring the motivated learners, thinkers, and doers of tomorrow into their workplaces, as well as provide valuable mentoring to students.

The internship program placement equates to a minimum of 280 hours of progressive business and management experience. The intern’s wages (stipulated in a contract) are paid by the sponsoring business over a contracted period. Successful work placement completion and both a verbal and written final report will result in the intern receiving a mark and three credits toward the honours Bachelor of Commerce degree requirements. Students who have successfully completed the Internship program are not required to take the Capstone Study Project.

Admission to the internship program is competitive. While students are participating in an internship program, they may enrol in one course (3 credits) per semester. This course must not interfere with the internship schedule outlined by the employer.

Academic requirements to major/minor in a Bachelor of Commerce program

In order to register for third- and fourth-year major or minor courses, students must hold a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA (or 2.3 for the Accounting or Entrepreneurship major or minor), with completion of 19/20 first- and second-year Bachelor of Commerce courses, and meet the following individual major requirements:

Accounting – minimum 2.3 (C+ grade) in each of: BUSI 1130U , BUSI 2130U and BUSI 2180U .

Entrepreneurship – minimum 2.3 (C+ grade) in each of: BUSI 1130U , BUSI 2200U and BUSI 2402U .

Finance – minimum 2.0 (C grade) in each of: BUSI 2401U  and BUSI 2402U .

Marketing – minimum 2.0 (C grade) in BUSI 2200U.

Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Management – minimum 2.0 (C grade) in each of: BUSI 2311U  and BUSI 2312U .

Technology Management – minimum 2.3 (C+ grade) and C+ in BUSI 1520U .

Operations Management minor – minimum 2.0 (C grade) in BUSI 2603U .

Standing policy for Bachelor of Commerce majors/minors

Students will be placed on probation in the major or minor if they receive a grade of D in any major or minor course. Students will be removed from the major or minor if they receive a grade of D in two or more major or minor courses; or a grade of F in any major or minor course; or a grade of D in any major or minor course while on probation in the major or minor; or fail to remain with a CGPA of 2.0 or higher. Failing to meet the major or minor standing requirements will result in removal from the major or minor, and continuance in the general concentration will be required.

Program details and degree requirements

To be eligible for the honours Bachelor of Commerce degree, students must successfully complete 120 credit hours, including all courses outlined in the following program map.

Students may apply to major in one or two (double major) of the following six areas: Accounting , Entrepreneurship , Finance , Marketing , Technology Management , or Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Management . Students who choose to double major must complete all the requirements for both majors and depending on the combination it could require up to three additional courses (129 credit hours in total) during a four-year period. 

As an option, students may also complete a minor in one of the following: Accounting minor , Entrepreneurship minor , Finance minor , Marketing minor , Technology Management minor , Operations and Supply Chain Management minor , or Organizational Behaviour and Human Resources Management minor . 

Although reasonable efforts will be made to adhere to the following program map, course requirements and term offerings may change. For the most up-to-date list of course offerings, please visit the faculty website at businessandit.uoit.ca.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

Year 4

Accounting major courses and electives

Accounting major students MUST take the following Accounting major courses:

Explanation of electives

BUSI elective: A course in business, but outside of your major. For example – BUSI 1700U – Introduction to Entrepreneurship or BUSI 2000U – Collaborative Leadership. Students require a minimum of two BUSI electives.

General elective: A course outside of business. For example – PSYC 1000U – Introduction to Psychology or SCIE 1920U – Introduction to Astronomy. Accounting students require a minimum of four general elective courses.

Open elective: Can be a BUSI or general elective. If applicable, minor courses should be taken in these spots. Students may have up to two of these open electives consist of elective courses within their major.

Remember, it is your responsibility to ensure that you are aware of and have met the necessary degree requirements of both the program and the respective major. Please be sure to contact your academic advisor if you have any questions regarding your course selection. If you do not know who your advisor is, please email FBITadvising@uoit.ca to find out.

Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation

To be eligible for admission to the CPA PEP students must meet the following minimum standards:

• 60 per cent in each core course;
• 65 per cent average in core courses;
• 50 per cent in each non-core course.

UOIT Accounting major graduates have three options for completing CPA PEP:

1. Students who complete all 22 courses (see the list below) will be eligible to apply to the UOIT graduate diploma in Accounting. Students who successfully complete the diploma program will receive credit for four CPA PEP modules (Core 1, Core 2 and two electives (the diploma program will cover all four CPA PEP electives)) and enter CPA PEP at Capstone 1.
2. Students who complete all 22 courses will be able to write challenge exams for four CPA PEP modules (Core 1, Core 2 and the Taxation and Assurance electives) and then enter CPA PEP at Capstone 1. This option is only available if the entire CPA PEP is completed before June 1, 2020.
3. Students who complete 19 of the 22 courses (excluding BUSI 3171U – Advanced Auditing , BUSI 3172U – Auditing Information Systems , and BUSI 4110U – Critical Thinking, Analysis and Decision Making in Accounting I  are eligible to enrol in the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP) and complete the modules through CPA Canada.

Core courses (60 per cent required in each course and 65 per cent average required in core courses)

BUSI 1450U – Statistics  

BUSI 2401U – Finance I  

BUSI 2402U – Finance II  

BUSI 3101U – Intermediate Financial Accounting I  

BUSI 3102U – Intermediate Financial Accounting II  

BUSI 3110U – Introduction to Taxation  

BUSI 3120U – Advanced Taxation  

BUSI 3160U – Advanced Managerial Accounting  

BUSI 3170U – Auditing Standards and Applications  

BUSI 3171U – Advanced Auditing ​

BUSI 3172U – Auditing Information Systems   

BUSI 4101U – Advanced Financial Accounting   

BUSI 4701U – Strategic Management   

Non-core courses (50 per cent required in each course)

BUSI 1101U – Financial Accounting ¹ 

BUSI 1450U – Statistics  

BUSI 2150U – Financial Accounting I  

BUSI 2160U – Financial Accounting II  

BUSI 2170U – Managerial Accounting  

BUSI 3040U – Information Systems  

BUSI 3705U – Legal Environment of Business  

ECON 2010U – Microeconomics  

ECON 2020U – Macroeconomics  

¹ Students in the UOIT Commerce Bridge program take BUSI 1101U  instead of BUSI 2150U  and BUSI 2160U . Students who take BUSI 1101U  must take an additional financial accounting course to meet the requirements of CPA Ontario.

Note: UOIT does not control the recognition of courses by the professional bodies, please verify with your intended designation’s accreditation institute, or online through their respective websites.