Program

Accounting (Post-Baccalaureate Diploma)

Domestic Applications Available

Winter 2024: Applications open Feb 1, 2023

Summer 2023: Currently accepting applications

Fall 2023: Currently accepting applications

Faculty

Commerce & Business Administration

Department

Accounting

Credits

60.00

Length of Program

Two years

Credential Type

Post-Baccalaureate Diploma

Learning Format

Full-time

Part-time

Admission Type

Open Enrolment - Additional Admission Requirements

Offered

Fall

Summer

Winter

Overview

Interested in pursuing a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation? Get started with the two-year Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Accounting. This program is designed for students who hold a bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than commerce or business administration.

Once you graduate you'll have the skills to secure intermediate-level accounting positions in financial reporting, taxation, management accounting and auditing.

Two ways to get a practical education

Earn money and get relevant work experience before you graduate with the optional Co-operative Education Program.

Get essential career training that will prepare you for your future career with the Career Boost Program.

Further education

If you are interested in pursuing further education, the Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Accounting satisfies the entrance requirements of the Chartered Professional Accountant’s (CPA) Professional Education Program (PEP). From there, you can move on to careers such as tax auditor, financial officer, controller, auditor and financial analyst.

Flexible studies

Day and evening courses, offered year-round to both part-time and full-time students, provide you with flexibility while earning your post-baccalaureate diploma.

Students whose degree is in commerce or business administration should apply for entrance into the Post-Degree Diploma in Accounting program.

Job opportunities

Over 11,000 accounting and financial auditor job openings are expected in B.C. for the next ten years. You can also expect a median salary of $60,000 once you graduate.

Admissions Requirements

Applicants must meet the admission requirements listed below:

General College Admission Requirements
Applicants must have an undergraduate degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in Canada or an equivalent credential from an approved institution of a different country. Any applicant who earned their credential in a language other than English must meet the Douglas College English language proficiency requirement.

This program is intended for students with degrees in areas other than Business. Applicants whose undergraduate degree is in business administration should also look at the Post-Degree Diploma in Accounting program to determine if this is a more suitable program for you.

Cost

You can get an average cost for your program - tuition and student fees, books, uniforms, lab fees etc - on the Program Cost page.

Only programs approved for student loan funding are listed on the Program Cost page. For all other programs, refer to the Tuition Fee page.

Program Requirements

Curriculum Framework

Graduation Requirements:

Successful completion of 60 credits
In good academic standing
Courses used towards a previously received credential can be used to meet program requirements, but additional courses will need to be taken to replace these credits. Please contact the program co-ordinator for approval of substitutions.
50% (30 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College
18 credits out of 33 upper level credits must be completed at Douglas College
A minimum program GPA of 2.00 is required
Students can also take this program with a cooperative education option
Time limit to complete the program graduation requirements: seven (7) years. Any courses completed outside of that time limit will not be usable. Students may seek the permission of the Department/Program to complete a credential outside the approved time limits.

Additional Graduation Requirements with Cooperative Education Option

Successful completion of 9 additional credits through Cooperative Education I (COOP 1100).
Students completing the Cooperative Education option will graduate with 69 credits.
50% (34.5 credits) of all coursework must be completed at Douglas College.

Course Requirements:

Course Number	Course Title	Credits
Required Courses:
ACCT 1110¹	Principles of Accounting I	3.00
ACCT 1210¹	Principles of Accounting II	3.00
ACCT 2320	Introductory Managerial Accounting	3.00
ACCT 3310	Intermediate Accounting I	3.00
ACCT 3410	Intermediate Accounting II	3.00
ACCT 3420	Intermediate Managerial Accounting	3.00
ACCT 3370	Income Tax I	3.00
ACCT 3470	Income Tax II	3.00
ACCT 3880	Data Analytics for Managers	3.00
ACCT 4510	Advanced Financial Accounting	3.00
ACCT 4520	Advanced Management Accounting	3.00
ACCT 4750	Auditing	3.00
BLAW 1320	Introductory Business Law	3.00
BUSN 3431	Business Statistics II	3.00
BUSN 4275	Business Strategy and Competitive Analysis	3.00
CSIS 2200	Systems Analysis and Design	3.00
ECON 1150	Principles of Microeconomics	3.00
ECON 1250	Principles of Macroeconomics	3.00
FINC 2340	Corporate Finance	3.00
Select one course from the following two options:
BUSN 2429	Business Statistics	3.00
MATH 1160	Introduction to Statistics	3.00
Total Credits		60.00

Cooperative Education Option

COOP 1100³	Cooperative Education I	9.00
Total Credits with Cooperative Education Option		69.00

¹Students can take ACCT 1235 to meet the requirements for ACCT 1110 and ACCT 1210. Student who take ACCT 1235 must take another 1000 - 4000 level elective from the Faculty of Commerce and Business Administration. 1000-2000 level electives must be university transferable (courses that transfer to one of the Research Universities - SFU, UBC (UBCV or UBCO), UNBC or UVIC) according to the BC Transfer Guide.

Students contemplating completing Accounting designations (namely CPA, ACCA, CAFM) should refer to current information released by the respective professional body for minimum grade requirements for each course.

³The co-op work term is a minimum of 420 hours of work and must be taken through Douglas College's Co-op program. The timing of the work term is restricted to the following:

Can be undertaken only after completion of a minimum of two semesters, 27 credits
Cannot be taken in the last semester of the program

Program Guidelines

Program Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this program and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the program, consider the previous version as the applicable version.