Graduate Diploma in Chartered Professional Accountancy (CPA)

If you have completed a Bachelor of Commerce, major in Accountancy at Concordia University you will have completed most of the CPA prerequisite courses either as part of the core courses for the bachelor's degree, as part of the requirements for the major in Accountancy, or as an elective course.

If you have completed your degree but are missing one or two of the prerequisite courses, you may be able to complete them as an undergraduate independent student.

If you have completed a Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy in a Quebec or Canadian university other than Concordia and have completed the required courses for entry to that university’s CPA program, then you will not have to complete additional courses for entry to our CPA program. However, you must still meet the GPA requirements for the bachelor's degree and for the prerequisite accounting courses.

Please contact the John Molson CPA program team for the entry requirements from your university.

If you have completed a bachelor's degree in a field other than Accounting, you must complete the CPA prerequisite courses before you can apply to the John Molson CPA program. The courses can be completed at Concordia University in our undergraduate programs.

You are advised to submit an admission application to the undergraduate program, choosing the Bachelor of Commerce, major in Accountancy degree as your first choice and the Certificate in Accountancy program as your second choice.

As part of your application documents, you must include a letter/note explaining that you are applying to these programs in order to complete the prerequisite courses for the John Molson CPA program. The undergraduate advisors will determine which program is best for you.

Once admitted to the program, you may submit a request to the Undergraduate Office to be exempted from any courses that you may have done in your previous studies.

For more information, please contact the Undergraduate Recruitment Office: study.jmsb@concordia.ca.

If you have not completed the CPA prerequisite courses in a Canadian university, you cannot apply directly to the John Molson Graduate Diploma in CPA program. Even if you have a degree in accounting, you must complete the CPA prerequisite courses in a Canadian university to learn the Canadian accounting rules and regulations, before you can apply.

You are advised to submit an admission application to the undergraduate program, choosing the Bachelor of Commerce, major in Accountancy degree as your first choice and the Certificate in Accountancy program as your second choice. As part of your application documents, you must include a letter/note explaining that you are applying to these programs in order to complete the prerequisite courses for our CPA program. The undergraduate advisors will determine which program is best for you. Once admitted to the program, you may submit a request to the Undergraduate Office to be exempted from any courses that you may have done in your previous studies.

For more information, please contact the Undergraduate Recruitment Office: study.jmsb@concordia.ca.

If you are already a member of a professional accounting organization, and are in good standing, you may be able to obtain a Canadian CPA title by taking fewer courses. Information for applicants who are a member of a professional accounting body outside of Canada can be found on the Quebec CPA website.

Although work experience is not required, applicants must provide a copy of their CV/resume showing education, professional experience and achievements, including internships and volunteering, if applicable.

Your CV / resume should: 

• be complete (e.g. providing year AND month timeframes);
• be legible and concise (ideally 1 page, 2 pages maximum);
• include a summary of your academic, professional and personal achievements;
• be tailored for a university application with academic experience first, followed by professional experience, etc.

Applicants must provide a Statement of purpose (also known as a Letter of intent) addressed to the Admissions Committee indicating their reasons for choosing the program, their background and career goals and, importantly, how the program will help them to achieving those goals.

Overall, applicants will want to convey not only that the program is right for them, but that they are right for the program. The Statement of purpose should be approximately 500 words.

Below is a sample of questions that may help you to draft your personalized Statement of purpose::

• Why have you chosen to apply to this particular program?
• What are your career goals?
• Briefly highlight your strengths that you would bring to the program AND your weakness(es) that you would want to improve upon in the program.

Applicants must include the name, affiliated institution and email address (college/university or company mail) of an academic or professional reference who can attest to their prior performance and potential for career growth in the program. Academic references (i.e., from former professors) are preferred.

Your referee will receive an email inviting them to complete an electronic assessment form and attach their letter of reference. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application before your program’s application deadline in order to give your referee sufficient time to provide their assessment and letter of reference.

Where applicable, applicants must include a certified copy of their birth certificate, Permanent Resident card, Canadian Citizen card, or Refugee Status papers.

A non-refundable application fee paid online by credit card.