Yes. In order to be admitted to the Accounting program, you must have:

1. - An Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent;
2. - Be a mature student, or;
3. - Be deemed an exceptional case

Refer to the Admission Requirements page for more information.

Yes. The Accounting program is an open enrolment program, meaning there is no formal admission procedure. Simply enroll online at least 3 weeks in advance to ensure you secure a spot. Students must have:

1. - An Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent;
2. - Be a mature student, or;
3. - Be deemed an exceptional case

Refer to the Admission Requirements page for more information.

The Accounting program is available every Fall (September start), Winter (January start) and Spring (May start) terms. Refer to our Schedule & Fees page for specific dates.

Enrol online using our Course Search tool. Use the drop-down menu under “Program” to select “Accounting”, then use the drop-down menu under “Program Plan” to select one of the following four options: “Accounting Diploma”, “Advanced Accounting Cert”, “Adv Accounting & Finance Dipl” or “Adv Accounting & Finance Cert” and click “Go”. Please note: Your selection of Program Plan will be dependent on your educational/career goals, so if you are in doubt as to which plan to select, contact us.

From there you will see the list of courses populate for each available term. Be sure to select in-person, online/online self-study or blended. Once your course is selected it will bring you to a check out page.

At the check-out page, ensure you are enrolling in the correct course and click “Select” to add to your shopping cart. When you’re ready to enroll, click “Checkout”.

If you still need help, watch a short video on how to use the Course Search Tool.

Various courses are available to you to fill the requirements for your program plan of choice. Courses range from introductory accounting courses to intermediate and advanced accounting courses. There are also more specialized courses depending on your area of interest/need such as Economics, Business Statistics, and Not-for-Profit Accounting.

Learn more by visiting the Course Descriptions page.

You may be eligible to receive transfer credit from previous post-secondary studies and receive advanced standing in the Accounting program. Please refer to our Transfer Credit Conditions for more details based on your program plan of choice.

For the most up-to-date information on tuition, please refer to our Schedule & Fees page.

The program can be completed on your own schedule, either in-person, online/self-study or a blended format which encompasses a mixture of both in-person and online. In person and online courses take three to six hours per week to complete over the span of 13-14 weeks. Online self-study courses take nine-twelve hours per week to complete over the span of 3-5 months. Many of our students take between one to two courses per term. You can take this program part-time or fast track. For more information on time commitments please refer to our Formats page.

The Accounting program offers four different learning formats: in-person, online, online self-study or blended.

1. - In-Person format requires you to meet at our downtown Hamilton campus once per week for three hours over the span of 13-14 weeks per course.
3. - Online format requires you to participate in weekly readings, online discussion boards, recorded sessions and assignments. You do not need to login at a specific time and can complete the work when it suits your schedule so long as you meet deadlines.
5. - Online Self-Study format is designed for you to work through and learn the course material on your own, with deadlines provided for completion of the course and assignments.
7. - Blended format requires you to meet with your instructor and classmates each week online, as well as in-person as per the schedule throughout the term at our downtown Hamilton campus.

McMaster University Continuing Education ensures to hire experienced instructors who are knowledgeable and practitioners in their field, accessible and transparent. We have a variety of instructors for the Accounting program. Please refer to our Instructors page to learn more.

By completing the Accounting program, you will receive a certificate or diploma from McMaster University Continuing Education. In addition to this, courses completed under the Accounting certificate or diploma can be used to work toward your Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Designation. Please refer to Professional Associations page to learn more.

Career opportunities available to those who complete the Accounting program include:

1. - Bookkeeper.
2. - Accounting Assistant.
3. - Auditing Clerk.
4. - Financial Reporting Clerk.
5. - Accounting Technician.
6. - Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable Administrator.

Career opportunities available to those who complete the Accounting program, along with their CPA designation include:

1. - General Accountant
2. - Management Accountant
3. - Finance Director
4. - Portfolio Accountant
5. - Controller
6. - Financial Analyst
7. - Chief Financial Officer
8. - Chief Executive Officer
9. - Auditor
10. - Senior Financial Auditor
11. - Management Advisor
12. - Strategic Management Consultant
13. - Non-Profit Executive Director

Learn more by visiting Careers in Accounting page.

Those with an accounting certificate or diploma, without a professional designation, might expect to earn on average anywhere from $34,441.00 (junior accountant), $ 37,585 (accounting clerk) upwards of $51,200 (accountant) – data as per PayScale.com

Those with an accounting certificate or diploma, degree and a CPA designation might expect to earn on average anywhere from $50,000.00 as an entry level accounting with 1-year experience upwards of $124,000+ - data as per PayScale.com

You can visit the Accounting program website or watch a recorded Accounting Program Preview Webinar at the bottom of the program page which outlines all of the program details in a short video.