A new partnership between the Odette School of Business, University of Windsor, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO) will provide a fast track into chartered accountancy for university graduates looking for a new career path.
The Odette CA Pathway will allow students who already hold a four-year bachelor’s degree to complete the requirements for professional accounting designation without having to earn a second degree.
Jim Stevens, director of professional accounting programs at the Odette School of Business, says it meets several of the school’s objectives.
“We are looking forward to developing a closer relationship with the ICAO, as well as increasing our interaction with the local accounting community,” he said. “In addition, it serves the needs of the profession, which has identified recruitment of new chartered accountants as a critical national priority.”
The course of study consists of 17 classes in accounting, auditing, taxation, finance, economics and law, and will require four semesters to complete. Entrants will need a four-year honours degree; Odette offers a two-year BComm for university graduates to those needing to upgrade from a general degree.
Successful applicants will register with the University of Windsor and undergo a transcript review by the ICAO simultaneously, Stevens says, streamlining the path to CA designation.
The program has won a commitment of $50,000 annually over the next five years from ICAO, as well as support from the University’s Strategic Priority Fund for administrative support and course development.
ICAO president Rod Barr welcomed the partnership, noting that the Odette School of Business has a long history of graduating students who have gone on to be very successful professional accountants.
“We are proud to formalize this joint commitment and confident that it will help our efforts to attract the most qualified individuals to our profession,” he said.
Allan Conway, dean of the Odette School of Business, noted the initiative will also provide a path to accreditation for accountants moving to Ontario from another jurisdiction.
“The CA Pathway will position us to serve individuals making mid-career changes and foreign-trained accountants,” he said. “Establishing a blended model for distance delivery of this degree will make it available outside of the local area and potentially lead to significant growth in an otherwise untapped market for the school.”
Learn more at http://www.uwindsor.ca/odette/ca-pathway.