Master of Accounting (MAcc)

The program information below was valid for the spring 2023 term (May 1, 2023 - August 31, 2023). This is the archived version; the most up-to-date program information is available through the current Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

The Graduate Studies Academic Calendar is updated 3 times per year, at the start of each academic term (January 1, May 1, September 1). Graduate Studies Academic Calendars from previous terms can be found in the archives.

• Admit term(s) 
  • Winter
• Delivery mode 
  • On-campus
• Length of program 
  • 2 terms (8 months)
• Program type 
  • Master's
  • Professional
• Registration option(s) 
  • Full-time
• Study option(s) 
  • Master's Research Paper
  • Coursework
• Additional program information 
  • This program is accredited by Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Canada, so students who successfully complete the program, including all CPA requirements, are exempt from all 6 modules of the CPA Professional Education Program and may proceed directly to the Common Final Examination (CFE).

• Minimum requirements 
  • To be considered for admission to the MAcc program, students must meet these minimum requirements:
    • Successful completion of any of the following University of Waterloo four-year Honours undergraduate degrees, with at least a 75% average across all courses taken in the last two years of the program:
      • Bachelor of Accounting and Financial Management, with completion of the Professional Accountant Specialization
      • Bachelor of Math/Chartered Professional Accountancy Studies, or
      • Bachelor of Science/Chartered Professional Accountancy Studies
    • Completion of the following set of courses, with a grade of at least 60% in each course and with at least a 70% average across all courses, calculated using the maximum grade in a course in the case of repeated courses:
      • AFM 273 Financial Instruments and Capital Markets or AFM 272 Global Capital Markets
      • AFM 274 Introduction to Corporate Finance or AFM 372 Corporate Finance
      • AFM 291 Intermediate Financial Accounting I
      • AFM 311 Professional Ethics
      • AFM 321 Personal Financial Planning
      • AFM 341 Accounting Information Systems
      • AFM 362 Taxation 1 - Corporate Taxation
      • AFM 373 Cases and Applications in Corporate Finance or AFM 476 Corporate Financial Decision Making
      • AFM 382 Cost Management Systems
      • AFM 391 Intermediate Financial Accounting II
      • AFM 433 Business Strategy
      • AFM 451 Audit Strategy
      • AFM 462 Advanced Taxation
      • AFM 482 Performance Measurement and Organization Control
      • AFM 491 Advanced Financial Accounting
  • Note: Simply meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the MAcc program.
• Application materials 
  • Transcript(s)
• English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Master's Research Paper option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Students must complete 7 approved graduate courses (0.50 unit weight) over two terms.
• The availability of particular courses depends on sufficient student demand.
• Students must achieve an average of at least 60% in each ACC course and an average of at least 75% across all courses presented in fulfillment of the degree requirements. Students with a first-term average below 75% may be required to withdraw from the program.

Link(s) to courses

• Accounting (ACC) courses

Master’s Research Paper

Coursework option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Students must complete 8 approved graduate courses (0.50 unit weight) over two terms.
• The availability of particular courses depends on sufficient student demand.
• Students must achieve an average of at least 60% in each ACC course and an average of at least 75% across all courses presented in fulfillment of the degree requirements. Students with a first-term average below 75% may be required to withdraw from the program.

Link(s) to courses

• Accounting (ACC) courses