Advisor: See Faculty of Science, academic advisors.
There is an increasing involvement of business in the application of science and technology that is encouraged by a wide range of government incentives. As a result, there is a demand for professional accountants, who work in the public practice industry and government, and understand the specialized needs for services in these areas. The Faculty of Science, in co-operation with the School of Accounting and Finance, offers an Honours Biotechnology/Chartered Professional Accountancy program which combines courses in Biotechnology with courses in Accounting and business-related areas of study. This program provides a unique opportunity to prepare professional accountants with an integrated educational experience for a role in providing accounting and advisory services in the rapidly growing science and technology business sector of the economy.
Students considering a Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) designation should be aware of all CPA requirements.
Students are admitted directly into the program from high school but must successfully complete a provisional first year to proceed into the program in second year.
Continuing in the program requires a cumulative Science average of 65%, a cumulative Accounting average of 70% and a cumulative overall average of 70%.
Successful completion of this program requires:
- 22.0 total units distributed as follows:
- 8.0 Science units distributed as follows:
- 4.75 BIOL units: BIOL 130, BIOL 239, BIOL 240, BIOL 240L, BIOL 241, BIOL 309, BIOL 331, BIOL 342, BIOL 432, and BIOL 443
- 2.75 CHEM units: CHEM 120, CHEM 120L, CHEM 123, CHEM 123L, CHEM 266, CHEM 266L, and CHEM 237
- 0.5 BIOL or CHEM elective unit chosen from: BIOL 345, BIOL 431, BIOL 434, BIOL 441, BIOL 442, BIOL 444, BIOL 483, CHEM 333, or CHEM 432
- 11.0 AFM units: AFM 101, AFM 102, AFM 202, AFM 211, AFM 231, AFM 273, AFM 274, AFM 291, AFM 311, AFM 341, AFM 351, AFM 362, AFM 363, AFM 373, AFM 391, AFM 401, AFM 433, AFM 462, AFM 479, AFM 481, AFM 482, and AFM 491
- 1.5 ECON units: ECON 101, ECON 102, and ECON 221
- 0.5 SCBUS unit: SCBUS 225
- 0.5 SCCOM unit: SCCOM 100
- 0.5 SPCOM unit: SPCOM 111
- Co-operative education requirements that include:
- Four work terms
- Four WatPD (professional development) courses that must include PD 1, PD 11, and two PD elective courses
-
Four work-term reports:
Notes
- STAT 202 can substitute for ECON 221.
- Co-op program information requirements are located in the Co-operative Education and Career Action (CECA) section of this Calendar and in the Science Faculty work-term report guidelines.
- Fees for this program are higher than some honours BSc programs because the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities defines it as an additional cost-recovery plan.
Recommended Course Sequence
Year One
Fall
AFM 101 Introduction into Financial Accounting
BIOL 130 Introductory Cell Biology
CHEM 120/CHEM 120L Physical and Chemical Properties of Mater/Laboratory
SCBUS 225 Organizational Behaviour in Scientific Technical Workplaces
SCCOM 100 Communication in the Sciences
Winter
AFM 102 Introduction to Managerial Accounting
BIOL 239 Genetics
CHEM 123/CHEM 123L Chemical Reactions, Equilibria and Kinetics/Laboratory
ECON 101 Introduction to Microeconomics
SPCOM 111 Leadership, Communication, and Collaboration
Year Two
Fall
AFM 202 Introduction to Public Practice
AFM 273 Managerial Finance 1
AFM 291 Intermediate Financial Accounting 1
BIOL 240/BIOL 240L Fundamentals in Microbiology/Laboratory
CHEM 266/CHEM 266L Basic Organic Chemistry 1/Laboratory
ECON 102 Introduction to Macroeconomics
Spring
AFM 211 Connections to Business Context
AFM 231 Business Law
AFM 274 Managerial Finance 2
BIOL 309 Analytical Methods in Molecular Biology
CHEM 237 Introduction Biochemistry
ECON 221 Statistics for Economists
Year Three
Fall
AFM 341 Accounting Information Systems
AFM 362 Taxation 1- Foundations
AFM 373 Cases and Applications in Corporate Finance
AFM 391 Intermediate Financial Accounting 2
BIOL 342 Molecular Biotechnology 1
Spring
AFM 311 Connections to Ethical Context
AFM 351 Audit Strategy
AFM 363 Taxation 2- Integration
AFM 481 Cost Management Systems
BIOL 241 Introduction to Applied Microbiology
Year Four
Winter
AFM 433 Business Strategy
AFM 491 Advanced Financial Accounting
BIOL 331 Advanced Cell Biology
BIOL 432 Molecular Biotechnology 2
BIOL or CHEM elective (0.5 unit)
Fall
AFM 401 Accounting Theory
AFM 462 Taxation 3- Tax Planning Topics
AFM 479 Cases and Applications in Finance II
AFM 482 Performance Measurement and Organizational Control
BIOL 443 Fermentation Biotechnology
Eligibility for University of Waterloo's Master of Accounting (MAcc)
The School of Accounting and Finance in the Faculty of Arts offers a Master of Accounting (MAcc) degree. This eight-month graduate program is normally taken in consecutive winter and spring terms immediately following completion of the 4B term of the Biotechnology/Chartered Professional Accountancy program.
MAcc applicants must meet all University of Waterloo graduate program entry requirements, including having achieved a minimum, all-inclusive, cumulative average of 75% in their undergraduate course work. Candidates must also normally have attained a minimum average of 75% in all their required courses during their last year of undergraduate studies.