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How to Become a CA > Start with a Degree

Start with a Degree

The first step to becoming a Chartered Accountant (CA) is completing a university degree in any discipline, along with a number of prerequisite business and accounting courses. Earning a Business, Management, or Commerce degree with an accounting major are your fastest routes to becoming a CA, as each will enable you to complete the degree requirement and prerequisite courses at the same time. However, many CAs have degrees in other disciplines, including Art and Science.

You are required to complete a four-year, 120-credit-hour baccalaureate degree at a Canadian university, or a degree from a non-Canadian university or other post-secondary institution in Canada that is deemed to be substantially equivalent.

There are several special cases:

• Individuals completing an approved university co-op degree program
• Individuals with a CMA or CGA designation
• Individuals with a foreign professional designation
• Individuals who are mature students
• Individuals with the ACIA Diploma
• Individuals who are senior practitioners

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Individuals completing an approved university co-op degree program

Students in a co-op degree program must follow a program of work and study terms approved by their university, CASB, and their employer. Each student’s program will be unique, varying according to the university they attended, when they entered the co-op program, the number of prerequisites they’ve completed at the time of enrolment in CASB, and the number of terms until their degree is attained. A minimum of 45 credit hours must be completed for practical experience to be recognized.

Co-op students are eligible to begin taking CASB modules during their work terms provided that they have completed Intermediate Financial Accounting 1 and 2 and Tax (Personal and Corporate) prior to the start of Module 1.

 

Individuals with a CMA or CGA designation

Certified Management Accountants (CMAs) and Certified General Accountants (CGAs) in good standing are exempt from CASB’s degree and prerequisite requirements. CGA and CMA courses are applied to the university prerequisites of the CASB program. However, experience accumulated while qualifying for the CGA or CMA designation cannot be applied against the 3-year practical experience component of the program. In addition, individuals in this category must successfully complete the CASB modules and write the Uniform Evaluation (UFE).

 

Individuals with a foreign professional designation

Members of foreign accounting organizations may enter the CA profession in Western Canada through one of two routes:

• By applying to the appropriate provincial institute for registration as a “foreign designate professional” and being exempted from the general requirement to complete the CASB program and the National Uniform Evaluation (UFE); or
• By applying to CASB for registration as a student and completing the CASB program and the UFE. (Some students may be eligible for exemptions from certain CASB prerequisite and professional program requirements.)

Further information on foreign professional designations can be found here.

Further information on registering with CASB as a foreign student can be found here.

 

Individuals who are mature students

An individual may register with CASB as a mature student, if they meet the following criteria:

• Having at least five years of relevant business experience* or a combination of relevant business experience (two years minimum) and full-time post-secondary education (up to a maximum of three); and

Scoring at least 550 on a Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) written within the prior three years, or other acceptable academic credentials       

*Prior experience will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Experience used for mature student eligibility purposes cannot be applied against the 3-year practical experience component of the CASB program. 

 

Individuals with the ACIA diploma

The Advanced Certificate in Accounting (ACIA) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia exempts students from the degree requirement of the CASB program, and from many of the prerequisite course requirements as well. Students with the ACIA diploma must be in good standing with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC and must complete all CASB modules and write the UFE. They must also fulfil CASB’s 3-year practical experience component.

 

Individuals who are senior practitioners

To register in this student category, applicants must:

• Have worked for ten years in progressively more senior responsibilities in financial or business advisory positions—whether in public accounting, industry, government, consulting, or other professional practice;
• Never have previously registered as a student of CASB or any provincial CA institute, unless at least ten years have passed since any such registration; and
• Never have had a student or member registration cancelled by any professional organization for cause.

Senior practitioner registration applications are considered on a case-by-case basis.