MBA for Accountants

Athabasca University and the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada have partnered to give accountants enhanced access to AU’s online MBA for Executives program.

Your professional accounting designation qualifies you for transfer credit in related course areas. This will reduce your program completion time and tuition costs. And if you have completed an undergraduate degree in business within the past 10 years, our accelerated route could further reduce your time and costs.

Why take the online MBA for Accountants?

AU’s online MBA lets you complete your business education without having to take time away from your job or your life. Do your course work whenever and wherever works best for you. Your MBA peers will be management professionals from a variety of industries and locations.

You will broaden the scope of your strategic management and learn to think about organization-wide strategy from the executive viewpoint. You will also hone and expand your skills in managing information, people, resources, markets, and operations.

Learn more about the AU online MBA

Entry routes into the MBA for Accountants

If you have a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) in good standing, you can enter the online MBA with transfer credit and an associated tuition reduction. Depending on your background, you can apply for the standard or accelerated entry route.

Select the standard entry route if you have:

  • 1 of the accounting designations above,
  • a non-business undergraduate degree,
  • and at least 3 years of managerial experience.

Or

  • 1 of the accounting designations above
    and
  • at least 5 years of managerial experience.

Select the accelerated entry route if you have:

  • 1 of the accounting designations above,
  • an undergraduate degree in business, completed within the past 10 years with an overall GPA of 3.0
  • and at least 3 years of managerial experience.

Standard entry route to the online MBA for Accountants

Under the standard entry route, you could receive transfer credit for 2 core courses and 1 elective course. This will allow you to finish your MBA up to 6 months faster.

This route acknowledges the financial education and experience you have gained as a professionally designated accountant.

If you are accepted into the online MBA program with your professional accounting designation, you receive direct transfer of 9 credits based on previous coursework and experience, for:

  • Phase 1 core: Financial and Managerial Accounting (FMAC 503)*
  • One Phase 3 elective course: Corporate Finance (ECFN 601)
  • Any other Phase 3 three-credit elective

which allows you to finish your program up to 6 months faster.

Phase 1

Four foundational courses build upon each other.

Phase 1 core courses

Phase 2

Three core advanced courses solidify students’ holistic, organizational view of the senior management function.

Phase 2 core courses

Phase 3 (electives)

Students also complete 12 elective credits and a 6-credit capstone. Elective courses are both online and in-residence.

In-residence electives are held in locations across Canada. In-residence electives are 6 credits and can be taken in lieu of two, 3-credit electives.

To see a list of electives you can choose from, view the course schedule here.

To be accepted into the AU online MBA with your accounting designation, you must meet the following qualifications:

  • A bachelor’s degree, your designation and at least 3 years of managerial experience that may include managing people, projects or budgets or professional experience with management level responsibilities,
    or
  • Your designation plus at least 5 years of managerial experience that may include managing people, projects or budgets or professional experience with management level responsibilities.

To apply, you must also meet all the same admission requirements and construct the same application package as others who apply for the online MBA for executives program. View admissions information.

Accelerated entry route to the online MBA for Accountants (27 credits)

If you hold an Accounting designation in good standing (CA, CMA, CGA, or CPA), and a Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Management, or similar business degree, you can finish your MBA in as little as 17 months.

This accelerated route acknowledges that the academic knowledge from your business degree—combined with your accounting knowledge and workplace experience—provides a solid base from which to advance into senior management study and practice.

It gives you the flexibility to tailor your master’s studies to your own interests and career goals. Complete 2 mandatory online courses, then design the rest of your program to suit your needs. You can choose from online and in-residence electives.

If you are accepted into the online MBA for Accountants program via the accelerated entry route, you will realize most of your benefits from the accelerated route itself which reduces overall MBA for accountants completion requirements from the standard 39 credits.

You will also receive additional transfer credit for one, 3-credit online elective course, meaning you will be able to complete your program even quicker and be required to complete a total of 27 credits.

Phase 1

One foundational course, Strategic Management, is taken as the pre-requisite for all other MBA courses.

Phase 1 core courses

Phase 2 

Phase 2 core courses

After completing 2 core courses, students complete 15 elective credits and a 6-credit capstone. Elective courses are both online and in-residence.

In-residence electives are held in locations across Canada. In-residence electives are six credits and can be taken in lieu of two, three credit electives. View this page to learn more about the in-residence courses.

To see a list of electives you can choose from, view the course schedule here.

To be accepted via the accelerated entry route to the AU online MBA for executives with your accounting designation, you must have the following:

  • A bachelor’s degree in business, completed within the past 10 years, with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or higher for the last 60 credits taken, and
  • At least 3 years of managerial experience that may include managing people, projects, or budgets or professional experience with management level responsibilities.

You must meet all the same admission requirements and construct the same application package as others who apply for the accelerated route to the MBA. View admissions information.

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