CA Pathway: Bridging between University grads and chartered accountancy
Jim Stevens understands the specific needs of university graduates looking for further education in business.
A professor of accounting at the Odette School of Business, he’s also an alumnus of the B.Comm for University Graduates program.
“I graduated in 1974 with a general degree in social sciences, specializing in history,” he recalled. “Then I decided to pursue a profession.”
He completed a bachelor of commerce just one year later, taking advantage of the innovative UWindsor program for students with prior degrees.
Now he is looking to build on that experience. As director of professional accounting programs at the Odette School of Business, Stevens heads up a partnership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO) to 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 educational requirements for the Chartered Accountant designation without having to earn a second degree.
Stevens said the hallmark of the program will be its ability to meet student needs.
“Our pathway is very flexible, designed to tailor individual study programs to address as efficiently as possible the specific requirements of the student,” he said. “I am looking forward to meeting one-on-one with each applicant and developing personal education programs to allow each to proceed quickly with their new careers.”
Students will enrol in the new Post Graduate Certificate in Accounting program. This program consists of 17 courses in accounting, auditing, taxation, finance, economics and law, and will require four semesters of study. Entrants will need a four-year honours degree; those needing to upgrade from a general degree may pursue the BComm for university graduates.
“It’s this commitment to individual students that distinguishes the Odette School of Business,” Stevens said. “This partnership recognizes and celebrates our expertise.”
ICAO president and CEO Rod Barr agreed, noting that the Odette School of Business has a long history of graduating students who have gone on to be very successful Chartered Accountants.
“The University of Windsor business faculty pioneered this type of flexible course of study and we anticipate it will apply its expertise to serve students in the Odette CA Pathway,” he said. “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.”
The program has won a commitment of $200,000 over the next five years from the ICAO, as well as support from the University’s Strategic Priority Fund for administrative support and course development.
Allan Conway, dean of the Odette School of Business, noted it will also serve as a path to accreditation to accountants moving to Ontario from another jurisdiction.
“The Odette CA Pathway will position us to serve both individuals making mid-career changes and internationally trained accountants,” he said. “It is a wonderful opportunity for us to apply our experience in servicing the specific requirements of internationals students in terms of registration, counselling advice, and programming.”
He thanked the faculty members who prepared the proposal to ICAO, including Don Jones, Maureen Gowing and George Lan and noted the contributions of alumni active in the profession, including Michael Mueller, Carlos Redfern and John Blanken.
Learn more about how to register here.
