York University's School of Continuing Studies to offer post-grad accounting programs this September

York University in Toronto announced on Tuesday that their School of Continuing Studies will start offering Post-Graduate Accounting Certificates this September, approved by the Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) of Ontario. The courses look to further prepare students to thrive in the accounting profession, as well as gaining an advantage in applying to the Schulich School of Business' Masters of Accounting program.

Two certificates will be offered, with the opportunity to continue on to earn a master's and/or professional designation, allowing students to tailor their studies to their respective career paths.

"Preparing for such a dynamic industry necessitates a dynamic program of study," said Lina Perrone, program manager, per a statement. "This is why we have included professional competencies and applied capstone courses in each of the certificates. This design embraces the reality that the world of accountants is much broader and diverse than people tend to think."

Graduates of the new program will gain prerequisites for entry to the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP), as well as crucial soft skills (leadership skills, verbal and written communication, decision-making) into their early careers.

"We have worked in partnership with CPA Ontario to ensure the design of our program not only meets the specific knowledge requirements for entry to the CPA PEP, but that we provide an exceptional competency-based learning experience for our students," stated Tracey Taylor-O'Reilly, assistant vice-president for Continuing Studies.

"The field has undergone significant changes in recent years and we are proud to officially be part of what is a growing and evolving landscape," Taylor-O'Reilly added. "This program takes learning to another level that is more integrated and comprehensive within a rigorous program that better prepares students for the CPA track. Our goal isn't just to position our graduates to get hired, but to be able to demonstrate that they have what it takes to do more and to get promoted. That includes preparing our graduates for success in academic programs that they will likely take to get to the later stages of their career."

The Post-Graduate Certificate in Accounting will be offered full-time on-campus, part-time online, or a mix of online and on-campus study beginning September 2016. The Post-Graduate Certificate in Advanced Professional Accounting will begin the following September.

For more on York's post-graduate accounting program and the School of Continuing Studies, head to the University's site here.