Admissions

A three-year undergraduate degree is usually equivalent to 90 credit hours and master’s degrees are typically equivalent to 60 credit hours. They may meet the degree requirement but will likely not meet the 120 credit hour degree requirement. Additional post-secondary education will need to be submitted to meet the 120 credit hour requirement. A transcript assessment, which is one of initial application steps for admission to the CPA Western School of Business (CPAWSB), is needed to confirm if you have met the program admission requirements.

If you have completed a degree within the province of British Columbia or the territory of Yukon, please see our Transfer Credit Guides to have an idea of how your degree and your Preparatory Course equivalents (if any) may count towards meeting the program admission requirements. Please note that a transcript assessment, which is one of initial application steps for admission to the CPA Western School of Business (CPAWSB), is still needed to actually confirm if you have met the program admission requirements.

If you have completed a degree in a Canadian province or territory outside of British Columbia and the Yukon, please: 1) see the Transfer Credit Guides from other provinces/territories to have an idea of how your degree and/or your Preparatory Course equivalents (if any) may count towards meeting the program admission requirements; 2) request a transcript assessment with the CPA Western School of Business (CPAWSB) to confirm you have met the CPA Professional Education Program admission requirements.

Note that if you have graduated or will soon graduate from a CPA accredited program (MAcc, MPAcc, etc.), see the CPAWSB’s Apply for Admission to CPAWSB page for instructions specific to your applicant type.

If you have completed a degree outside of Canada, please request a transcript assessment with the CPA Western School of Business (CPAWSB) to confirm if you have met the CPA Professional Education Program admission requirements.

Our transcript review department must receive a third party credential assessment in addition to your official, unopened university/college transcripts. Assessments from the following third party international credentials evaluation service will be accepted:

We recommend that students with international education contact World Education Services (WES) and request a WES ICAP (International Credential Advantage Package) Degree Assessment. This package provides CPAWSB with: (1) information regarding the equivalency of your international degrees to Canadian level of education, (2) a detailed course by course listing, and (3) your official transcripts. This means students are NOT required to tell their international universities to mail education documents directly to the CPA Western School of Business (CPAWSB) office. With the WES ICAP process, applicants are only required to provide one official copy of their transcripts which WES later forwards to CPAWSB on your behalf.

If you have completed an international (non-Canadian) degree AND a Canadian degree, you should apply as an applicant with a Canadian degree. See the Applicant with a Canadian Degree page on the CPA Western School of Business for further information.

The Mature Entrant Pathway for the CPA Professional Education Program is designed for people who do not have a university degree, but have substantial work experience that meets the CPA competency standards. Check out the Mature Entrant Pathway to see the eligibility criteria and required documents.

On behalf of all Canadian provincial and regional CPA bodies, CPA Canada has signed Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs), Reciprocal Membership Agreements (RMAs) and Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with a number of international accounting organizations.

If you are an internationally designated accountant, please visit the Internationally Designated Accountants page for details.

Course exemptions may be granted if you have completed course equivalents through a post-secondary institution:

As part of an undergraduate degree or diploma
As part of a post-undergraduate degree or diploma
As individual continued education courses

If you have completed some or all of your prerequisite course equivalents at one or more major post-secondary institutions within British Columbia or the Yukon, please see our Transfer Credit Guides to see how your course equivalents count towards meeting the program admission requirements.

Alternatively, students who lack some or all of the prerequisite knowledge required for admission to the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP) may choose to complete the CPA Preparatory Courses offered by the CPA Western School of Business (CPAWSB).

Good Character Requirement

CPABC’s regulatory mandate is to protect the public. In addition to the above prerequisite requirements, as of August 2019, applicants may only be enrolled as students if the applicant has provided satisfactory evidence that they are of good character. Please consult the Good Character Requirement section for more details.