Business – Accounting – Ontario Tech University BCOM Stream
Available as a two-year program
Please Note: This program is closed; applications are not currently being accepted.
Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) are in demand in virtually every field, including public accounting, industry, arts and entertainment, as well as not-for-profit sectors. Develop the technical foundations in financial and managerial accounting, taxation, and more that you need for a successful career as a professional accountant. In the Ontario Tech University BCOM Stream program, you can earn a diploma and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in just four years.
Accounting skills are in demand in virtually every field:
You could work as a public accounting firm partner, tax specialist, auditor, chief financial officer, treasurer, controller or management consultant.
There are opportunities in arts and entertainment, news media, marketing, manufacturing, education, health and wellness, service industries and sports organizations.
Find the right fit – employers include large and small enterprises, as well as not-for-profit agencies – or start your own business.
Start at Loyalist and put your career on track to become a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) with advanced standing towards a university degree. Visit cpaontario.ca.
Is it for you?
People who thrive in accounting have an eye for detail, while being able to see the big picture. This may be a good fit if you have:
A passion for numbers.
The ability to explain things clearly.
Strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
A commitment to excellence in your work.
Earn five Ontario Tech University BCOM credits during your two-year diploma studies at Loyalist and gain direct entry to third-year degree studies in the Ontario Tech University Faculty of Business and Information Technology.
Build on your studies at Loyalist with further study at Ontario Tech University in advanced auditing, information systems, financial and managerial accounting, taxation, and financial statement analysis.
Eligible students can apply to the Bachelor of Commerce Accounting major, which is aligned with CPA Ontario for entry into the CPA Professional Education Program.
For further details regarding the transition from the Business – Accounting – Ontario Tech University BCOM Stream to Ontario Tech University, please see the "Further Study" tab.
Experiential Learning
This program delivers concrete, marketable skills with a dual focus on financial and management accounting. Develop managerial skills in budgeting, product costing and price setting, eliminating financial waste and finding operating efficiencies.
Develop solid skills in industry leading software such as MS Excel, Sage 50 and EFILE.
Collaborate and formulate strategy in simulated business competitions.
Learn from case studies and guest speakers from the local business community.
Put your skills to work in Loyalist’s student-run tax clinic. For the 2016 tax year, students completed more than 200 returns — putting more than $245,000 back in the hands of Loyalist students.
Outstanding faculty make the difference
Learn with enthusiastic Chartered Professional Accountants who take teaching beyond textbooks and into the real world.
Faculty include MBAs and former CFOs with extensive business experience in manufacturing, retail, aviation, transportation, real estate development, corporate acquisitions, business analysis and internal audit.
Professors have worked with high-profile accounting firms including KPMG, Wilkinson & Company and Price Waterhouse Coopers, along with experience in the corporate, public and charitable sectors.
Courses
Transfer credits will be granted as noted below for successful completion of the following courses:
Semester One
COMP1021 Business Computer Applications - Excel
Organizations of varying sizes and in various sectors benefit from the use of spreadsheets. As such, individuals who have highly developed spreadsheet skills using tools such as Microsoft Excel are able to assist these organizations with their functional activities. This course explores skills such as formatting cells and worksheets; using formulas and functions; analyzing and organizing data; and presenting data visually. Upon successful completion of this course, you will have covered the components and related tasks and skills needed to prepare for the MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist) certification exam for Excel.
MATH1033 Business Math
This course covers the basic skills required by students to comprehend the essentials of business mathematics. Topics covered include an arithmetic and algebra review, percentages, ratios, commercial mathematics, and simple and compound interest.
COMM1048 College Writing Skills
This course focuses on writing and research skills required for successful completion of college-level studies. The course will promote development and improvement of research and writing skills that can be applied to students’ chosen programs of study.
ACCT1000 Financial Accounting 1
Learn the essentials of accounting by examining the role of accounting in planning and controlling business operations. Using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), you will be introduced to the basics of accounting including the balance sheet, the income statement, books of original entry, the trial balance and the general ledger. The focus of this course is on your development of strong bookkeeping skills and an understanding of how and why entries are made in a business' books. You will also focus on the Accounting Standards for Private Enterprises (ASPE) used in small to medium-sized, privately-owned businesses.
BUSI1016 Introduction to Business
This course provides an overview of business in the Canadian environment using an integrated model. Topics covered include: the environment of business (social, technological, economic and political) as well as functional areas of business (marketing, accounting, finance, production and human resources) and legal and corporate governance information. A semester-long group project will provide you with the opportunity to explore the world of business, create work habits related to researching a company and stay current with what is going on in the business world.
MRKT1005 Introduction to Marketing
Welcome to marketing! You will learn how businesses reach and influence their customers. This course covers far more than advertising. You will discover how to create a marketing plan that can sell.
Semester Two
COMM2025 Communications for Accountants
Students are introduced to the business scenario analysis framework – the ACAF Method – which is the problem-solving approach used throughout the applied courses in the Advanced Certificate program. Students will also learn that ethics and communication are central to the credibility of those involved in the financial sector, whether employers, clients or other financial information users.
ECON1000 Economics
"It is thrifty to prepare for the wants of tomorrow" (Aesop).
Use economic fundamentals to interpret today's headlines and discover tomorrow's opportunities. This course will provide the learner with a "micro" view of Supply and Demand and Market Competition leading to a "macro" view of our economy (local, domestic and global) and the Canadian financial system.
ACCT1011 Financial Accounting 2
The Statement of Financial Position (Balance Sheet) and its effects on related items in the Statement of Operations (Income Statement) is the approach which continues from the preceding course. The focus of this course is payroll and other current liabilities, long-term liabilities, partnerships, corporate organization and reporting, cash flow statements and concludes with an analysis of financial statements.
Prerequisite: ACCT 1000
ACCT3005 Personal Financial Management
This course is a hands-on opportunity to explore and plan for personal financial success. You will develop the tools necessary to both manage your own finances over a lifetime as well as to help and teach others about the importance of personal financial planning. Topics include: money management and household budgeting; credit management; mortgages; home and car insurance; health, disability and life insurance; tax strategies; investing and retirement savings.
MATH2009 Statistics
In this course, students are introduced to statistics. The course teaches quantitative methods used in data analysis and business decision making with a focus on the use and applications of contemporary statistical software.
GNED1100 Becoming a Global Changemaker
This Loyalist College graduate attributes course will help shape your perspectives, broaden your understanding of important issues affecting our societies today, and equip you with invaluable knowledge and skills that will inform your ability to influence your community in a meaningful and impactful way. By exploring topics such as cultural competency, Indigenous education, entrepreneurship, sustainability, health and wellness, and ecological literacy, you'll be equipped with a powerful toolkit that extends far beyond the classroom.
Semester Three
ACCT3007 Accounting Information Systems
Accounting is called the language of business because it measures and communicates the financial outcomes of a company’s business strategy. In this course, you will focus on the “big picture” of how accounting integrates into a company’s operations. You will discover how the accounting information system is at the centre of every business by exploring how data analytics, internal controls, risk management, and business processes all work together to create, share, and protect information. Specific topics include internal control systems, risk management, business processes, and internal and external auditing.
Prerequisite: ACCT 1013
ACCT2003 Corporate Financial Management 1
In this introductory course, you will develop the financial skills and logical thought processes necessary to understand and discuss the global financial environment and how it impacts our daily lives. In addition, you will learn to interpret and analyze financial statements using ratios; assess a corporation’s financial leverage and capital structure; evaluate dividend policy; determine working capital requirements; calculate cash and inventory requirements; and develop long-term financing plans.
Prerequisite: MATH 1033
ACCT2018 Intermediate Accounting 1
A successful career in professional accounting requires well-developed analytical and critical-thinking skills. Intermediate financial accounting courses focus on standards for external financial reporting and require students to make choices and begin to use professional judgement. This course explores the framework for financial accounting and financial reporting. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of financial statement presentation requirements, including what should be reported and how it should be quantified and disclosed. Revenue and expense recognition including long-term contracts are examined, and we begin an in-depth study of the asset side of the balance sheet, including cash and receivables.
Prerequisite: ACCT 2022
ACCT2017 Management Accounting 1
This course introduces the concept of cost accounting for business decision making, focusing on the internal users and uses of numerical information. The course explores the terminology and purpose of a variety of management accounting tools including fixed and variable costs, cost-volume-profit relationships, contribution margin, job and process costing and flexible budgets. Students will learn to identify costs based on their behaviour and to accumulate product costs for management use.
Prerequisite: ACCT 1000
BUSI3007 Organizational Behaviour
The behavioural dynamics of the workplace are complex. Technology is impacting the way we work, the way we interact, and the way we manage people. This course examines the factors that influence human behaviour and performance in the workplace, including emotional intelligence, personality, motivation, team behaviour, leadership, organizational change and cultural characteristics.
Learn the fundamentals of Sage 50 (Simply Accounting) using a case-based approach. Students are introduced to the general ledger, sales, purchases, inventory and payroll components of Sage 50 Accounting in the creation of a variety of business enterprises and the recording of their daily business transactions. The case studies are used to reinforce accounting concepts in a computerized environment.
Prerequisite: ACCT 1000
LAWS2017 Business Law & Ethics
Prepare for the increasingly complex world of business. Learn how the legal system and laws impact the organization and management of business enterprises. This course will focus on the principles of private law embedded in contract law, in employment legislation, in tort law and in understanding the legal decisions rendered by Canadian courts as they pertain to business. Issues of professional liability, ethics and codes of professional conduct are also discussed. You will develop an ability to recognize and respond appropriately to legal situations that can occur in an accounting/business environment.
ACCT2020 Intermediate Accounting 2
This course continues to develop critical thinking and professional judgement skills. In this second of three intermediate-level courses, students will complete their study of the asset side of the balance sheet and before moving on to the liabilities side. Topics include inventories, investments, property, plant and equipment, intangibles, goodwill, current liabilities, long-term liabilities and leases.
Prerequisite: ACCT 2028
ACCT2002 Management Accounting 2
This course deals with basic cost accounting systems such as job costing, process costing and standard costing. The focus will be on identifying and classifying costs for profit measurement, planning and control, along with the concept of variance analysis.
Prerequisite: ACCT 2024
ACCT2019 Taxation 1 Personal
This course is a first look at the Canadian federal system of income taxation, its history, the principles and concepts, and the administration of the system to assess and collect taxes. Emphasis will be on determining sources of personal incomes to be reported plus available deductions and tax credits used to calculate total income tax as well as net income tax payable.
Prerequisite: ACCT 1000
Business – Accounting – Ontario Tech University BCOM Stream
Diploma-to-Degree Pathway with Ontario Tech University
Loyalist Accounting students can earn both an Accounting diploma and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Ontario Tech University in just four years!
Qualified Accounting students will earn five Ontario Tech University Accounting program credits during their two-year diploma studies at Loyalist allowing them direct entry to third-year degree studies in the Faculty of Business and Information Technology.
To determine eligibility:
Students apply to the Ontario Tech University bridging pathway during their first semester of study at Loyalist.
Admission to the Ontario Tech University bridging pathway program requires a minimum 75 percent GPA in Loyalist courses at the end of the first semester.
Continued eligibility is evaluated each semester and requires:
Cumulative 75 percent GPA in Loyalist courses; and
'C' grade or better in EACHOntario Tech University embedded course
Those students who wish to pursue the Accounting major at Ontario Tech University must achieve a minimum 65 percent in Financial Accounting 2, a minimum 70 percent in Management Accounting 2 at Loyalist College, and a minimum “C+” in EACH embedded course.
Additional costs, such as for supply kits, calculators and professional certifications, may be incurred. Additional fees pertaining to the five Ontario Tech University embedded bridge courses may also apply.
*Please visit the Tuition and Fees web page for a list of the many services, activities and items included within the ancillary fees, and the related policies.
Bursaries and financial assistance
Loyalist has a number of scholarships, bursaries and academic awards available to students. Our Financial Aid Office can help you explore your options, or assist you with a student loan.
Admission requirements
Required academic preparation
OSSD/OSSGD or equivalent with courses at the general, advanced, (C), (U) or (M) level, and
Applicants with work experiences or other types of non-credentialed learning may be eligible for credits at Loyalist. Graded credits (as opposed to exemptions) are granted. Click here for more information about our assessment and credit challenge process.
International students
Click here for information about how to apply, international student fees and more.
Campus News
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