MAcc Admission Information
As a recognized top business school in Canada, admission to the Master of Accounting (MAcc) program is competitive. Applications are evaluated holistically and we look for students who can demonstrate both academic success and excellent interpersonal skills. In addition to meeting the CPA prerequisite courses, students will also need to satisfy graduate-level entrance requirements at the University of Alberta.
As part of the admission process, students would also complete admissions interviews. The full list of application requirements is outline below.
Entrance Requirements
MAcc applicants are required to meet and submit the following as part of their application:
Admission to the MAcc program requires a four-year undergraduate degree from a recognized academic institution within a minimum grade point average of 3.0/4.0. Your admission GPA will be calculated based on your most-recent 60-credits (typically your last two years of study).
International prospective students: Please see the International Applicants tab at the top of this page, or click the link below, for important information regarding entrance requirements and eligibility.
A number of prerequisite courses are required to enter the MAcc program, which are typically met through a Canadian undergraduate degree in accounting. A complete course prerequisite form is required as part of your application. All MAcc students are required to have completed the following courses (or equivalents):
Introductory Financial Accounting
Introductory Management Accounting
Economics
Statistics
Intermediate Financial Reporting 1
Intermediate Financial Reporting 2
Advanced Financial Reporting
Corporate Finance
Audit and Assurance
Taxation
Intermediate Management Accounting
Performance Management
Business Law
Information Technology
Data Analytics and Information Systems (DAIS)
CPA Alberta has a list of equivalent courses offered at Alberta post-secondary institutions, acknowledging that specific course names and numbers are different at each institution.
If you have completed your accounting education outside of Canada, you will need to have your transcripts assessed by CPA Alberta to determine if you would meet the pre-requisite requirements. This can take up to 14 weeks.
For those who are applying in advance of having completed the requisite degree and course requirements, the Admissions Committee will review your completed courses to date and factor in all other aspects of your application. If the Admissions Committee ultimately renders a decision to admit you to the program, you will be provided with a conditional offer of admission, pending satisfactory completion of degree and course requirements
Your application will include a resume with sufficient details of your education, volunteer experience, co-op experience, work experience, and any extracurricular activities. You do not need to use the generic CV form.
Please note that it will be considered an asset for students to have some accounting-related work experience prior to the start of the program. Having direct exposure to accounting practices at accounting firms or in the industry provides students with a deeper understanding of and connection with the advanced accounting knowledge and concepts that are expanded upon in the Master's program.
- Why you want to enter the program
- What your career goals are
- How the strengths of the program match your career goals and will support you in achieving them
- What you will contribute towards the program
- Which area of interest you are considering pursuing (audit and assurance, taxation, performance management, or finance)
After the final interview is complete, the Admissions Committee will review the entire application package and contact the applicant with their decision. If positive, the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research would also be notified and they would ultimately provide an official letter of admission.