Accounting and Financial Management

Leading with numbers and innovation

Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) is pushing business education forward in a bold, new way. Advanced technologies, widening social gaps, and global economic shifts call for leaders who think differently. You won’t just study accounting and finance; you’ll tackle complex problems, create value that spreads across organizations and communities, and deliver outcomes where technology can’t. Business shapes the world, and every choice carries weight. AFM gives you the skills, confidence and ethical judgment to face these challenges and make a difference that truly lasts. This is where learning meets results, proving that business is about more than numbers, it’s about people, purpose and real change.

Degree

Graduate with a Bachelor of Accounting and Financial Management degree

Co-op

Gain 16 months of experience and earn an average of $16,000 per work term

CPA/CFA

Direct route to a CPA or CFA professional designation in as little as five years

Courses

AFM continues to lead in accounting and finance with the new Value Suite, a series of courses that flips traditional business learning on its head. Built around value creation, it challenges you to ask what value is and how it’s generated. Through hands-on experiences, you’ll see how your decisions create real impact that ripples across people, communities and systems. You’ll develop the human side of business, building skills like adaptability and ethical judgment that guide the technical side. That technical side is strengthened by the Tech Stack, where courses in data and digital tools deliver meaningful, lasting outcomes. Together, they give you the skills employers demand and the experience to apply them in the real world.

You'll also complete at least one specialization, such as Assurance, Tax, Risk or Finance, keeping core courses manageable and giving flexibility to explore electives across SAF and UWaterloo.

Sample first-year courses:

Fall term

Introduction to Business Stages

Analytic Methods for Business 1

Introduction to Financial Reporting and Managerial Decision-Making

Winter term

Professional Pathways and Problem-Solving

Foundation for Entrepreneurial Practice

Introduction to Global Financial Markets

Back to the top

The business side of tech and AI

Discover how combining technology and AI with accounting and finance helps you spark innovation, solve problems and build a career that shapes the future of business.

Technology

Using technology in accounting and finance goes beyond digital tools; it transforms how businesses operate. From cloud computing to automation, technology streamlines processes, cuts errors and allows professionals to focus on strategic financial decisions.

Artifical Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is reshaping business by turning complex data into actionable insights. Accounting and finance experts use AI to detect risks, forecast trends and enhance decision-making, helping businesses stay ahead in a competitive global market.

Data Analytics

Data analytics goes beyond numbers and reveals patterns that drive smarter financial strategies. With strong accounting and finance skills, you can leverage analytics to measure performance, manage risk and uncover opportunities that fuel growth and innovation.

Back to the top

Co-op that sets you apart

With a 98% co-op success rate, you’ll gain up to 16 months of paid work experience in roles like public accounting, investment analysis and corporate finance. More than half of SAF students (58%) go on to secure full-time jobs with a previous co-op employer, giving you a head start on your career while building a strong resume.

Employers

Waterloo is home to the world’s largest co-op program, with a network of over 8,000 employers around the world.

Pay

AFM students earn on average $16,000 CAD, per co-op work term, with some earning as much as $31,200.

Experience

Whether you work locally, across Canada or internationally, your co-op experience is yours to shape.

Back to the top

Community

In AFM, you’re part of a tight-knit community that brings business to life. Connect with peers, professors, staff and industry mentors from the School of Accounting and Finance. Through clubs, case competitions and hands-on projects, you’ll learn from different perspectives, sharpen your skills and prepare to make smart decisions in high-stakes environments.