More Than Business

Experience Matters

At the School of Accounting and Finance (SAF), we're not training accounting and financial professionals. We're inspiring the next generation of leaders who will help drive change in all areas of society by redefining what it means to be an accounting and financial professional.

SAF's world-class faculty, standard-setting curriculum and research, wealth of experiential learning opportunities attract inquisitive and agile minds who think like an entrepreneur to identify new opportunities, solve complex problems and make courageous business and financial decisions. SAF offers four distinct undergraduate programs to bring unique perspectives to business problems. SAF students and graduates create value by combining a management, mathematical, scientific, or computer science mindset to their financial management expertise.

Embedded in Waterloo's culture of innovation, SAF students and faculty tap into and contribute to the resources that inspires cross-disciplinary collaboration to push their expertise into new territories. Our alumni and faculty reach the top of their fields and shape the industry through a global perspective that champions innovation and courage. Our close ties with governing bodies and business allows us to lead the professions forward while transforming them.

At SAF we're always moving forward. We don't wait for change to come or react to it. We create it to turn opportunity to reality.

SCHOOL OF ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE BY THE NUMBERS

96%

of AFM, Biotech/CPA, CFM, Math/CPA, and MAcc grads are employed full-time within 6 months of graduation

SAF grads received the CPA National Gold Medal since 2010

1st

Canadian team to capture the Global Championship at the CFA Investment Research Challenge

News

Mar. 24, 2023Q and A with the experts: The banking crisis and Canada
What's responsible for the current bank collapses in the US and Europe?

The bank collapses started with Silicon Valley Bank, which specializes in banking for technology companies. With the recent contraction in the tech sector, other forms of financing, such as venture capital, started to dry up, forcing firms to rely more on their bank deposits for day-to-day operations. Once too many depositors withdraw funds, a bank run becomes sell-fulfilling: by moving your money away from the bank, it becomes more unstable, and in turn, more people become worried and withdraw their money.

Sadly, these types of panics can spread, with Credit Suisse being the most important casualty. Whereas most large banks are healthy enough to absorb outflows, Credit Suisse was not in such a position.
Mar. 22, 2023Banking crisis echoes 2008 but with ‘marked differences’

Many fear a repeat of 2008 given the recent collapse of banks in the United States and the intervention that happened this week by the Swiss government to facilitate the takeover of banking giant Credit Suisse.
Mar. 13, 2023CFM student named Co-op Student of the Year
Congratulations to Alex, a second-year Computing and Financial Management (CFM) student who was named the 2022 Co-op Student of the Year in the Faculty of Mathematics.

Read all news

Blog

Mar. 28, 2023Three tips for travelling abroad
The meals and logistics team for the International Study Course share their travel advice.

At the end of the winter 2023 term, professor Steve Balaban and our class will be going to Singapore for the International Study Course trip. While in Singapore, we will be meeting with alumni as well as other dignitaries to help further enhance our learning.
Mar. 22, 2023Preparing to travel to Singapore
What the marketing and culture team has been working on in the International Study Course

Since our Introduction Blog, the marketing and culture team for the International Study Course has been busy researching different attractions that the class should v
Mar. 22, 2023Applying course concepts at the Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (I.C.B.C.)
The Inter-Collegiate Business Competition (I.C.B.C.) is one of the oldest case competitions in Canada and is known for its complex yet integrative cases. This year, we had the pleasure of competing in the accounting stream.