Courses

Why take ACC 611

• This course is mandatory if you want to pursue the CFE after graduation.
• You’ll dive deeper into Financial Reporting and solidify that understanding by making connections with the Assurance and Tax areas.
• Your enabling competencies will grow through in-class discussion, small group work, and presentations.

What to expect in class

ACC 611 is a work-intensive course that requires careful preparation and debriefing after class. You will need to come prepared to participate in moderated class discussion about multi-subject cases. In conversation with your peers, you will apply your financial reporting knowledge to identify issues, evaluate and discuss alternatives, and debate recommendations. Expect to be an active participant in each and every class meeting.

CFE preparation

ACC 611 concentrates on the Financial Reporting area of the CPA Competency Map. This course also supports development of the Map's enabling competencies and covers some topics from the Assurance and Tax areas.

Proposed evaluation and workload¹

Why take ACC 680

• This course is mandatory if you want to pursue the CFE after graduation.
• You will learn to develop and communicate recommendations to support management decision-making, drawing on strategic thinking and financial management skills. .
• Depth in Management Accounting will support you in:
  • Business planning and analysis;
  • Integrated strategy deployment;
  • Capital budgeting;
  • Operational budgeting;
  • Reporting against performance targets;
  • Data that address performance and risk management;
  • Cost allocation principles and methods;
  • Revenue management techniques for analysis and forecasting…

In short, depth in Management Accounting will support you throughout your career.

What to expect in class

ACC 680 uses a case-based approach to learning. You will prepare for each class by analyzing a case and completing supplementary readings to reinforce your technical competencies. In class, you will discuss the case with your peers and work through debrief exercises. After class, you will finish a more detailed debriefing to identify your strengths and needed improvements.

CFE preparation

This course focuses on one of the two areas of depth examined on the CFE, and integrates specific competencies from the Strategy and Governance, and Finance areas of the CPA Competency Map. You will also further develop enabling competencies such as problem solving, decision making, and communication.

Proposed evaluation and workload¹

Why take ACC 607

• This course fulfills one of your two CPA elective requirements.
• You will develop your tax issue identification and analysis skills, and begin to understand how tax issues play out in practical settings.

What to expect in class

ACC 607 uses a case-based approach to learning. You will prepare for class by analyzing a case and completing supplementary readings to reinforce your technical competencies. In class, you will discuss the case with your peers. Outside of class, you will complete individual and group case assignments to solidify your understanding of tax issues.

Professional designations

ACC 607 focuses on the taxation competencies in the CPA Competency Map. Weekly case work will support development of your enabling competencies and prepare you to quickly identify issues and apply strong case writing skills to the CFE.

Proposed evaluation and workload¹

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Why take ACC 650

• This course fulfills one of your two CPA elective requirements.
• If you are interested in a career as a public accountant, this course will help you understand the variety of roles you could play for companies, regulators, and other organizations.
• You will develop:
  • Your professional judgement in the areas of assurance, governance, and financial reporting;
  • Experience identifying, ranking and analysing issues in the above areas;
  • Depth in audit and assurance; integrated with strategy and governance, financial reporting, and finance.

What to expect in class

This course uses an active learning approach. Before class, you will thoroughly read a case, review the related conceptual and technical material, and thoughtfully assess each issue in the case. Your preparation will be guided by materials posted to LEARN approximately two weeks before they are discussed in class. In class, you will actively participate in discussion by sharing your thoughts and opinions on the assigned cases and readings. You will also participate in exam simulations to better prepare you for the CFE.

Professional designations

This course is focused on the audit and assurance technical competency area, integrated with technical competencies from the strategy and governance, financial reporting, and finance areas. This course will also help you develop many of the enabling competency areas.

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Why take ACC 685

• This course fulfills one of your two CPA elective requirements.
• You will cover a wide range of material related to governance, social responsibility reporting, strategy development and implementation, performance measurement and analysis, transfer pricing, relative performance evaluation, goal-setting, and compensation and incentives, and solidify your learning through case analysis.
• If you’re interested in a career in performance management and control, or in any C-suite role, this course will help you develop valuable capabilities.

What to expect in class

Professional designations

Proposed evaluation and workload¹

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Why take ACC 690

• This course fulfills one of your two CPA elective requirements.
• If you plan to pursue a career in corporate finance, consulting, or equity analysis and investment in the financial services sector, ACC 690 will interest you.
• You will fully develop your ability to make financial management and investment decisions grounded in corporate finance theory, as well as the communication skills you need to present your analysis and conclusions in a compelling way.

What to expect in class

Class time will be spent in a practical and in-depth application of financing sources and plans, cash flow and working capital management, investment management, financial risk management including derivatives, capital budgeting decisions, and valuation of businesses and intangible assets. Material will be delivered through lectures, group case analysis, discussion, and graded case teamwork.

Professional designations

ACC 690 focuses on the Finance competency area of the CPA Competency Map and on additional advanced competencies on a case-by-case basis. You will also have the opportunity to further develop enabling competencies including problem solving, decisions making, and communication.

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Why take ACC 621

• This course sets out to demystify IT from strategic, analytic, and risk perspectives so that you can take the lead in your future career when dealing with IT issues and IT professionals.
• You will investigate:

• What you should consider when evaluating technology from a business case perspective.
• Big data and analytics, and their effect on accountants.
• How information can be messed up, and what you can do to protect it from an T risk and control perspective.

What to expect in class

Professional designations

This course will assist you in dealing with the types of IT issues commonly found on CPA exams. The course material is also part of the foundation for other professional certifications such as the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), CA*IT, and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).

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Why take ACC 652

• ACC 652 will help you sharpen your detective skills for financial fraud or corruption.
• This course will heighten your understanding of fraud risk factors and support your assessment of organizational susceptibility to fraud; very helpful if you are planning a career in internal or external audit or if you plan to run your own business,
• You will learn how to conduct an investigation, gather evidence, and pursue areas of recovery in a career as a Forensic Accountant.

What to expect in class

In ACC 652, you will discuss real financial fraud cases from Canada, the U.S., and around the globe over the past ten years. Some cases will be interactive and include role playing. Through the in-class case debrief, you’ll learn how each case of fraud occurred and what could have been done to prevent, detect, and deter it. Over the term, you will develop a deeper understanding of:

• The nature and types of fraud.
• Who commits fraud and why.
• Red flags you should be aware of.
• Types of financial statement manipulation.
• Fraud detection.
• Illegal acts.
• Money laundering.
• Computer forensics.
• Interviewing techniques.

You should plan to attend all lectures, as a significant portion of course material is only covered in class discussion.

Professional designations

Financial statement fraud concepts have arisen on past professional exams. However, the material covered in ACC 652 goes well beyond the expectations of CPA candidates and is not geared specifically towards the CPA examination.

The concepts covered in this course relate to the assurance competency area. We will also address issues related to financial reporting and management accounting.

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Why take ACC 610

• This course is mandatory if you want to pursue the CFE after graduation.
• You’ll integrate knowledge from all six of the technical competency areas, plus continue development of your enabling competencies.
• Your work in ACC 610 will prepare you to succeed on the CFE by familiarizing you with the Capstone 1 case, giving you dedicated practice at individual exam writing, and incorporating case work reflective of the cases you might encounter on the CFE.

What to expect in class

There are three major components to ACC 610: the Capstone 1 case, the individual exam-writing practice tutorial, and in-class discussions and review.

Capstone 1

You will complete this major group project outside of class time with the support of an external facilitator. In response to a business problem, you will create a significant written report, deliver an oral presentation, and take questions, simulating interaction with a board of directors or team of senior executives. This work will continue your enabling competency development, and help you integrate your technical knowledge more fully. The first day of the CFE will draw on the content and skills developed during the Capstone 1 project.

See last year's Capstone case for a sense of what this project entails.

Examinations

Each week, you will complete a practice exam-writing session or formal case examination during your ACC 610 tutorial. This will support further development of your:

• enabling competencies, particularly your written communication and self-management;
• ability to draw on and integrate knowledge from all six technical competency areas
• readiness for the various types of cases you will encounter across all three days of the CFE.

Class time

Before each regular lecture time, you will prepare a case for discussion. In class, you will participate in case debriefs, peer evaluations, and other activities designed to reinforce and integrate your technical and enabling competencies. After class, you will debrief your case work and revisit any technical areas that tripped you up in class.

Professional designations

In ACC 610, you’ll cover the CPA Canada Capstone 1 module that ties into the first day of the CFE, get extensive exam-writing practice, and prepare for the types of cases you will encounter across all three days of the CFE.

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Why take ACC 605

• Understanding the income tax implications of transactions with a foreign element is key as organizations grow and expand into new markets. ACC 605 will expose you to some of the practical problems involved in cross-border operations.
• This course is essential if you plan to specialize in international tax.

What to expect in class

In ACC 605, you will delve into the Canadian Income Tax Act and apply the statutory provisions to practical problems and cases. You will:

• review the Canadian income tax implications of individual and corporate transactions that have a foreign element.
• examine the role of tax treaties in international tax planning with particular emphasis on the Canada-UW Income Tax Convention.

Professional designations

The course includes some review of basic tax principles including residency, interest deductibility, and shareholder loans. This review may augment your CFE preparation. Most of the technical material covered in ACC 605 is beyond the expectations set in the CPA Competency Map.

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Why take ACC 606

• ACC 606 addresses the deceptively simple question “what’s this worth?” This question crosses your desk in some form anywhere in the accounting profession.
• Successful completion of ACC 606 exempts you from the Level I and Level II Business Valuation courses, putting you on a fast track to the Chartered Business Valuator (CBV) designation.

What to expect in class

Each week, you will complete assigned readings and problems, participate in lectures and class discussions focused on applying the readings concepts to the assigned problems. Topics include:

• The role of the valuator;
• Principles of valuation;
• Valuation approaches and techniques;
• Risk and growth considerations;
• Determining rates of return;
• Goodwill
• Minority and controlling interests; and
• CBV professional standards.

Professional designations

ACC 606 covers concepts relevant to the Finance competency area with some modest integration of Financial Reporting and Taxation. You will have opportunities to develop Enabling Competencies in the latter half of the course, where both the in-class case problems and the final exam emphasize how valuation practitioners apply and communicate their knowledge in practice. However, the material covered in this course goes beyond the expectations of CPA candidates and is not geared specifically toward preparation for the CFE.

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Why take ACC 609

• Financial statement analysis is, simply put, an essential skill. If you plan to work in investment management, corporate finance, commercial lending, credit, firm valuation, or almost any other area of accounting, this course content is extremely valuable.
• A solid understanding of how financial statements are used by investors and other stakeholders will support you throughout your career.
• We will study accounting principles and their implications on the information presented in financial statements, and learn how to use that information in valuation models.

Note: Students who have completed AFM 492 are not permitted to enrol in this course.

What to expect in class

This course is intended to improve your ability to analyze financial reports, with an emphasis on equity valuation. To meet that objective, you will complete assigned readings before each class; and discuss key issues, solve case-based problems, and present group work in class. Class participation is required; a great deal of learning takes place when you articulate your views on issues, problems, and cases.

Professional designations

The capabilities developed in ACC 609 are included in the:

• CPA Candidates’ Competency Map in the Financial Reporting, Strategy and Governance, Finance, and Performance Measurement areas of the CPA Competency Map.
• CFA Institute's Candidate Body of Knowledge within the knowledge required for Financial Reporting and Analysis and Equity Investments.

While the course contents are not designed for the CFE or CFA examinations, they are relevant as a body of knowledge. You will also have the opportunity to improve your problem-solving, decision-making, and communication skills.

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Why take ACC 622

• ACC 622 provides an overview of the essential features of an e-business, a prominent feature of today’s economy, and integrates e-business concepts with key topics covered in other business, accounting, auditing, tax, and law courses.
• In this course, you will be exposed to a variety of electronic business features and implementation issues, including:
  • Business models, value propositions, and strategies. These include the Internet, regulatory issues, and small business issues.
  • E-business architecture including web site design; order processing; payment processing; integration with enterprise systems; and issues arising from mobile devices, social networks, and cloud computing.
  • E-business applications such as supply chain management, customer relationship management, and business intelligence.
  • Conducting e-business, with a focus on marketing and performance measurement.

What to expect in class

Your weekly readings and case assignment, along with your course projects, will revolve around the topics listed above.

Professional designations

ACC 622 integrates topics related to IT, strategy and governance, management accounting, planning and control, audit and assurance, taxation, and enabling competencies. Working at the intersection of the different CPA competencies will support your CFE preparation, however, the issues addressed in the course move well beyond the minimum expectations of CPA candidates.

Also, since e-business is so pervasive, CPA examinations often involve e-business/e-commerce scenarios. ACC 622 addresses the types of issues and problems that commonly arise in examinations.

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Why take ACC 623

• This course is vital if you are contemplating a management career in a technology-related sector of the economy or expect to work with such companies in a professional capacity.

• In ACC 623, you will address:
  • The legal environment of product development, focusing on core areas of intellectual property (IP) such as patents, copyright, IP valuation, and basic philosophical underpinnings of IP;
  • Employee matters in technology-focused businesses and traditional business confronting technology. These include employees' rights, privacy, and company policy;
  • Ecommerce legal issues including privacy, consumer protection, and electronic marketing;
  • Contract and licensing considerations when providing products and services to third parties.

What to expect in class

ACC 623 delves into technology-related legal issues as they intersect with key management activities in both 'old' and 'new' economy businesses. The weekly in-class sessions are typically about an hour in length, and are used to introduce a new module, recap the completed module, and provide more substantive context in relation to each. Although in-class time is typically shorter than the standard 3 hours, ACC 623 expects a commitment to self-learning exercises that approximates the work load of a regular course.

After an in-class introduction, you will typically review one or two online resources, read course material addressing substantive law and the business context of the law, and undertake a variety of learning and review tasks that reinforce the concepts or introduce related concepts. You will have some flexibility to choose these exercises, and structure your time accordingly.

The course may incorporate invited speakers with a professional background in one or more areas of law addressed in the course.

Professional designations

ACC 623 provides useful background to the IT competencies integrated throughout the competency map. These competencies are not directly relevant to the CFE.

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Why take ACC 622

• This is a unique opportunity to hear about how tax policy is made; Professor Macnaughton was behind the scenes in Ottawa for several years, and his experience isn’t available in any textbook.
• Canadian tax policy is thousands of pages long, and the textbooks that explain it are nearly as long. In ACC 622, you’ll learn to understand the goals of tax policy and look for the specific rules in a directed way. This will:
  • Make it easier to understand the rules, because you’ll understand the structure and meaning.
  • Help you spot loopholes and tax planning opportunities more easily; these rules often seem to contradict the general purpose of the provision.
  • Allow you to contribute more fully to tax policy.
  • Position you as an expert on the purpose of tax rules.

What to expect in class

Each class, we will pick a different area of the tax system in which to study the application of:

• Fairness across similarly situated taxpayers,
• Redistributing income from rich to poor,
• Avoiding interference with business and personal decisions, and
• Avoiding excessive record keeping.

We will compare the common strategy of assessing taxes according to ability to pay with the concept of directly charging individuals and corporations for the benefits they receive from public services. We will also discuss how tax policy is made in Ottawa and the process of enacting legislation. Throughout the course, you will develop your ability to analyze current tax law and propose alternatives to better meet tax policy goals.

Professional designations

This course will develop your higher-level reasoning about tax issues through in-class discussion about their purpose. A lot of emphasis is also placed on writing skills. This course has very little relevance to the CFE.

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Why take ACC 690: Applications of Data Analytics

• The fields of audit and fraud are increasingly relying on analytics; this growing area applies to Know-Your-Client and Anti-Money-Laundering imperatives, as well as internal and external audit.
• More than half of your class time will be spent using software to solve data problems. These real skills can be applied to a career in analytics.
• There’s an option for a real-world data project working with a local organization.

What to expect in class

In the first half of the course, you'll perform audit analytics engagements using tools like IDEA and Tableau. Some of the past workshops include journal entries, accounts receivable, accounts payable, fixed assets, warranty liability, and revenue assurance.

In the second half of the course, you'll apply analytics to assess bribery, corruption, and misappropriation using various eDiscovery tools. You’ll work with real-life data, including Hillary Clinton’s emails.

You can view past workshops on the SAF Business Analytics YouTube channel.

Professional designations

This course is a good foundation if you want to obtain your CPA, and if you want to obtain your CIA and CFE designations.

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Why take ACC 690: Professional Judgment

• Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of professional judgment can help you understand and deal effectively with complex issues.
• ACC 690 will help you understand professionalism in accounting, audit, and finance, as well as the codes of conduct in each of these areas.

Overview and objectives

Each week you will complete readings before class and participate in class discussion of professional and academic research on professional judgement. You will simulate methods used to learn about professional judgement, and learn about some of the classic studies in the field. Through this practice and investigation, you will strive to understand the barriers to effectively exercising professional judgement.

Professional designations

This course addresses the professional competencies expected of all accountants. Professional examinations often address professional judgment indirectly since it is so pervasive.

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Why take ACC 690: Tax for the CFO

• Professor Lin was a Master of Accounting student. He designed this course around the content he felt was missing when he entered industry as a tax practitioner.
• This course will pique your interest in tax reporting and related accounting issues whether you plan to specialize in Taxation or not. ACC 690 covers tax risk management and other tax topics that are relevant for many industry professionals.

Overview and objectives

In ACC 690, you will take a very practical approach to tax. Approximately half of the class will focus on applying tax concepts for accounting purposes. The remaining time will be spent on tax topics like executive compensation. The in-class focus will be case based, and will:

• Deepen your understanding of tax and related accounting issues found in the tax provision on financial statements;
• Address tax risk management and other tax topics relevant for the industry professional;
• Investigate tax considerations in Canadian-controlled private corporations, executive compensation, and acquisitions and divestitures;
• Cover government incentives, tax audits, and CRA's new risk-based audit approach.

Professional designations

ACC 690 has limited relevance for CFE preparation. Most course concepts will be beyond the expectations of the CPA competency map. This course is designed to provide you with an understanding of the tax topics that are relevant for industry practice.

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