Overview
Looking to gain specific accounting knowledge—including skills in financial management, taxation, and auditing—without enrolling in a business program? Our new Certificate in Accounting will help you acquire the accounting skills you're looking for in a five-course program that can be completed entirely online.
About the Certificate in Accounting
The Certificate in Accounting is available to both University of Guelph degree students and Open Learning program students, with the exception of those enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce, minor in accounting, or minor in business.
Registration is done on a course-by-course basis.
How to Register
University of Guelph Degree Students
If you are a University of Guelph degree student, please register for your courses through WebAdvisor.
Open Learning Program Students
For your convenience, you can register for courses using OpenEd's new secure online registration system.
Visit our How to Register page for alternative ways to register and for methods of payment.
Please note that some courses and programs have an approval process that must be completed prior to confirming enrolment. See specific individual course description pages for details.
If you have any questions about registration, please email our main office or phone us at 519-767-5000.
Courses
Required
The following three courses are required for certificate completion:
This introductory course is designed to develop a foundational understanding of current accounting principles and their implication for published financial reports of business enterprises. It builds the base of knowledge and understanding required to succeed in more advanced study of accounting. The course approaches the subject from the point of view of the user of accounting information rather than that of a person who supplies the information.
View the ACCT*1220DE course description page.
This course emphasizes the use of accounting information to facilitate effective management decisions. Topics include cost determination, cost control and analysis, budgeting, profit-volume analysis and capital investment analysis.
View the ACCT*2230DE course description page.
This course presents a critical evaluation of accounting concepts, principles and practices in relation to both the traditional and current value accounting measurement models. Emphasis will be on the effect of alternative accounting practices and measurement models on income determination and asset valuation.
View the ACCT*3330DE course description page.
Restricted Electives
Choose two of the following elective courses:
This course requires students to apply the fundamental principles emanating from accounting’s conceptual framework and undertake the practice of financial accounting. Students will become adept at performing the functions related to each step in the accounting cycle, up to and including the preparation of the financial statements and client reports. Students will also develop the skills necessary for assessing an organization’s system of internal controls and financial conditions.
View the ACCT*1240 course description in the Undergraduate Calendar.
This course introduces the role accountants play in using, assessing, and recommending changes to accounting information systems (AIS) to solve business problems, deliver quality information to decision makers, and create value for the organization. Concepts and principles covered include business process modeling, database systems, data analytics, information fairness, AIS risks and controls (including to information integrity, availability, privacy, confidentiality, and security), AIS governance, and emerging technologies.
View the ACCT*2290 course description in the Undergraduate Calendar.
This course continues the managerial decision making focus of ACCT*2230. Topics include process costing, transfer pricing, the decision making process, variances and performance measurement.
View the ACCT*3230DE course description page.
Auditing I is an examination of the principles and theory underlying the practice of auditing. Concepts of materiality and audit risk are examined and discussed. Sources and techniques for gathering auditing evidence will also be examined. Modern organizations rely on information systems, technology and internal controls to manage and monitor their operations and the impact of these systems on the quality of information produced and on the scope of audits are important elements of this course.
View the ACCT*3280 course description in the Undergraduate Calendar.
This course focuses on how entities account for current and non-current liabilities and equity accounts, including, income taxes, leases, pensions and other post retirement benefits, share equity and retained earnings, stock options. Additional topics may include earnings per share, restatements and statement analysis.
View the ACCT*3340 course description in the Undergraduate Calendar.
The fundamentals of the tax system as it applies to all taxpayers will be the focus of the first half of the course. The second half will develop forms of business organizations from a tax perspective. Basic tax planning techniques which attempt to maximize the cash flows and returns on investments will then be studied. The emphasis in the course is on business decision making. A review of personal financial planning and investment decisions will also be included.
View the ACCT*3350 course description in the Undergraduate Calendar.
Business analytics is an evidence-based approach to management decision-making using analytic tools to transform data into insight. This course will combine student’s existing math/statistics skills and business knowledge with modern analytic tools (spreadsheets and other applications) in order to develop a toolkit of analysis tools for solving a variety of business problems. Topics include data management and transformation, visualization, optimization, simulation, and regression. Descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics will be covered.
View the MGMT*3140DE course description page.
Please note that course codes ending with the letters "DE" indicate the course is offered online.
Additional Information
When you have completed all the requirements for this certificate, you can request your parchment through the OpenEd Student Portal.
If you would like additional information on distance education, please visit our Online Learning at U of G page. For specific program-related inquiries, please email the Open Learning program Counsellor.
