Accounting + GDA

Start the path to becoming a Chartered Professional Accountant with prerequisite courses in Commerce followed by Smith's redesigned four-month Graduate Diploma in Accounting (GDA).

Fast-track your path to becoming a CPA

Accounting can open the door to a wide range of careers in business. Becoming a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) begins with accounting, but can lead to opportunities in areas such as auditing, taxation, finance, information technology, and more. CPAs are problem solvers, decision-makers, and business leaders with the skills and expertise to make an impact across industries.

As a Smith Commerce student, many of the foundational business courses required for the CPA pathway are already included in your BCom core. If you are interested in pursuing the CPA designation, you can use your upper-year electives to complete the additional accounting courses required for admission to the Smith Graduate Diploma in Accounting (GDA).

Beginning in May 2027, Smith’s Graduate Diploma in Accounting (GDA) will feature a redesigned four-month curriculum aligned with the CPA Professional Program. Eligible graduates will be able to write the CPA Core Licensure and CPA Leadership exams as early as September 2027.

Why consider the new GDA pathway?

Fast-track your CPA education immediately following your BCom
Complete the four-month GDA from May through August
Complete nearly all of the required CPA education in four months
Be eligible to write the CPA Core Licensure and CPA Leadership exams as early as September following completion
For many students, complete the GDA and write these exams before beginning full-time work
Build deeper expertise in financial reporting, management accounting, taxation, assurance, sustainability, and analytics

Smith's four-month GDA is designed to align with the CPA professional Program beginning in 2027, giving Smith Commerce students an accelerated path toward the CPA designation.

Your Path from Commerce to the GDA

Follow these four steps to fast-track your route to the CPA designation

Step 1

Build your business foundation through the Commerce core

Your required BCom curriculum already provides the broad business knowledge that supports the CPA pathway.

Step 2

Complete the GDA prerequisite elective courses

Students planning to pursue the GDA should incorporate the following courses into their Commerce degree:

ESG Reporting & Sustainability COMM 310 Financial Accounting Practice, Principles & Concepts COMM 311 Intermediate Management Accounting COMM 312 Financial Accounting II COMM 313 Auditing COMM 317 Income Taxation COMM 319 Introduction to Data Management and Analytics for Business COMM 392 Advanced Financial Accounting COMM 417

Accounting course requirements

Step 3

Apply to the Smith Graduate Diploma in Accounting

After completing your BCom and the required undergraduate courses, you can pursue Smith’s Graduate Diploma in Accounting. Beginning in May 2027, the new GDA will be delivered as a full four-month program designed to align with the new CPA Professional Program. It builds on your undergraduate accounting foundation and accelerates your progress toward the CPA designation.

GDA admissions and eligibility

The Result

Students can complete nearly all of the required CPA education in four months and move directly to two licensing exams, compared with pathways that may take two years or more. For many students, the GDA and September exams can be completed before they begin full-time work.