Queen’s School of Business First to Implement CPA Nationally Accredited Program

Commerce program and Graduate Diploma in Accounting
meet rigorous new standards

KINGSTON, ON, December 5, 2013 – Queen’s School of Business has been granted official accreditation under national standards from CPA Ontario for its accounting program. CPA Ontario, the provincial body that administers the new Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) National Accreditation Standards, made the official announcement on November 29. Queen’s will be the first university in the country to implement a program under the new accreditation standards, starting in 2014.

Queen’s expertise in the accounting discipline is reflected in the strengths of its premiere undergraduate Commerce program and the in-depth focus of its Graduate Diploma in Accounting (GDA). Queen’s School of Business (QSB) volunteered to be the first institution in Canada to be scrutinized under the higher accreditation standards of the new CPA program.

“The accreditation from CPA Canada makes the accounting program at Queen’s School of Business the first university program to align with the CPA profession’s new educational standards,” said David Saunders, Dean, Queen’s School of Business. “We are proud to meet the profession’s highest standards while staying true to our mission to provide students with a solid general business education that they can build on.”

The Chartered Professional Accountant designation is the most highly-prized and universally-recognized accounting designation. It was introduced in Canada in 2013, following the merger of Canada’s leading accounting designations, including the Chartered Accountants (CA) and Certified Management Accountants (CMA).

“Queen’s long-time partnership with the accounting profession in Canada dates back to 1919. We are pleased that Queen’s took up the challenge to be the first school assessed under the demanding National Accreditation Standards of the new CPA profession,” said Brian Leader, CPA Ontario Vice President Learning.

Graduates of Queen’s Commerce program and its Graduate Diploma in Accounting have consistently lead the nation in first-time writer success on the highly demanding Chartered Accountants examination, the Uniform Evaluation (UFE).

CPA-Queen’s Centre for Governance Director, Steve Salterio, who led the GDA curriculum improvements and CPA accreditation process at QSB said, “Queen’s continues to innovate its accounting program to ensure we graduate the best-prepared future leaders of the accounting profession.”

For program information, please visit qsb.ca/gda, call 1.866.861.1615 or email GDA@business.queensu.ca

About Queen’s School of Business

Queen’s School of Business is one of the world’s premier business schools—renowned for exceptional programs, outstanding faculty and research, and the quality of its graduates. Canadian executives regard Queen’s as Canada’s most innovative business school, offering students academic excellence and a superior overall experience. Queen’s School of Business—where Canada’s first Commerce program was launched in 1919—is located at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. The School also delivers programs at locations across Canada, as well in the U.S., the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and China.

About the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario

The Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (registered name of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario) is the qualifying and regulatory body of Ontario’s more than 36,500 CPA, CAs and almost 6,000 CPA, CA students. With a rich history dating back to 1879, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario serves the public interest by developing, monitoring and enforcing the highest standards of professional competence and ethical conduct. Chartered Professional Accountants are valued by organizations of all types for their financial expertise, strategic thinking, business insight, management skills and leadership. The Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario’s website is: www.cpaontario.ca.

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Amber Wallace, Queen’s School of Business
613.533.3151 / awallace@business.queens.ca

Perry Jensen, Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario
416-969-4271 or 1-800-387-0735, ext. 271
pjensen@cpaontario.ca