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Mandatory requirements
Applicants for this program are required to have previously completed post-secondary studies at an accredited post-secondary institution. Review admission requirements for more details.
Overview
The Bachelor of Applied Business Administration (Accounting) program offers an opportunity to advance your career in accounting through a curriculum designed to enhance your knowledge and skills.
This post-diploma applied degree program is available full-time, providing you with the expertise you need to excel in the accounting field or some finance roles.
Practical learning from experienced faculty
Learn from faculty members with real-world accounting experience. They will guide you through courses that include taxation, advanced management and financial accounting, auditing, and leadership.
Throughout the program, you'll achieve various outcomes essential for success in the business and accounting fields. These include using financial and accounting principles and applying mathematical formulae and statistical calculations to support business functions.
Ethical and legal foundations
You'll learn to model the ethical expectations of the accounting profession and understand the principles of the Canadian legal system and fundamental laws governing business ownership and transactions.
Embracing technology
Integrating information and communication technology for efficient business practices is crucial in today's digital age. The program equips you with the skills to leverage technology effectively and make informed decisions using audit methods.
Communication, strategy and research skills
Effective communication is a key skill you'll acquire, enabling you to convey information, present sound arguments, and reliably conduct accurate analysis.
To thrive in a global business environment requires an integrative and strategic mindset. You will develop the capacity for independent research and critical evaluation of information. You'll also gain experience in teamwork within increasingly complex environments.
Professionalism
The program emphasizes operating within the boundaries of professional bodies and following regulatory requirements.
You will learn to maintain the highest standards of accounting professionalism. You'll develop personal skills and professional behaviours for effective management practices and be able to demonstrate responsible leadership within complex and dynamic environments.
A path to the Chartered Profession Accountant (CPA) program
The program consists of ten academic courses followed by two semesters of Directed Field Studies. During your field studies, you secure your own paid work placement, gaining hands-on experience in a real-world setting.
By the end of the program, you'll have the prerequisite courses required to enter the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) Professional Education Program, opening doors to exciting career opportunities in the world of accounting.
Those working in the accounting field tend to be methodical, innovative, and directive.
You need:
- high ethical standards
- strong communication skills
- critical-thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- time-management skills
- the ability to work independently or as part of a team.
You should enjoy following rules, working within highly structured processes, and creative problem-solving. You should also be comfortable providing direction to others.
You must have a two-year Business Administration or Accounting diploma or equivalent from an accredited post-secondary institution, with a minimum 2.3 grade-point average (67% or C+) to enter this program.
Graduates from this program may be eligible to enter year three of the Bachelor of Business Administration - Accounting and earn their degree with an additional two years of study.
This program has two directed accounting field studies courses where you'll find your paid work placement and gain hands-on experience in a real-world setting.
This applied degree meets the pre-requisite educational requirements needed to enter the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) Professional Education Program.
After successfully completing this program, you'll receive a SAIT Bachelor of Applied Business Administration degree.
Careers and opportunities
Each year, SAIT conducts a survey between February and April to determine the employment rate, salary and satisfaction of our newest SAIT alumni.
97% graduate employment rate
$60,000 average starting salary
Find out more about our graduate employment statistics >
Our graduates may work in the following occupations. Some careers require additional experience and education.
Associated National Occupational Classification (NOC) codes: 10010, 10019, 11100, 11101, 12011, 12200, 13102, 14200.
Career planning support
Unsure which career path is for you? Here are some recommended career planning resources to help you decide your future.
You can also head to Alberta alis for lots of information about careers in Alberta, including quizzes and labour market information to help you narrow down a path.
Finally, you can take our online career finder quiz, which can help narrow your options based on your current skills and interests.
Courses
The Bachelor of Applied Business Administration requires 60 credits (12 courses) to complete. You must complete four courses from this program before proceeding to ACWE 500 and 501.
The program spans two years, with two semesters each year.
This program is currently under review and is subject to change for the upcoming academic year.
Please check back for updated information.
Course | Credits |
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This course introduces the principles, concepts, and application of Canadian federal income tax legislation. Emphasizing an understanding and application of the conceptual structure of the Income Tax Act, the course introduces the concepts of income and liability for tax; income from employment, business, and property; capital gains and losses; deductions; and international taxation. You will learn to compute taxable income for individuals and corporations. Equivalents:
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3 |
This course examines current issues and problems in the field of accounting. Topics include the present value model of accounting, rational decision making, theories of financial reporting, agency theory, and the process of setting accounting standards both in Canada and internationally. Equivalents:
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3 |
This course examines the complexities surrounding the recording and reporting of investments in other companies, using appropriate software, in situations where the investing company has no influence, has significant influence, or has control. Additional topics include the setting of accounting standards both in Canada and internationally, income tax allocation across fiscal periods, foreign currency transactions and translations, and financial reporting in the not-for-profit and public sectors. Equivalents:
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3 |
This course integrates management accounting knowledge, previously acquired by learners, into data analytics, cases, and experiential learning to further deepen the learner's understanding of managerial accounting. Learners will perform analyses to support managerial decisions, design and implement effective management control systems, and develop an awareness of the ethical responsibilities of management accountants. Learners will further develop their data analytic capabilities and presentation skills. Business case writing skills will be introduced to consider stakeholder needs while enhancing and broadening the learner's critical thinking skills. Equivalents:
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3 |
The purpose of this course is to provide the learner with an understanding of the services provided by external auditors and to prepare students for a position with an external auditing firm. This course covers auditing concepts and procedures as per the CPA Canada Standards and Guidance Collection (CPACHB), including: the auditors' role, professional standards and ethics, legal liability, planning an audit, evidence and documentation, analytics, materiality, audit risk assessment, internal controls, audit sampling, computer auditing, and audit procedures for all phases of the audit. Equivalents:
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3 |
In this course, students will synthesize the academic learning acquired over the course of their Bachelor of Applied Business Administration (Accounting) degree program with hands on experience in industry. Its purpose is to provide you with an opportunity to apply the skills and theory that you have acquired from your previous classes and to learn more about the strategy of your current organization and the dynamic forces of the industry in which it competes. Additionally, this course will focus on competencies that combine critical underlying knowledge with the skills and professional values deemed essential for professional accountants. Students are responsible for securing their own employment, which must be approved by the Academic Chair. Pre-requisites:4 courses from the following list:
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15 |
The Directed Field Studies (DFS) course involves a four month placement of paid work experience. This experiential learning component must be completed in an accounting or accounting related environment. While employed, academic learning is integrated with industry experience. Pre-requisites:
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15 |
Business Leadership is a course that will take you on a journey of self discovery as well as an inside look at current perspectives of Leadership today. We all take on leadership roles in our lives. In business, success is often attributed to great leadership. However, today in business this role has evolved as has the business environment. Team work is an essential component of an organization's efficiency and effectiveness. From time to time you may be called upon to take on a leadership role for your work group, even without a title. Throughout this course you will gain the knowledge and skills to help you fulfill your role as a leader through your understanding of personal and organizational leadership. Equivalents:
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3 |
In this integrative course you will focus on the interrelationship of competitive strategy with the external environment, internal capabilities, resources, organization, management preferences, and social responsibilities. Use of the case study methodology and application of analytical tools will be utilized to develop integrative and strategic thinking skills. The Capstone Course in the BBA program will build on the concepts learned in this class. Equivalents:
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3 |
Choose three electives from the list below.
Not all electives are offered during the day. For certain electives, you may have to attend classes in the evening and/or part-time to complete the semester.
Course | Credits |
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This course builds upon concepts learned in external audit to introduce you to the role of an internal audit team in the evaluation and improvement of an organization's risk management, control, and governance processes. The concepts, procedures, and techniques of internal auditing are covered in this course, as well as the use of appropriate software. Pre-requisites:
Equivalents:
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3 |
In this course, you will study the connections between the strategic direction of a company and the external technology factors that influence organizational success. You will also explore leveraging the use of appropriate technology to create a competitive advantage. In addition, you will study strategic integration of technology, system development, technology scanning and change management. Equivalents:
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3 |
The Applied External Audit Course expands on topics introduced in the prerequisite External Audit course. This course assumes that students are familiar with the material related to the first two stages of an audit: acceptance/continuance and audit planning, and will focus on the last two stages of an audit: execution and reporting. Topics in the course include audit risk, materiality, internal controls, sampling methods, execution of substantive procedures in various cycles, consideration of fraud, and understanding various other assurance engagements. An application of knowledge will be done using computer assisted auditing techniques such as IDEA and CaseWare while using the CPA Handbook as a reference. Pre-requisites:
Equivalents:
|
3 |
Applied Personal and Corporate Taxation builds on the technical personal and corporate taxation courses, covering the selected topics in more depth. Students develop tax planning strategies for individuals and corporations, develop a general understanding of remittance requirements for GST/HST, CPP, EI, WCB, and complete a Record of Employment. The content for this course will focus on applied knowledge, using authentic business scenarios that require students to demonstrate the application of technical knowledge. Students use Excel, tax preparation software, and develop other workplace skills, such as communication, managing and analyzing information, solving routine problems and effectively promoting personal management and teamwork. Pre-requisites:
Equivalents:
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3 |
This advanced finance course provides an in-depth study of issues and tools using appropriate software that will assist financial managers in making decisions. Topics include capital budgeting under uncertainty; long-term sources of funds; capital structure; dividend policy; futures, forwards, options, and swaps; treasury risk management; financial planning; as well as long-term planning and strategic issues in finance. Equivalents:
|
3 |
In Operations Management, students will explore such topics as capacity planning; process and labour design; Total Quality Management (TQM); and inventory models within the operational environment of both manufacturing and service organizations. This course will broaden your knowledge of best practices, and provide you with a framework for evaluating existing processes and recommending improvements at all levels of an organization. |
3 |
Progression
You must attain a PGPA and/or a CGPA of 2.0 or better each semester and pass the prerequisite courses to progress through the program.
To qualify for graduation, you must pass all courses, attain a CGPA of 2.0 or better and complete course requirements within the prescribed timelines.
Admission requirements
Applicants educated in Canada
Applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency and meet all the following requirements or equivalents:
- a two-year Business Administration or Accounting diploma or equivalent at an accredited post-secondary institution with a minimum 2.3 grade-point average (67% or C+.)
This diploma must include a minimum of 20 courses, or 60 credits, and contain the following coursework:
- Intermediate accounting
- Business communications
- Financial management
- Management accounting
- Systems and marketing.
All applicants who were educated outside of Canada must demonstrate English language proficiency and provide proof they meet the program admission requirements with an international document assessment. Find accepted educational documents and assessment options.
SAIT may also accept courses completed at certain international post-secondary institutions.
Academic Upgrading
Missing an admission requirement for this program? Upgrade your prior education to help you receive admission into one of SAIT's career programs.
English language proficiency
All applicants must demonstrate English language proficiency prior to admission, including students educated in Canada.
Transfer agreements
At SAIT, we evaluate post-secondary credit you have previously earned and apply it to your SAIT credential. Explore our formal transfer agreements available for this program.
We can evaluate your prior education, even if we don't have a formal agreement in place.
Submit a transfer credit application
There are no formal transfer agreements currently in place for this program.
Transfer options for graduates
Build on the knowledge you’ve learned at SAIT. The opportunity to advance your education at an accredited post-secondary institution may be available.
🔗 Visit Transfer Alberta search tool for all transfer agreements in Alberta (including UCalgary, MRU and BVC).
If there are transfer agreements with other institutions outside of Alberta, nationally or internationally, they will be listed below.
Available intakes
Winter 2025
Start dates:
- Domestic students: Open
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Application deadline: Extended
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- International students: Closed
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Application deadline: Sept. 30, 2024
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Spring 2025
Start dates:
- Domestic students: Open
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Application deadline: April 30, 2025
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Fall 2025
Start dates:
- Domestic students: Open
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Application deadline: June 30, 2025
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- International students: Open
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Application deadline: May 30, 2025
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Costs
2024/25 tuition and fees
The following estimated costs are effective as of July 1, 2024.
The second year of this program is dedicated to a practicum placement where you will earn 30.0 credits towards your degree. Only billable hours amounting to 11.1 credits are used to calculate the tuition rate for this year.
Domestic students
Books and supplies are approximately $1,000 - $1,500 per full-time year.
This is a bring-your-own-device program with a standard computer hardware and software requirement. See the specific requirements on our computers and laptops page.
Find your booklist on the SAIT Bookstore's website. The booklist will be available closer to your program start date. Can't find your program or course? The bookstore didn't receive a textbook list. Contact your program advisor directly to determine if they're still refining course details or, if you're in luck, no textbook purchase is required this term.
Financial aid
Paying for your education may feel overwhelming, but we have resources and programs that can help, including information about payment options, student loans, grants and scholarships.
Application process
If you have graduated from SAIT with a diploma in Business Administration, majoring in Accounting with a minimum GPA of 2.3, you will be offered admission on a first-qualified, first-offered basis. Once the program is full, qualified applicants will be placed on a waitlist.
Selection criteria
If you do not have a diploma in accounting from SAIT, you will be placed into selection for review. You must demonstrate successful completion of coursework containing similar content to the following SAIT courses:
- ACCT 338: Introductory Management Accounting
- ACCT 350: Intermediate Financial Accounting II
- COMN 220: Communication and Presentation Skills
- FNCE 390: Finance Management
- MKTG 260: Marketing Essentials
- MNGT 322: Information Systems
Applications and proof of the admission requirements must be submitted by August 15 (fall intake) or December 1 (winter intake.)
Ready to apply?
Follow our step-by-step guide to submitting a successful application.
Communication during admission
Email is the primary source of communication during the selection process. Ensure your personal email account is managed appropriately to receive our emails, files and communications.
We recommend you add the business.advising@sait.ca domain to your safe senders' list or you risk missing critical email messages.
Begin your application
Apply now using the online application portal.
Ensure you have a valid Visa or Mastercard to pay the non-refundable application fee of $120 for domestic applicants or $175 for international applicants.
Information sessions
Prepare for a strong start in your chosen program or get the details you need to decide your future path.
Our expert staff and faculty are ready to answer your questions and provide information about the following:
- What sets SAIT apart
- An introduction to the program and area of study
- Admission requirements
- Future career paths
- Information on the earning potential and graduate employment rates.
Contact us
School of Business Advising
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Phone - 403.284.8485
International Student Advising
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Phone - 403.284.8852
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Email - international@sait.ca
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Oki, Âba wathtech, Danit'ada, Tawnshi, Hello.
SAIT is located on the traditional territories of the Niitsitapi (Blackfoot) and the people of Treaty 7 which includes the Siksika, the Piikani, the Kainai, the Tsuut’ina and the Îyârhe Nakoda of Bearspaw, Chiniki and Goodstoney.
We are situated in an area the Blackfoot tribes traditionally called Moh’kinsstis, where the Bow River meets the Elbow River. We now call it the city of Calgary, which is also home to the Métis Nation of Alberta.