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Education partners: The role of PSIs and academics in the CPA certification program

Learn more about the vital role post-secondary institutions (PSIs) play in the education of Canada’s accounting professionals.

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The Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) profession partners with Canadian post-secondary institutions (PSIs) to offer non-degree holders the opportunity to obtain an undergraduate degree and the required CPA education.

PSIs have the opportunity to partner with us to deliver CPA education in two ways:

  • delivery of prerequisite learning for admission to the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP) through undergraduate and graduate programs recognized by the CPA profession as meeting the specific knowledge requirements for entry to the CPA PEP
  • delivery of some or all of the CPA PEP through graduate programs equivalent to the profession’s programs meeting the competency requirements defined in The CPA Competency Map

The use of CPA Canada cases and learning materials

Post-secondary institution professors and instructors may choose to incorporate past Uniform Evaluation (UFE) and Common Final Evaluation (CFE) cases into their courses, and certain cases can be used for this purpose without formal permission from CPA Canada. Refer to The Use of CPA Canada Cases and Learning Materials by Post-Secondary Institutions document for the cases that can be used without permission.

Instructors of post-secondary accredited programs whose students enter the CPA PEP at Capstone 1 or Capstone 2 may use all past UFE and CFE Board Reports (and cases therein) that are not included in Capstone 2 without explicit permission from CPA Canada. Refer to the list of Capstone 2 cases that are currently in Capstone 2 and may not be used.

Instructors of post-secondary accredited programs whose students are eligible to write the CFE upon program completion (and thus do not take Capstone 2 of the CPA PEP) may use all past UFE and CFE Board Reports (and cases therein) without explicit permission from CPA Canada.

Data analytics and information systems (DAIS) learning materials

CPA Canada has developed a suite of materials for post-secondary institutions to assist in revising curricula to align with the new DAIS competencies. In particular:

Note: This policy applies to organizations that are Canadian post-secondary institutions (i.e., colleges and universities). Organizations that are not Canadian post-secondary institutions may not use CPA Canada cases or educational materials.