Financial Management (Co-operative Education)

Note: As of the Spring (January) Semester 2026 intake, applications for admission to the Diploma in Financial Management and the Diploma in Financial Management (Co-operative Education) have been suspended until further notice.

The objective of this two-year diploma program is to prepare for careers in accounting and financial services. The curriculum includes a mix of business and academic courses that provide students with both the practical skills required in accounting and financial services and proficiency in business decision-making and analysis. Many of the program courses are eligible for university-transfer credit or exemptions for the courses offered by the Certified General Accountants Association, the Certified Management Accountants Society, or the Institute of Chartered Accountants. As well, many of the courses carry credit towards a professional designation in the fields of credit management, banking, trust administration, and insurance.

The program provides students with the opportunity to customize their program to suit their particular requirements. Students will be required to obtain 60 credits. Forty-five of the credits will come from compulsory courses, nine credits will come from optional financial management courses, and six credits may be academic electives. Thus students wishing to maximize their credits in either accounting or finance will be able to do so, but those interested in a general Diploma in Financial Management will be able to pick from a variety of courses according to their interests.

Graduates of this program who meet the minimum academic entrance requirements will be able to ladder into the third year of the bachelor of business administration (BBA). Those who wish to pursue the accounting concentration may be admitted into the BBA, but they will need to complete all the bridging courses to meet upper-division course prerequisites. Graduates who wish to undertake one of the other concentrations should meet with the department.

Students who wish to participate in this option must maintain above-average academic standing and demonstrate potential for success in their chosen professional field.

One four-month work term (a minimum of 420 hours) must be completed for a co-op designated diploma. Employers provide co-op instructors with job descriptions to be posted. Students submit their resumes via the co-op instructors who will submit the package to the employer and arrange job interviews. Students are strongly encouraged to start building their professional network and be an active participant in self-marketing in order to source their co-op work placement.

Employers make the hiring decisions and establish the working conditions, salary and benefits. The co-operative education option has proven to be of great benefit to students. Students have the opportunity to apply their knowledge, to develop skills in a practical work setting, and to gain related experience before commencing their professional careers.

Also see co-operative education programs.

To obtain a Diploma in Financial Management (Co-operative Education), students will be required to attain 66 credits as described below: