Professional Bookkeeper

This program provides graduates with the knowledge and skills needed to successfully enter private practice as a Professional Bookkeeper or fulfill the requirements of an Accounting Clerk/Bookkeeper position within a company.

The courses provide a thorough understanding of the technical knowledge and applications of general bookkeeping principles. Students progress through introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels of bookkeeping. Courses may be taken in any order provided the prerequisites are met.

Core Courses (111 hours, 11.1 CEUs)

• Bookkeeping - Level 1 (21 hours, 2.1 CEUs)
• Bookkeeping - Level 2 (18 hours, 1.8 CEUs)
• Business Communications (36 hours, 3.6 CEUs)
• Microsoft Office (36 hours, 3.6 CEUs)  

Group 1 Elective Courses (minimum 36 hours, 3.6 CEUs)

• Sage 50-1 (18 hours, 1.8 CEUs)
• Sage 50-2 (18 hours, 1.8 CEUs)
• Sage 300-1 (18 hours, 1.8 CEUs)
• Sage 300-2 (18 hours, 1.8 CEUs)
• Quickbooks 1 (18 hours, 1.8 CEUs)
• Quickbooks 2 (18 hours, 1.8 CEUs)  

Group 2 Elective Courses (minimum 36 hours, 3.6 CEUs)

• Cost Management for Bookkeepers (18 hours, 1.8 CEUs)
• Income Tax for Bookkeepers (21 hours, 2.1 CEUs)
• Payroll Administration (21 hours, 2.1 CEUs)
• Credential Eligibility

To qualify for the certification, students must complete 186 hours of course work. Successful completion of all the required courses with a minimum C+ grade in each course is required. All requirements must be completed within four years of starting the program. Students can complete the program as quick as one year.

Courses may be taken individually as long as individual course prerequisites are met. Students completing the certificate do not need to apply to the program as registration is by course. There are no academic requirements for students to start the program.

Students who began the program prior to September 2022 will have until August 2026 to receive a certificate credential. Students who began the program September 2022 and onwards will receive a short certificate credential.

Prior Education Assessment

Effective December 1, 2019, only Business Communications and Microsoft Office are eligible for exemptions towards the Professional Bookkeeper Certificate. All other program requirements must be completed at Langara Continuing Studies. Students who completed previous course work and would like to have those courses approved for prerequisites or exemptions towards the short certificate must provide documents in the form of official transcripts before registration along with a completed Exemption/Prerequisite Approval Form.

In order to enroll in a course, students must meet individual course prerequisites. Courses which have no prerequisites are open to all students. For courses with prerequisites, students must complete the prerequisite with minimum grade of C+ or 65% before they can take the course.

If the prerequisite was completed outside of Langara Continuing Studies, students will need to request for either prerequisite approval or exemption. Please complete an Exemption/Prerequisite Approval Form and submit with official transcripts from the institution where you completed the prerequisite course(s).

Note: If you are are interested in taking Sage 300-1 (CSFW 1004), Quickbooks 1 (CSFW 1030) or Sage 50-1 (CSFW 1000) for personal development or interest, and do not wish to pursue the Professional Bookkeeper Certificate, you may register in the course without requesting approval. However, if you are seeking to obtain the certificate, you must first complete the prerequisite of Bookkeeping - Level 1.

Click here for a printable version.

Course Delivery Mode

Courses may be delivered in-class or online (asynchronous or synchronous). The course schedule below will indicate if it is in-person (Location: Main Campus) or online (Location: Online). Access to the internet and an internet-enabled device is required to participate. Online courses will use Brightspace, Langara's online course management system. Some courses may also use Zoom, a free video conferencing software, to conduct live virtual class sessions. Students are required to ensure they have their student account information and access to Brightspace prior to the beginning of the course.

Examination

Please note that all final exams are in person on Langara main campus. Students who reside outside of Metro Vancouver may use exam proctor instead of traveling to campus for exam – please see the Proctored Exam tab for more information.

Note: Future semester course schedule are released approx. one and half months before first month of the semester. E.g., course schedule and registration for the May-August semester will be available sometime in mid-March.

Have trouble understanding the course schedule below? Click here for explanation.

Proctored Exam

All final exams are scheduled to be written in-person at the Langara Main Campus regardless of the course delivery method. However, students who reside outside of Metro Vancouver in Canada may use exam proctor instead of traveling to Langara main campus to write the exam. Note that usage of exam proctor while outside of Canada or online proctors are not allowed - student must use in-person proctor in Canada. It will be the student’s responsibility to search, arrange, and pay any costs associated with the proctored exam.

Proctored exam procedure for students:

1. Student should begin research and arrange for in-person exam proctor as soon as possible.
2. Both the student and the proctor will need to fill out the Exam Proctor form
3. The student will need to email the completed form to the program coordinator (csbookkeeping@langara.ca) and the course instructor at least two weeks in advance of the exam.
4. Following confirmation/approval from the program coordinator and instructor, the proctor will receive instructions on the proctored exam.
    

Important note: The proctored exam should be scheduled for the same date and time as the original in-person exam (or at most, students may write proctored exam two days earlier than original in-person exam to accommodate proctor's schedule – proctored exams after the original exam date will be not accepted). Acceptable proctors are normally found in local educational institutions and libraries, and students are advised to begin the proctor search as soon as possible to secure a proctor for their exam date.

Exam notes for proctors:

In efforts to ensure student academic integrity and confidentiality of the exam content, confirmed proctors are asked to follow the guidelines below:

• Check ID of student before start of exam.
• Keep all exam documents confidential until the time of exam.
• Do not make additional copies of the exam other than for student to write at the scheduled date.
• Ensure that all exam-related documents be confidentially shredded after the course instructor or the program coordinator confirmed to have received the written exam attachment by email.

Proctor Lists:

• Invigilator Network list
• Canadian Invigilator Network

Please note that we are not responsible for currency/updates of the lists above. Students may use invigilators in the list or research for other invigilators at nearby libraries/educational institutions.

It is possible to complete the entire Professional Bookkeeper program through online courses. Access to the internet and an internet-enabled device is required to participate. Online courses will use Brightspace, Langara's online course management system. Some courses may also use Zoom, a free video conferencing software, to conduct live virtual class sessions. Students should ensure they have their student account information and access to Brightspace prior to the beginning of the course.

There are two types of online course in the program:  

Synchronous – Online classes will be held live on Zoom at scheduled times. Attendance is required. Additional course information will be provided through Brightspace or other online platforms.

Asynchronous – There are no scheduled online classes. Coursework will be done at your own pace. Homework and assignments may still have weekly deadlines. Course information will be provided through Brightspace or other online platforms. Exams may be scheduled at set times. 

Note: Final exams are always scheduled to be written in-person at Langara main campus at set date and time, regardless of delivery method. For students who reside outside of Metro Vancouver, exam proctor in Canada can be used instead of traveling to Langara. There is also no option to write the exam online unless specifically instructed by the course instructor.

For the May (Summer) 2025 semester, the following courses are offered online:  

Synchronous:

• CRN 60076 BSAD 1029 Microsoft Office (also offered in-person, CRN 60080)
• CRN 60147 CSFW 1000 Sage 50-1
• CRN 60149 CSFW 1004 Sage 300-1
• CRN 60151, 60153, 60157, 60159 CSFW 1030 Quickbooks 1
• CRN 60148 CSFW 2001 Sage 50-2
• CRN 60150 CSFW 2011 Sage 300-2
• CRN 60152, 60154, 60158, 60160 CSFW 2030 Quickbooks 2
• CRN 60145 BSAD 1094 Cost Management for Bookkeepers
• CRN 60146 BSAD 1095 Payroll Administration
• TBA BSAD 1093 Income Tax for Bookkeepers

Asynchronous:

• CRN 60141 ADMN 1021 Bookkeeping Level 1 (also offered in-person, CRN 60142)
• CRN 60143 ADMN 2001 Bookkeeping Level 2 (also offered in-person, CRN 60144)
• CRN 60155 & 60156 GBSC 1004 Business Communications