Following in the footsteps of Mount Royal, SAIT is now offering students the chance to earn a bachelor’s degree.
After six years of development, the school’s first baccalaureate degree program will be offered in September. The Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting) is a four-year program designed to meet the demand for baccalaureate degree-level accountants in Alberta.
Graduates will be able to complete all requisite core business and accounting courses needed to enter three professional programs: Chartered (CA), Certified General Accountant (CGA), and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
The program also provides more credits towards professional accounting designations than any other post secondary programs in southern Alberta. Furthermore, graduates will be able to pursue graduate studies at other post secondary institutions.
Local CA David, last name withheld, graduated from the University of Calgary, but would have reconsidered his attendance there had the SAIT program been offered.
“I think the smaller class sizes and more hands-on approach would have made for a better learning environment,” he said. “I felt a little unprepared in my first job. I think SAIT would have set me up a little better.”
According to SAIT president and CEO Irene Lewis, the school sets graduates up for success in the workplace by integrating apprentices, technicians, technologists, applied degree and baccalaureate students together in an academic setting, as they would be in the industry.
Doug Horner, Advanced Education and Technology Minister, said the new program is not only great news for Calgary students, but for all of Alberta.
“SAIT has always played a critical role in Campus Alberta, and this new addition will only strengthen their contribution to building Alberta’s knowledge economy.”
BBA (Accounting) graduates from SAIT will increase competition between new accountants, said David.
However, this will result in higher standards and a stronger industry.
“It will push us to excel in our practice, because we will all be competing to stay on top,” he said.
