University of Waterloo, Accounting and Financial Management

01/17/2021

Written by Mihika Tarini Vyas

The University of Waterloo's Accounting and Financial Management Program is offered through the university's School of Accounting and Finance. The program approaches the study of business through a foundation based on accounting and finance- you'll have the ability to craft your own academic experience through the classes you enroll in, the network you build, and the co-op work terms you partake in.

So how exactly does this work? Through your first two years in the program, you will take courses that help build your academic foundation and take part in co-op experiences that will help you choose specializations and employment opportunities. These are called "Career Specializations" and can be used to earn certificates, minors, and other academic qualifications. Options include courses from Business Analytics Specialization, Financial Leadership Specialization, Entrepreneurial Mindset Specialization to Financial Markets Specializations. Use your electives to focus on areas of study that interest you. You can also combine specializations to further develop areas of expertise or choose to focus on other fields of study at the university.

Additionally, the University of Waterloo provides high-school students that are eager to learn more about the Accounting and Financial Management Program with "AFM Ready"- a resource designed to provide future students with access to program information, virtual events, live chats with current students, advisors and professors.

Grade Requirements

Considering applying to Waterloo's AFM program? Keep these academic requirements in mind!

Ontario High Schools

Admission Requirements

6 Grade 12 U and/or M courses including:

Admission average: Individual selection from the mid-80s
English (ENG4U) (minimum final grade of 75% is required)
Advanced Functions (minimum final grade of 75% is required)
Calculus and Vectors (minimum final grade of 75% is required)

Recommended courses include- Principles of Financial Accounting, Mathematics of Data Management.

International Baccalaureate

Program Requirements

HL or SL English A, minimum 4, or HL English B, minimum 5. Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches HL (recommended) or SL, minimum 4. Total 28.

General requirements

Six total IB courses- of which at least three must be HL's.
Total scores exclude Diploma points. Subjects required for admission to specific programs should be HL (wherever possible).
For programs requiring HL or SL English A, HL English B with a minimum of 5 will be accepted.

Supplementary Application

Apart from the above, you'll need to complete the "AFMAA"- the AFM Admissions Assessment. This part of the application involves an online assessment with two components- an interview and a trait assessment. You'll receive your interview questions in advance of your final interview and will have 1.5 minutes to deliver your responses to each prompt. Upon submission of your interview, you will receive access to the trait assessment- a questionnaire comprising of 78 questions that should take you about 10 minutes to finish. Additionally, if you wish to receive scholarship opportunities you should also fill in the Admission Information Form. While not mandatory, this part of the application process is highly recommended as this is your opportunity to highlight your extracurriculars, awards, volunteer experiences, etc/. Remember that you should aim to demonstrate diversity in skills and achievements and authenticity in your answers and responses.

Reflections from Students- Tanvi Shanker and Grace Fan (enrolled in the AFM program)

Thinking back to what drew her to the Accounting and Financial Management program at Waterloo, Tanvi Shanker (UW'25) cites Waterloo's co-op program. "The AFM program was one of my top choices from the beginning. But something which truly gravitated me towards it was their co-op program. This program sure does keep everybody busy but one does reap benefits after completing their graduation- as most times we can be observed into firms with full-time offers." Tanvi also adds that while she has discovered that she isn't a fan of coding, she has enjoyed most of her courses and plans to specialize in Accounting alongside financial leadership." Grace Fan (UW'25) said that it was the combination of accounting and finance that appealed to her. "The knowledge I gain here can unfold endless opportunities for my career development. My experience in the program has been nothing short of exciting and eye-opening. Even under the remote-learning situation, the faculty continues to host events and there is always something going on and new opportunities to learn".

Looking back on her application experience, Grace says that she believes she was able to stand out as a candidate due to the extracurriculars she completed. "During my senior years in high school, I captured success in various international debate tournaments and enjoy giving back to my community through different initiatives. If there were anything, I wished I could have done differently was to be more involved with sports teams at my school because it makes an overall more well-rounded profile when applying to universities". Considering the same, Tanvi says "my leadership responsibilities in high school definitely helped me stand out as a candidate. I really wished I had worked on my AFMAA application better since that also counts towards most of the scholarships!".

Reflecting on what remote learning looked like at Waterloo, Tanvi thinks that her experience has been great. "Remote learning has been good at the university, but my main support system has always been my peers. We understand each other and are able to help out when necessary. I always say- your success would never be hampered if you help someone else climb the same ladder along the way". So far, the highlight of her time at Waterloo has been "meeting people from all across the world with different perspectives and aspirations". Grace adds that "remote learning has been a great experience for my transition into university. The University of Waterloo's faculty has been extremely supportive in providing an engaging learning environment for the students. Professors are willing to go the extra mile to offer help to students and it really makes the experience much more enjoyable". According to her, her most memorable experience at Waterloo was the camaraderie program. "Meeting awesome individuals and hustling together with them has made my learning experience more dynamic than ever".

Works Cited