Quick info

• Graduating year: 2017
• Current job title: Staff Accountant II, Deloitte
• Previous education: Bachelor of Commerce, University of Toronto
• 2018 Common Foundation Examination (CFE) Honour Roll

Why did you decide to study the GDipPA  program?

Having completed my undergraduate degree at Rotman Commerce, I was confident that the Professors within the GDipPA program, alongside the resources and facilities, would provide me with in-depth technical knowledge and key case writing skills necessary to succeed in the CPA program. 

What was the highlight of the Rotman experience? 

The people. The professors brought great insights from their professional experiences and challenged us as students to think critically about how what we are learning is applicable in the real world. The program also provided the opportunity to meet other like-minded, driven students who truly support one another to succeed.

Did Rotman and the GDipPA program meet your expectations?

Absolutely, during the program, my technical, case-writing, and presentation skills greatly improved as a direct result of the highly interactive classroom environment, one-on-one case debriefing sessions, and case competitions. I attribute the program as a key factor to my success in writing the CFE. 

How was your experience with the Rotman community?

The experience within the community was great. I went into the program hoping only to get a head start on the CPA program, but within a short-time, I also met many students from across Canada and made strong friendships with my peers that have continued on outside of the program.

What would you say to someone considering choosing the GDipPA?

I highly recommend GDipPA to other students. The program is excellent in developing your case writing skills; it builds on the accounting knowledge you have gained in your undergrad and helps you better utilize it to analyze case requirements and formulate strong responses.

The professors are always available to help and offer real tangible solutions to improve your understanding and help you succeed as a CFE writer. The small classroom environment and after-class socials allow you to meet students from across Canada and form new friendships that make the program’s experience that much more enjoyable.

What are your future plans?

I plan to achieve my CPA designation within the next year and continue to advance on in my career in the public practice. I do truly attribute the case-writing skills I learned in GDipPA and the one-on-one debriefing sessions to my successful completion of the CFE. I will continue to use these same critical thinking and analytical skills as I progress through my career.

The Rotman Graduate Diploma in Professional Accounting is an excellent way for you to gain advanced standing in the pursuit of a CPA. The 12-week program helps prepare you for the Common Final Examination (CFE) and allows you to advance straight to the Capstone 1 module in the CPA PEP.