External Certifications and Designations
Business Technology Management (BTM) Certification
The Business Technology Management (BTM) Certification was founded in 2016 to provide formal recognition of the BTM Body of Knowledge (BTM BOK) which integrates several leading business, technology, and management requirements into a single certification.
The BTM Certification provides a common language and level of competence of BTM practitioners for those organizations seeking to recruit, contract or outsource BTM services.
The BTM Associate Level Certification is available to graduates of the MIS program. This title is intended for emerging BTM professionals, and is available to recent graduates and those with fewer than five years of relevant work experience.
A BTM Associate has demonstrated the required breadth and depth of knowledge and skills and competence to perform within their specialism with the assistance and supervision of a professional. For more information or to apply for the BTM Certification, visit the BTM Forum website.
CFA® Program
The CFA® charter is respected as the gold standard of professional credentials within the global investment community. The prestige of the charter is due, in part, to the challenging nature of the exams. To earn a CFA® charter, candidates study for three exams (Levels I, II, III) using an assigned curriculum. Candidates who pass all three exams and meet the professional and ethical requirements, become a regular member of CFA Institute, or "charterholder."
The Alberta School of Business at the University of Alberta is one of a select group of global institutions that have demonstrated that our curriculum contains 70% of the CFA® Level 1 curriculum (Candidate Body of Knowledge) from the CFA® Program.
As a CFA® Program Partner, the Alberta School has also committed to the CFA® Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct in our degree programs.
The Alberta School's recognition as a CFA® Program Partner demonstrates that our undergraduate curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well suited to preparing students to sit for the CFA exams.
Students in the Bachelor of Commerce program, who intend to apply to be a candidate in the CFA® Program, should consult the CFA Program Guide and the Undergraduate Curriculum Guide. Students can consult with a Program Advisor for information on course selection.
For more information on the CFA® Program, please visit the CFA Institute website.
Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR)
Through CPHR Alberta, members can obtain a Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (CPHR) designation. The CPHR is recognized across nine professional human resources associations in Canada and represents human resources professionals practicing in Canada.
The Alberta School of Business and CPHR Alberta have developed a pathway for Alberta BCom graduates and, if you are interested in the CPHR designation, you may be eligible to have the National Knowledge Exam waived upon completion of your BCom Degree. To be considered you need a minimum GPA of 2.7 on the following courses:
ACCTG 211 - Introduction to Accounting for Financial Performance
ACCTG 222 - Introduction to Accounting for Management Decision Making
FIN 201 - Introduction to Finance
MGTSC 212 - Probability and Statistics for Business
SEM 210 - Introduction to Management, Organization & Entrepreneurship
SEM 311 - HRM: Managing the Workforce in Canada
SEM 412 - Effective Negotiations
SEM 413 - Right in the Work Place
SEM 414 - Work Force Planning
SEM 415 - Staffing
SEM 416 - Strategic Compensation
*SEM 419 - Performance, Training and Safety
SEM 441 - Business Strategy
*Added to the pathway in September 2023
Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA)
To pursue a career in accounting, you can follow your BCom degree with a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) certification.
If you are an after-degree student, please contact the Business Undergraduate Office for registration assistance.