Educating ethical and financially responsible business leaders of tomorrow

It is my pleasure to welcome prospective students and visitors to the Master of Financial Accountability (MFAc) program at York University.

Financial accountability emphasizes the traditional fiduciary responsibility of accounting professionals in financial reporting. Accountants are expected to ethically fulfill their reporting duties to stakeholders in organizations with the public interest in mind. Financial accountability can also be understood as a set of requirements and techniques designed to support good corporate governance.

MFAc has great relevance to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act passed in the United States and to today’s global financial crisis—stemming from human greed and unethical behaviour. Graduates of the program will be well-prepared to play an important role in motivating management to engage in best accounting practices, which, in turn, will lead to better run organizations overall.

MFAc is the only program in Canada to offer a specialized focus in financial accountability and consists of four dynamic and interrelated conceptual cornerstones: (1) Corporate Ethics; (2) Regulative Standards and Legislative Requirements; (3) Effective Information Systems; and (4) Transparency in Financial Reporting (the program’s ultimate goal). These cornerstones are well reflected in eight core courses and five optional courses taught by nationally and internationally recognized faculty members.

The program is also distinguished by its orientation towards accredited and experienced practicing professionals with designations—CA, CGA, CMA or CPA—who are encountering an increased demand for specialized skills and knowledge unique to the area of financial accountability.

Our vision is for MFAc graduates to become influential future executive leaders working in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors who possess the expertise necessary to solve the increasingly complex problems related to financial reporting today.

I invite you to explore our innovative program further and to consider the meaningful opportunities it can provide you.

Sung Kwon, PhD
Program Director