A.C.S.B. Designation Program - Curriculum

To be eligible for the A.C.S.B. Designation, students must complete six (6) courses; four (4) core courses and two (2) electives through a distance/online learning platform.

Please note that the Principles of Suretyship course is a prerequisite for the two other surety courses (Contract Surety and Construction & Surety Law) and must be taken first. 

Once these three (3) courses have been completed, students are then free to take the remaining courses in any order they choose.

Principles of Suretyship, Contract Surety and Construction & Surety Law courses have been developed by the Surety Association of Canada using course material and textbooks from existing resources and developed in consultation with outside sources.  Where material is American-centric or not applicable in Canada, Canadian supplements will be supplied. These three courses are only available two (2) semesters annually, in the Fall and Winter.

Core Courses

  • Principles of Suretyship (must be taken first)- SAC 101
  • Contract Surety - SAC 102
  • Construction and Surety Law - SAC 103
  • Introductory Financial Accounting - ACC 925*

*Students can apply for an exemption from the Introductory Financial Accounting course (ACC 925) by submitting a certified transcript from an accredited post-secondary educational institution where they successfully completed an equivalent course. This should be submitted at the time of registration in the program.

Elective Courses

  • Advanced Financial Accounting - ACC 934
  • Advanced Management Accounting - ACC 930
  • Business Communications - BUS 850
  • Business Foundations - BUS 825
  • Business Law - BUS 436
  • Business Strategy - BUS 852
  • Economics - ACC 818
  • Effective Communication - ACC 920
  • Financial Management - ACC 933
  • Intermediate Financial Accounting I - ACC 926
  • Intermediate Financial Accounting II - ACC 927
  • Intermediate Management Accounting - ACC 929
  • Introduction to Marketing - MKT 819
  • Introductory Management Accounting - ACC 928
  • Organizational Behaviour - HRM 821
  • Risk Assessment & Treatment - RSK 714
  • Risk Financing - RSK 715
  • Risk Management Principles & Practices - RSK 713 
  • Taxation - ACC 937

NOTE: Course titles and numbers may vary. If there are discrepancies between the above list and the information published by McMaster University Continuing Education, please contact the SAC office for clarification at (905) 677-1353 or by email at surety [at] suretycanada.com.