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.

Three (3) of the core courses: Principles of Suretyship (SAC 101), Contract Surety (SAC 102) and Construction & Surety Law (SAC 103) have been developed by the Surety Association of Canada (SAC) 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.

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.

As of the Fall 2022 term, the SAC courses will be offered directly through the association and will be available in the Fall and Winter terms only.

The fourth core course, Introductory Financial Accounting and all elective courses can continue be taken through McMaster Continuing Education (MCE) or through any other accredited Canadian university.

Important notes:

  • Students enrolling in the Introductory Financial Accounting course or any of the elective courses through a Canadian university of their choice will be required to submit a course outline to SAC for approval to ensure that it meets the program requirement prior to enrollment in the course. Course outlines can be sent to program [at] suretycanada.com.

  • Elective courses must be taken independently from any other degree or designation and cannot be carried over from other programs. Only elective courses that are begun and completed subsequent to the student’s registration in the SAC A.C.S.B. Designation program will be considered for credit.

  • Students can apply for an exemption from the Introductory Financial Accounting course by submitting a certified transcript from an accredited university where they successfully completed an equivalent course. This should be submitted at the time of registration in the program. No other exemptions will be allowed. Please note that work experience cannot be used toward exemptions from any of the courses.

Core Courses

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

Elective Courses

Elective courses must fall within these categories and/or topic areas:

  • Accounting:
    • Advanced Financial Accounting
    • Advanced Management Accounting
    • Financial Management
    • Intermediate Financial Accounting
    • Intermediate Management Accounting
    • Introductory Management Accounting
  • Business:
    • Business Communications
    • Business Foundations
    • Business Law
    • Business Strategy
    • Economics
    • Introduction to Marketing
  • Other:
    • Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Business: An Introduction
    • Business Intelligence & Data Analytics
    • Cybersecurity Risk Assessment and Management
    • Data Analysis and Visualization
    • Organizational Behavior
    • Risk Assessment & Treatment
    • Risk Financing
    • Risk Management Principles & Practices
    • Statistics for Data Analysis
    • Taxation

Questions

For any questions regarding the A.C.S.B. Designation Program, give us a call at (905) 677-1353 or email us at program [at] suretycanada.com.