This article looks at common requirements for applicants of the Payroll Management program as well as how the program’s structure prepares students for the workforce in just two semesters.

1. Payroll Management Program Includes Industry-Relevant Courses
Do you have an interest in launching a career in roles in the financial industry that include
payroll clerks/officers, payroll and benefits administrators, payroll accountants, human
resource and payroll generalists, general accounting coordinators, and small business
bookkeepers/accountants? Are you looking for a speedy way to enter this industry while
obtaining knowledge that will set you apart from the competition? Have you completed a
three-year college diploma or university degree in any discipline or a two-year college
diploma or a partial university degree (75 per cent complete), with a minimum of two years
work experience relevant to the financial field? If so, Centennial College may have an
offering that is suited just for you.
The two-semester Payroll Management is for anyone who answered ‘yes’ to these
questions and is seeking to obtain an extensive knowledge base while at the same time
developing and enhancing crucial skills in a number of key areas that will prepare them to
begin working as payroll generalists with a solid foundation for career advancement.
Students graduating from other programs and those in career transition are able to alter
their focus and gain a solid foundation in payroll management in a relatively short period of
time.
As such, the undertaking includes only courses that offer students information they will use
directly in the field and forgoes any liberal studies. Instructors and professors who have
extensive experience in the industry and are able to help students through personal
examples and anecdotes as well as through connecting students with their professional
circle so that they may network teach this information. These instructors are also available
for one-on-one time with students, as the class sizes in the offering are purposely kept
small. Among the courses taught by these instructors are: Payroll Systems, Pensions and
Benefits, Payroll Compliance, Strategic Compensation, Management Accounting for Human
Resources and more.
Because Centennial College recognizes the importance of continuously updating its course
offerings, in this program there is currently an emphasis on emerging trends and issues in
payroll management. An example of this is the use of promising technologies and changing
legislative requirements. Some of the specific hands-on components include students
learning the payroll system using an SAP application as well as using case studies,
simulations and project-based learning, with a focus on developing project management,
teamwork, report writing and presentation skills.
Additionally, the offering is delivered in partnership with the Canadian Payroll Association
(CPA). This means that qualified students are eligible to earn the Payroll Compliance
Practitioner (PCP) professional designation granted by the Association. Registration in this
will incur costs in addition to tuition.