Department of Accounting & Economics

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Accounting

Since the inception of the program in 1959, accounting graduates have established careers in every segment of the business world. Employment opportunities range from national, regional, and local public accounting firms to corporations, sole proprietorships, and national state and local government entities. The accounting profession offers a promising future for men and women who are comfortable in meeting people, expressing themselves, working in changing environments, and who possess an inquiring and logical thought process.

Learning Goals for Accounting Major:
  1. Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge of current accounting practices and theory and be conversant in the language of business.
  2. Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to think critically about accounting topics.
  3. Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate accounting information effectively, both orally and in writing.
  4. Students will be able to demonstrate competency in current accounting information technology.
  5. Students will be able to demonstrate competency in ethical business and accounting decision making.

Holding the licensure designation as a Certified Public Accountant is viewed as evidence of a professional quality in the discipline of accounting. CPAs are viewed by the business world as individuals who possess a professional knowledge of accounting principles and concepts and have the experiences necessary to make proper application of those principles and concepts. Students who desire to pursue this professional designation can complete the curriculum and ACCT 4093 Governmental Accounting. This will provide them with the necessary academic background to permit the graduate to sit for the uniform certified public accountant examination.

The goal of many students is a career in private accounting rather than public accounting. Professional designations such as Certified Management Accountant (CMA) and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) are earned by completing examinations offered by their respective professional associations. Accounting majors who desire to complete those certification processes may complete a course of study which will enable them to be a candidate for those professional examinations. After passing the examination, students would need to have an additional 30 hours of college credit to attain licensure. 

Professional Examination Requirements

All students who, upon graduation, plan to sit for a professional examination (CPA, CMA, CIA) should consult with an accounting faculty member concerning specific course requirements of the respective examination. The requirements should be considered in planning the student’s course of study while completing the degree.

The following curriculum in accounting leads to a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree with a major in accounting.

Curriculum

The matrix below is a sample plan for all coursework required for this program.

1See appropriate alternatives or substitutions in “General Education Requirements”.
2Students who have two years of high school algebra with a grade of “C” or better and a math ACT score of 22 or above may omit College Algebra and enroll directly in MATH 2223 Quantitative Business Analysis. If omitted, an additional 3 hours of electives will be required. Students considering graduate school are advised to use free elective hours to take MATH 2914 Calculus I.