Department website: https://www.atu.edu/business/schoolofbusiness

Since the inception of the program in 1959, ATU 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 individuals 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 credential of 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 wish 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.

Many students aspire to 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 wish to complete those certification processes may complete a course of study that will enable them to be candidates 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.

Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International)

777 South Harbour Island Boulevard, Suite 750
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All programs within the School of Business, with the exception of the BS in Health Information Management, are accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). AACSB International is the premier accrediting agency for business schools, stressing academic excellence and a commitment to continuous improvement. Approximately one third of the business schools in the United States and several selected schools internationally have earned AACSB International accreditation.

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See appropriate alternatives or substitutions in “General Education Requirements.”

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Any 2000 level MATH or STAT course or higher may be substituted for MATH 2223 Quantitative Business Analysis (excluding MATH 2033 Mathematical Concepts I, MATH 2043 Mathematical Concepts II, and STAT 2163 Introduction to Statistical Methods). Students considering graduate school are advised to take MATH 2914 Calculus I.

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Students may apply in their junior year for admission into the Accounting Accelerated Bachelor's Plus MBA Degree; however, they must have completed a minimum of 90 credit hours towards the Bachelor degree and have earned a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher in those undergraduate courses to be eligible. Once approved, the student will be conditionally admitted into the MBA program. The following graduate level courses can be used to replace three upper-division undergraduate courses as follows:

• MKT 6103 Digital Marketing Strategy can replace MKT 3043 Principles of Marketing
• Any 2 core MBA course (other than ACCT 6103 Accounting Analysis, MKT 6103 Digital Marketing Strategy, and MGMT 6903 Corporate Strategic Management) can be used to replace general electives

Students who complete the program will be able to:

• use standard software to solve a business problem or support a business process.
• present a professional oral presentation.
• prepare professional written documents that are appropriate for the specific business discipline for which the documents were written.
• exhibit basic principles of professional behavior.
• apply the steps in an ethical framework to issues presented in various business contexts to determine appropriate actions.
• apply general business principles to business issues.