Accounting is one of the top 20 industries in the Metro area and is expected to have continued job growth over the next 15 years. In the current era of global competition, the management of costs is vital to ensuring organizations’ and corporations’ financial viability and profitability. Accounting professionals are therefore sought after to implement effective cost control measures across all sectors of the economy.
The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Accounting program offers students the opportunity to develop a solid understanding of the interconnected functional areas of organizations. Students acquire the skills to prepare, analyze and present financial statements that facilitate decision making.
The major is designed to meet the undergraduate degree requirements for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA.) exam for DC, Maryland and Virginia. Graduates will need to accrue an additional 30 credit hours before sitting for the exam. With a strong foundation in ethics, business law, and regulatory knowledge, the curriculum also covers forensic accounting, which helps prepare students to be Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs).
Major Requirements
Core Curriculum Courses
26 credits
Co-Requisite Courses (completed as part of the Core Curriculum)
BADM 221 Financial AccountingIntroduces the concepts and techniques of financial accounting as prescribed by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASBE). Students study and understand balance sheets, income statements, cash flow statements, and journals and ledgers, and how to prepare them. Accounting concepts such as revenue recognition, asset measurement, alternative inventory valuation methods, intangible assets, present value, stockholders equity, and liabilities and interest are also studied. Students come away from the course with an understanding of the importance of accounting in business decision-making. Formerly ACC 235.
3 credits
Prerequisites: MATH 110BADM 223 Managerial AccountingProvides a comprehensive introduction to managerial accounting for business managers, focusing on the principles and practice utilizing realistic business cases. Course emphasizes not the preparer's mode but rather the managerial interpretation and implementation of the work of professional accountants in order to facilitate wise and logical business decision-making. Course stresses basic concepts and the intuitive organizing principles evident in the three primary business management activities: financing, investing, and operating. Topics include process costing, manufacturing costs, cost terms (fixed v. variable, direct v. indirect, and product v. period costs), cost-volume-profit analysis, capital budgeting, and standard costs and variance analysis. Formerly ACC 236 Managerial Accounting and ACC 246 Principles of Accounting II.
Prerequisite BADM 221 Financial Accounting
3 creditsACCT 311 Federal Income TaxationThis course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the fundamentals of federal income tax law. The course emphasizes ethical practices in individual taxation but also provides an introduction to corporate and partnership taxation as well. Students will be introduced to estate and gift taxation, the taxation of international transactions; tax issues associated with not-for-profit entities, and selected other topics.
3 credits
Prerequisites: NoneACCT 401 AuditingTheory and Practice: Study of the principles and practice of financial auditing and responsibilities of the auditor to the client and to other stakeholders. Generally accepted auditing standards and procedures, tests of controls and substantive tests, statistical sampling, standard reporting format, and related topics are studied.
3 credits
Prerequisites: NoneACCT 421 Forensic AccountingThis course will cover the basic concepts of forensic accounting. The course includes fraud prevention, detection, investigation, and related matters such as courtroom procedures. In general, the fraud prevention and detection concepts covered in this course help to prepare students for some of the material covered in the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) certification exam. Also considered are topics such as FCPA , Sarbanes Oxley, and common types of securities fraud.
3 credits
Prerequisites: ACCT 311