Accounting Major B.S.
Knowledge of accounting concepts and accounting's way of describing economic activity has long been a necessary part of educational preparation for careers in business. In most business areas, accounting data is a fundamental information source for decision-making and control purposes in both profit-seeking and nonprofit organizations. The growing complexity and internationalization of business, as well as the need for more effective and efficient approaches to business problem solving, increases the demand for accounting knowledge.
Metropolitan State offers a comprehensive accounting curriculum that combines the core accounting disciplines-intended to develop a common body of accounting knowledge-with the flexibility to take additional courses in a particular area.
The accounting faculty has identified four objectives for the accounting curriculum:
- a conceptual approach that is decision oriented and emphasizes analytical and problem-solving skills;
- a holistic, or integrated, approach to accounting;
- integration of training in interpersonal skills, communication skills and ethics into all accounting courses; and
- utilization of a variety of teaching methods and tools.
The accounting major prepares well-educated individuals for professional careers in public accounting, managerial accounting, taxation, accounting systems, and private and public sector financial management through a rigorous program of study. Accounting is an excellent academic base for career development and for movement into corporate management. Upon completion of the accounting major, a graduate meets the academic qualifications to take the examination for Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and, in Minnesota, the examination for Certified Public Accountant (CPA). The accounting degree program is also excellent preparation for students planning to study law, particularly if they intend to practice in taxation or corporate law.
Requirements:
The accounting program contains six parts:
- General Education/Liberal Studies
- COM Foundation Courses
- MIS 100 Fundamentals of Information Technology in Organizations
- MATH 115 College Algebra
- STAT 201 Statistics I
- ECON 201 Macroeconomics
- ECON 202 Microeconomics
- ACCT 210 Financial Accounting
- Business Core Courses
- MKTG 300 Marketing Principles
- MGMT 310 Management Principles and Practices
- MIS 310 Principles of Management Information Systems
- FIN 390 Principles of Finance
- DSCI 434 Introduction to Operations Management
- MGMT 499 Case Studies in Strategic Management
- Accounting Required Courses
(Students should refer to course descriptions for prerequisites)
- ACCT 310 Financial Reporting
- ACCT 320 Strategic Management Accounting
- ACCT 340 Accounting Information Systems
- ACCT 510 Advanced Financial Reporting
- ACCT 512 Auditing
- ACCT 520 Advanced Strategic Management Accounting
- ACCT 530 Business Taxation
- Noncourse Requirement
- Accounting (bookkeeping) competence (must be completed prior to registration in Financial Reporting course.)
- Accounting Electives
Accounting majors do not need to take elective courses; however, students preparing to take the professional examination in public accounting (CPA) should plan to take one of the following courses as an elective:
- ACCT 531 Individual Tax Planning
- ACCT 550 Governmental and Not-for-profit Accounting
- BLAW 310 Business Law: UCC and Contracts
Students preparing to take the professional examinations in management accounting (CMA) should plan to take one of the following courses:
- ACCT 515 Financial Statement Analysis
- ACCT 531 Individual Tax Planning
- ACCT 565 Current Topics in Accounting
Many College of Management courses are sequenced and build on previous learning. Students must complete course prerequisites before registering for a course which requires prerequisites. In addition, students must complete 30 credits of coursework before they can register for College of Management upper division courses (those numbered 300 and above). MGMT 499 Case Studies in Strategic Management is a capstone class which should be taken near the end of a student’s program.
Transfer of Credit
Transfer course evaluation is made by the faculty in the College of Management. Students may be granted credit for courses of similar content and level (such as lower or upper division) taken at regionally accredited colleges and universities. Students cannot meet major required or elective course requirements with lower-division courses. In addition, courses being transferred into the accounting, economics and management information systems areas must meet respective sunsetting policy requirements. Sunsetting policies specify the acceptable time between when a course is taken and when the course is evaluated to meet a major requirement. If a course is not accepted because too much time has elapsed since the course was completed, a student may demonstrate competence in some courses via exam. Currently, waiver exams are available for Financial Accounting, Strategic Management Accounting, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics and Fundamentals of Information Technology in Organizations.
Credit and Residency Requirements
Students in each of the College of Management bachelor of science major programs must complete a minimum of 20 credit hours of their major requirements and/or major electives at Metropolitan State University. In addition, students must complete at lease 30 credits at Metropolitan State University in order to graduate.
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