Accounting

Accounting Overview

In today's marketplace, business and industry, government and not-for-profit organizations need high-quality and near to "real time" financial information to compete in local, national, and global markets.

The accountant is a key person who can provide management with this critical information. No organization can function effectively without accounting. Our Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting that you can earn in 2.5 years provides students with an in-depth understanding of accounting principles. Accounting graduates are prepared to pursue careers in public accounting, business or government.

What You Can Learn in Accounting

• Standard practices of the accounting profession
• Preparation of Financial statements: GAAP and IFRS accounting methodologies
• The role of technology in the accounting profession
• Integration of accounting systems and financial reporting
• Preparation of personal, corporate, and not-for-profit tax returns
• Governmental accounting
• Fraud detections and deterrence and accounting computer forensics
• Effective oral and written business communication skills
• Detailed implementation of ethical standards as required by accounting and business management professionals
• Application of accounting and management theory and practice in decision making, business strategy, and technical solutions relating to management
• Critical thinking and financial analysis of business factors including accounting, operations management, technology, and globalization
• An understanding of global and technological accounting and business processes and management leadership
• Two required externships during the students' course of studies in ECPI's Accounting program field help provide "real world" workplace experience.

Where You Can Go in Accounting

With ECPI's Accounting program field, graduates are prepared for entry-level positions, including staff accountant, budget analyst, auditor, tax accountant, and the rising specialty of forensic accounting, in fields such as:

• Manufacturing
• Retail
• Non-Profit
• Transportation and Logistics
• Banking
• Services
• Information Systems
• Government

Degree Objectives

Program objectives include:

The Students enrolled in the Business Administration degree program learn how to be business leaders and owners. They learn how managers make decisions and solve problems in a wide range of business environments. They learn about international business and economies. Students learn to write business plans and reports to support decision-making and management of a business. They learn to work in teams and demonstrate professionalism and ethics. They also learn to communicate about, and collaborate on, business projects in culturally diverse work environments. Students in this program complete two "externships" and a capstone project that give them a practical understanding of business concepts. Students who elect the IT Management concentration area will learn how IT projects are properly managed. Students enrolling in the Food Service Management concentration will learn about the management of a restaurant or other hospitality-related business. Accounting students will focus their studies on documentation and analysis of a business's cash flow, including taxation issues.

About the Profession

Requirements for Typical Employment Opportunities

Some jobs may require background checks and drug screening. Ability to obtain security clearance is a plus for certain government jobs.

Entry Level Employment Opportunities By Job Title and/or Industry

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science program in Business Administration may find employment in a variety of industries, including manufacturing, retail, banking, service, restaurant, and accounting, and in government. Possible job titles include accountant, project manager, entrepreneur, sales manager, and actuary, among many others.

Graduates of the B.S. degree program in Business Administration have a wide range of career choices. They may open their own businesses or may work for established retail, service, banking, insurance, and industrial companies. They often become managers, and may choose to work with human resources departments. Many graduates enjoy careers in sales. Graduates of the Accounting concentration often go to work for accounting firms or work in financial departments in various companies. Graduates of the IE Management concentration can manage projects for IT departments in industry, and Food Service Management graduates can find great careers in the hospitality industry (including management of hotels and restaurants). Graduates of this program, in any concentration area, may be qualified to work in government positions as well as in industry. Based upon the completion of BSBA program students are able to find careers based on their concentration.

Physical Requirements

None.

Certifications Recommended for Entry Level Career.

Certifications are not required for completion of this program but are encouraged. ECPI University provides vouchers allowing students to take certification exams at a greatly reduced cost. Available certifications for this program include Management Skills, Six Sigma, Project Management, and System Analyst. For students taking the IT Management concentration, all of these certifications are available along with the Security+ certification.

Program Specific Academic Policies

Externships are opportunities for students to gain mentored, practical experience in a "real-world" job setting. Students in the B.S. Business Administration program are required to complete at least one externship course. BUS298 is mandatory and is scheduled when the core courses are passed. The second externship, BUS499, is elective. Each student will be assisted by Career Services in finding a suitable externship opportunity.

Program Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED
• Admissions test with passing score

Core Curriculum

Note: elective courses may include courses from other concentration areas in addition to courses in this list.

¹The certifications listed in the "Potential Certifications" column are the actual certification exams that students may be prepared to take following achievement of student learning outcomes from a course or a set of courses. Some certifications may require additional outside preparation prior to taking the exams; and receipt of one or more certifications is not guaranteed. Students are strongly encouraged to take all appropriate certification examinations for their program of study. To facilitate student access to the certifications, ECPI offers its students access to the certification exams at a significant discount. Some programs may require the student to obtain one or more certifications as part of the curriculum.

Future Possible Careers for This Program

Success

Q

How long will it take to complete this program?

A

• The program is designed to take 30 months to complete.
• 0% of graduates from this program finish in this time.
• The median time for graduates to complete this program was --months.¹

¹New program - pending or no graduates at this point.

Cost

Q

How much will tuition and fees be?

A

The cost of tuition and fees is: $56,550

Q

What about the cost of books and supplies?

A

The cost of books and supplies is: $2,000. Foundation course requirements can result in additional costs and increase the time to graduation.

Financing

Q

What are my financing options to pay for the program?

A

In addition to any grant and scholarship aid for which they are eligible, graduates used loans to finance their education. The median debt for program graduates is: