Accounting

This program is designed to provide the student with strong academic preparation in accounting, general business, and liberal arts and sciences. Accounting graduates are prepared to take an entry-level job in the accounting field or to continue their education in a baccalaureate program.

Accounting involves the recording, classifying, and summarizing of financial data; it includes the preparation of financial statements, returns, budgets, and cost reports. The accountant becomes involved with functions in various capacities: as a preparer of financial data (private accounting), as an auditor of financial data (public accounting), or as a member of various government agencies (governmental accounting). The accountant is also called upon to provide managerial recommendations in addition to providing financial data.

The field of accounting provides a broad range of employment opportunities, depending on the level of education a student pursues. Holders of the A.A.S. degree in Accounting are prepared to take such positions as junior accountant, accounting clerk, or office manager in private industry or government and also tax examiner. A student pursuing the baccalaureate can accept such positions as accountant, auditor, and controller, in addition to the titles mentioned above. With a Bachelor’s degree, a student who intends to become a C.P.A. (Certified Public Accountant) can enter public accounting as well as private and governmental accounting.

Many of the courses in the Accounting program are transferable to a four-year college, depending on the particular institution’s requirements. Students are urged to consult with Department of Business faculty advisers to discuss their individual goals.