Accounting (BA)
The BA in Accounting is an important step in preparing students to become Certified Public Accountants. Students must pass the CPA exam if they wish to earn licensure. While many states have traditionally required 150 credit hours for CPA licensure, this standard is evolving as some states consider alternative pathways. Many Benedictine College graduates complete 150 total credits by the end of their four years of undergraduate study. Accounting majors work closely with their advisors to design a schedule that supports their academic goals and long-term career aspirations, including preparation for the CPA licensure where applicable.
Program Mission
The mission of the Accounting Program is to develop graduates who add value to an enterprise by applying their knowledge of business and accounting theory and practice, communicating persuasively, and acting with character and compassion. Graduates of the Benedictine College Accounting Program will display an innovative mindset in their approach to analyzing, interpreting, and sharing financial information.
Program Outcomes
- Graduates will be able to use professional-quality business communication skills to persuade or inform a specific audience regarding a business issue, mindful of the cultures and values of diverse stakeholders.
- Graduates will be able to act with consistency and integrity, while acknowledging the inherent dignity of all human persons, to influence others and contribute to the greater good by following the model of Jesus Christ.
- Graduates will be able to understand, interpret, identify strengths and weaknesses, and plan for future improvement of an organization’s performance (financial, operational, etc.) by gathering and analyzing relevant quantitative data.
- Graduates will be able to identify internal and external problems and prospects relevant to an organization’s existence (emphasizing social-societal, economic, technological, political-legal, and global issues), and plan for future improvement by persuading internal and external stakeholders to take and support appropriate and ethical action.
- Graduates will be able to analyze complex and ambiguous accounting situations and take appropriate action, applying accounting theory and tools in accordance with contemporary professional accounting practice.
Graduation Requirements for a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Requirements Common to All Majors in the School of Business: Accounting, Finance, International Business, Management, and Marketing
All B.A. candidates in Accounting, Finance, International Business, Management, and Marketing must satisfy the following requirements:
- The candidate must complete the General Education requirements of the College. (See Academic Regulations and Procedures in the Course Catalog.)
- The candidate must complete all courses required for the degree from the School of Business with an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher. Courses required for the degree are grouped in three categories known as the Common Body of Knowledge (common to all Business majors), the Major Requirements (specific to each degree), and the Capstone Curriculum (common to all Business majors). The list of courses in each category is as follows:
- The nine Common Body of Knowledge courses:
Course List Code Title Hours BUSI-2650 Business Statistics 3 or MATH-1220 Introductory Statistics MGMT-2250 Prin of Business Management 3 ACCT-2090 Principles of Financial Accounting 3 ACCT-2100 Principles of Managerial Accounting 3 ECON-2090 Principles of Macroeconomics 3 ECON-2100 Principles of Microeconomics 3 BUSI-3710 Legal Environment of Business 3 MKTG-3100 Principles of Marketing 3 FINC-3100 Principles of Finance 3 Total Hours 27
- The nine Common Body of Knowledge courses:
b. The Major Requirements for Accounting, Finance, International Business, Management, or Marketing. (See below.)
c. The three components of the Capstone Curriculum:
BUSI-4900 Strategic Management BUSI-4850 Seminr on Executive Writing and Communic, BUSI-4860 Seminr on Ethics & Morality for Bus Prof. (It is important for students and advisors to note that THEO-2000 Christian Moral Life and PHIL-3250 Ethics are prerequisites for this Seminar.)
3. Policy Statements:
a. Students may petition for more than one major in the School of Business (e.g., a student may double major in Accounting and Finance, or double major in Finance and Marketing, etc.). Students who petition for the International Business major must declare a co-major within the School of Business (e.g. Accounting, Finance, Management, or Marketing).
b. The minor in Business Administration is not available to majors in the School of Business. However, the minors in Accounting, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, and Sales are available to majors in the School of Business.
c. For students who transfer to Benedictine College and are accepted as a major, the School of Business reserves the right to determine which transferred courses will satisfy the requirements of a major. This determination will be based on a careful review of previous course content and rigor. Up to 40% of major classes may be transferred in to Benedictine College.
Program Requirements
Students will not be allowed to take the accounting major courses listed below unless they receive a C or better in both ACCT-2090 Principles of Financial Accounting and ACCT-2100 Principles of Managerial Accounting (the two accounting courses required in the School of Business’ Common Body of Knowledge). Students who have declared an accounting major but fail to meet these requirements will be removed as accounting majors and must declare a different major.
The BA in Accounting is an important step in preparing students to become Certified Public Accountants (CPA). In order to become a CPA, students must pass the CPA exam. While many states have traditionally required 150 credit hours for CPA licensure, this standard is evolving as some states consider alternative pathways. Many Benedictine College graduates complete 150 total credits by the end of their four years of undergraduate study. Accounting majors work closely with their advisors to design a schedule that support their academic goals and long-term career aspirations, including preparation for the CPA licensure where applicable.
Many career choices are available in the profession of accounting. The three principle areas of employment are in public practice, corporate accounting, and with governmental agencies. In addition to the nine Common Body of Knowledge courses and the three components of the Capstone Curriculum, the major requirements for a B.A. in Accounting are as follows:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT-3270 | Intermediate Financial Account Theory 1 | 3 |
| ACCT-3280 | Intermediate Finanancial Acct Theory II | 3 |
| ACCT-3630 | Federal Income Tax Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT-3640 | Tax Issues in Business Decisions | 3 |
| ACCT-3730 | Cost Accounting I | 3 |
| ACCT-3820 | Acctg Info Systems I | 3 |
| ACCT-4010 | Advanced Financial Accounting Theory I | 3 |
| ACCT-4200 | Financial Statemnt Analysis & Busi Valu | 3 |
| ACCT-4930 | Auditing Theory | 3 |
| One Elective from the following: | 3 | |
| Advanced Financial Accounting Theory II | ||
| Auditing Practice & Acct Info Systems II | ||
| Accounting Information for Management | ||
| Financial Spreadsheet Modeling | ||
| ACCT-COMP | Senior Comprehensive Exam | 0 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
Suggested Sequence of Courses for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting
| Freshman Year | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | ||
| ENGL-1010 | English Composition | 3 |
| THEO-1100 | Introduction to Theology | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| ACCT-2090 | Principles of Financial Accounting | 3 |
| MGMT-2250 | Prin of Business Management | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Natural World Foundation | 4 | |
| PHIL-2100 | Principles of Nature | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 4 | |
| BUSI-2650 | Business Statistics | 3 |
| ACCT-2100 | Principles of Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| Hours | 17 | |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| EXSC-1115 | Wellness for Life | 1 |
| Historical Inquiry Foundation | 3 | |
| ACCT-3270 | Intermediate Financial Account Theory 1 | 3 |
| ACCT-3730 | Cost Accounting I | 3 |
| ECON-2100 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| FINC-3100 | Principles of Finance | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Philosophical Inquiry Foundation | 3 | |
| Aesthetic Foundation | 3 | |
| ACCT-3280 | Intermediate Finanancial Acct Theory II | 3 |
| MGMT-3250 | International Management & Culture | 3 |
| ACCT-3820 | Acctg Info Systems I | 3 |
| ECON-2090 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| Hours | 18 | |
| Junior Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| Natural World Foundation | 4 | |
| BUSI-3710 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| MKTG-3100 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| ACCT-3630 | Federal Income Tax Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT-4010 | Advanced Financial Accounting Theory I | 3 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Historical Inquiry Foundation | 3 | |
| THEO-2000 | Christian Moral Life 1 | 3 |
| ACCT-3640 | Tax Issues in Business Decisions | 3 |
| Electives | 5 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Junior-Senior Year | ||
| ACCT-4780 | Experiential Learning Activity Recommended | 0 |
| Hours | 0 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| PHIL-3250 | Ethics 1 | 3 |
| Aesthetic Foundation | 3 | |
| ACCT-4200 | Financial Statemnt Analysis & Busi Valu | 3 |
| ACCT-4930 | Auditing Theory | 3 |
| BUSI-4850 | Seminr on Executive Writing and Communic | 1 |
| General Elective (or second major class) | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Faith Foundation | 3 | |
| EXSC Fitness Course | 1 | |
| BUSI-4900 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| BUSI-4860 | Seminr on Ethics & Morality for Bus Prof | 1 |
| ACCT-COMP | Senior Comprehensive Exam | 0 |
| General Elective (or second major class) | 4 | |
| Accounting Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 128 | |
- 1
Course required for the major.