BS in Business - Accounting

This program is offered by the Department of Finance & Accounting. 

Accounting is the science used to record, collect, measure and assess financial data so as to determine an organization’s profit or loss through tracking efforts. Accounting is an essential function, one which is used to show the well-being and efficiency of businesses, non-profit and governmental organizations, and as such, is considered the backbone of the firm. In sum, accountants ensure that firms operate efficiently; they also analyze budgets and provide financial planning.

The BS in Business Studies with Accounting emphasis grounds you in the decision-making process and prepares you for beneficial careers in accounting across all industries. It is also an excellent step toward graduate studies, such as the Master of Business Administration (MBA), the Master of Science (MS) degree, as well as recognized professional certificates such as the CPA. 

Emphasis Curriculum (Before Fall 2026) 

The changes in Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS), business electives, and free electives requirements are applicable for the entering class of Fall 2021. Existing students may choose to follow the old or below new curriculum.

A minimum of 92 credits are required to graduate, distributed as follows:

• Business Core Requirements (36 credits)
• Accounting Emphasis Requirements (16 credits)
• Business Electives (12 credits)
• LAS Requirements (30 credits)*
• Free Electives (4 credits)

* The core business courses ECO201 and ECO202 fulfill 6 of these credits, as they are also LAS Social Sciences requirements.

Business Core Requirements (36 credits)

• ACC203 Financial Accounting (3 cr.)
• ACC204 Managerial Accounting (3 cr.)
• BUS213 Business Law & Ethics (3 cr.)
• BUS299 Civic Engagement (0 cr.)
• ECO201 Microeconomics (3 cr.)
• ECO202 Macroeconomics (3 cr.)
• FIN301 Managerial Finance (3 cr.)
• ITM211 Information Technology Management I (3 cr.)
• MGT201 Introduction to Management (3 cr.)
• MGT420 Strategic Planning & Policy Formation (3 cr.)
• MKT201 Introduction to Marketing (3 cr.)
• OPM301 Operation & Production Management (3 cr.)
• QBA201 Managerial Statistics (3 cr.)

Accounting Emphasis Requirements (16 credits)

• ACC302 Cost Accounting (3 cr.)
• ACC311 Intermediate Accounting I (3 cr.)
• ACC312 Intermediate Accounting II (3 cr.)
• ACC401 Advanced Accounting (3 cr.)
• ACC412 External Auditing (3 cr.)
• ACC399 Accounting Internship (1 cr.)

Business Electives (12 credits)

Block A: Minimum 6 credits

• ACC310 Accounting Information Systems (3 cr.)
• ACC405 Forensic Accounting (3 cr.)
• ACC413 Internal Auditing (3 cr.)
• ACC415 Tax Accounting (3 cr.)
• ACC420 Information Technology Audit (3 cr.)
• ACC421 International Accounting (3 cr.)
• ACC431 Financial Statement Analysis (3 cr.)

Block B: Maximum 6 credits

1- Soft Skills: Maximum 3 credits

• MGT236 Communication Skills (1 cr.)
• MGT336 Developing a Business Plan (1 cr.)
• MGT338 Negotiation Skills (1 cr.)
• MGT436 Personality & Career Development (1 cr.)
• MGT438 Leadership Skills (1 cr.)

2- Vertically Integrated Projects: Maximum 3 credits

• VIP201 (1 cr.)
• VIP301 (1 cr.)
• VIP401 (1 cr.)

3- Other Electives

• QBA301 Intermediate Managerial Statistics (3 cr.)
• BDA211 Introduction to Applied Data Analytics (3 cr.)

LAS Requirements (30 credits)

Free Electives (4 credits)

Emphasis Curriculum (As of Fall 2026)

A minimum of 92 credits are required to graduate, distributed as follows:

• Business Core Requirements (36 credits)
• Accounting Emphasis Requirements (15 credits)
• Business Electives (12 credits)
• LAS Requirements (30 credits)*
• Free Electives (5 credits)

* The core business courses ECO201 and ECO202 fulfill 6 of these credits, as they are also LAS Social Sciences requirements.

• ACC203 Financial Accounting (3 cr.)
• BUS213 Business Law & Ethics (3 cr.)
• BUS299 Civic and SDG Engagement (0 cr.)
• ECO201 Microeconomics (3 cr.)
• ECO202 Macroeconomics (3 cr.)
• FIN301 Managerial Finance (3 cr.)
• ITM211 Information Systems and AI for Business (3 cr.)
• MGT201 Foundations of Management & Entrepreneurship (3 cr.)
• MGT338 Negotiation Workshop (1 cr.)
• MGT438 Leadership Workshop (1 cr.)
• MGT420 Strategic Planning & Policy Formulation (3 cr.)
• MKT201 Contemporary Marketing (3 cr.)
• OPM301 Operation & Production Management (3 cr.)
• QBA201 Statistics for Business Insights (3 cr.)
• XXX399 Accounting Internship / Practicum* (1 cr.)

* Major-specific course with the appropriate code: ACC399, FIN399, FEM399, ITM399, IBS399, MGT399, or MKT399.

Accounting Emphasis Requirements (15 credits)

• ACC302 Cost Accounting (3 cr.)
• ACC311 Intermediate Accounting I (3 cr.)
• ACC312 Intermediate Accounting II (3 cr.)
• ACC401 Advanced Accounting (3 cr.)
• ACC412 External Auditing (3 cr.)

Business Electives (12 credits)

Block A: Minimum 6 credits

• ACC310 Accounting Information Systems (3 cr.)
• ACC405 Forensic Accounting (3 cr.)
• ACC413 Internal Auditing (3 cr.)
• ACC415 Tax Accounting (3 cr.)
• ACC420 Information Technology Audit (3 cr.)
• ACC421 International Accounting (3 cr.)
• ACC431 Financial Statement Analysis (3 cr.)
• ACC407 Sustainability Reporting (3 cr.)

Block B: Maximum 6 credits

1- Soft Skills: Maximum 3 credits

• MGT236 Communication Skills (1 cr.)
• MGT336 Developing a Business Plan (1 cr.)
• MGT436 Personality & Career Development (1 cr.)

2- Vertically Integrated Projects: Maximum 3 credits

• VIP201 (1 cr.)
• VIP301 (1 cr.)
• VIP401 (1 cr.)

3- Other Electives

• BDA214 AI for Business (3 cr.)
• BDA211 Introduction to Applied Data Analytics (3 cr.)
• QBA301 Intermediate Managerial Statistics (3 cr.)
• BUS311 Research Methods (3 cr.)

LAS Requirements (30 credits)

Free Electives (5 credits)

Recommended Study Plan (Before Fall 2026) 

Year One

Fall (15 credits)

• ACC203 Financial Accounting (3 cr.)
• MGT201Introduction to Management (3 cr.)
• ECO201Microeconomics (3 cr.) (SS LAS Elective)
• LAS Core (3 cr.)
• LAS Elective (3 cr.) 

Spring (16 credits)

• ACC204 Managerial Accounting (3 cr.)
• MKT201Introduction to Marketing (3 cr.)
• ECO202 Macroeconomics (3 cr.) (SS LAS Elective)
• LAS Core (3 cr.) 
• LAS Elective (3 cr.)
• Free Elective (1 cr.)

Year Two

Fall (16 credits)

• ACC302 Cost Accounting (3 cr.)
• QBA201 Managerial Statistics (3 cr.)
• ITM211Information Technology Management I (3 cr.)
• ACC311Intermediate Accounting I (3 cr.)
• ACC399 Accounting Internship (1 cr.)
• LAS Elective (3 cr.)

Spring (15 credits)

• BUS213 Business Law & Ethics (3 cr.)
• ACC312 Intermediate Accounting II (3 cr.)
• FIN301 Managerial Finance (3 cr.)
• LAS Elective (3 cr.) 
• Business Elective I (3 cr.)

Year Three

Fall (15 credits)

• OPM301Operation and Production Management (3 cr.)
• BUS299 Civic Engagement (0 cr.)
• ACC401 Advanced Accounting (3 cr.)
• Business Elective II (3 cr.)
• Business Elective III (3 cr.)
• LAS Elective (3 cr.)

Spring (15 credits)

• MGT420 Strategic Planning & Policy Formation (3 cr.)
• ACC412 External Auditing (3 cr.)
• Business Elective IV (3 cr.)
• LAS Elective (3 cr.)
• Free Elective (3 cr.)

Recommended Study Plan (As of Fall 2026) 

Year One

Fall (15 credits)

• ACC203 Financial Accounting (3 cr.)
• MGT201 Foundations of Management & Entrepreneurship (3 cr.)
• ECO201 Microeconomics (3 cr.)
• LAS Core Requirement (3 cr.)
• LAS Elective (3 cr.)

Spring (15 credits)

• MKT201 Contemporary Marketing (3 cr.)
• ECO202 Macroeconomics (3 cr.)
• FIN301 Managerial Finance (3 cr.)
• LAS Core Requirement (3 cr.)
• LAS Elective (3 cr.)

Year Two

Fall (16 credits)

• QBA201 Statistics for Business Insights (3 cr.)
• MGT338 Negotiation Workshop (1 cr.)
• ACC302 Cost Accounting (3 cr.)
• ACC311 Intermediate Accounting I (3 cr.)
• Business Elective I (Block A or B — see Elective Menu) (3 cr.)
• LAS Elective (3 cr.) 

Spring (15 credits)

• BUS213 Business Law & Ethics (3 cr.)
• BUS299 Civic and SDG Engagement (0 cr.)
• ACC312 Intermediate Accounting II (3 cr.)
• ACC401 Advanced Accounting (3 cr.)
• Business Elective II (Block A or B — see Elective Menu) (3 cr.)
• LAS Elective (3 cr.)

Summer (after Year Two) 

• ACC399 Accounting Internship / Practicum (1 cr.) (Minimum 120 hours; prerequisite: BUS299.)

Year Three

Fall (16 credits)

• ITM211 Information Systems and AI for Business (3 cr.)
• MGT438 Leadership Workshop (1 cr.)
• ACC412 External Auditing (3 cr.)
• Business Elective III (Block A or B — see Elective Menu) (3 cr.)
• LAS Elective (3 cr.)
• Free Elective (3 cr.)

Spring (14 credits)

• MGT420 Strategic Planning & Policy Formulation (3 cr.)
• OPM301 Operations & Production Management (3 cr.)
• Business Elective IV (Block A or B — see Elective Menu) (3 cr.)
• LAS Elective (3 cr.)
• Free Elective (2 cr.)

Career Prospects

Accounting is a major that is highly demanded in the market and continues to grow. Accounting-related jobs exist at all levels in the company, from entry level to top management.

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that this is a growing field for, at least, the next ten years.

The following are five careers in accounting:

• Internal Auditor
• Compliance Executive
• Financial Analyst
• Staff Accountant
• External Auditor

An accounting degree from LAU will allow you to sit for the CPA exam.