Accounting

College: Business
Degree: B.S
Specialized Admission: No

Description of Major

*Please Note: Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program is available at BOTH the main campus in Tallahassee, FL and the Panama City, FL campus. This program is NOT available via Online/Distance Learning.*

There are many specialties within the accounting field. Graduates can go into challenging positions with a bachelor’s degree; however, many responsibilities require a CPA certificate. Students planning to be a CPA in Florida are required to complete a five-year educational program and should plan to complete the Master of Accounting program. An understanding of accounting theory and practice is desirable for top management officials in any organization.

In the first two years at FSU, students should take courses to complete the following requirements: General Education requirements, Writing requirement, Diversity requirements, and Prerequisite Coursework requirements. Some courses may fulfill requirements in multiple areas. Electives in the first two years should focus on gaining additional exposure to the social and behavioral sciences, and on improving communication and analytical reasoning skills.

Prerequisite Coursework

Prerequisite Coursework: (21 hours)

The following courses must be completed with a final grade of B or better (a B minus is NOT acceptable):
ACG X021 (3) Introduction to Financial Accounting
ACG X071 (3) Introduction to Managerial Accounting

The following courses must be completed with a final grade of C minus or better:
*CGS X518 (3) Spreadsheets for Business or CGS X100 (3) Microcomputer Apps. for Business or CGS X060 (3) Computer Fluency
ECO X013 (3) Principles of Macroeconomics
ECO X023 (3) Principles of Microeconomics
MAC X233 (3) Calculus for Business & Non-Physical Sciences (Higher level Calculus courses will be accepted.)
STA X023 (3) Business Statistics (Higher level Statistics courses will be accepted)

*Students taking CGS X100 or CGS X060 or other approved course will also need to take CGS 2518 at FSU.

Note: State-wide common prerequisites are always under review. For the most current information and for acceptable alternative courses, visit the “Common Prerequisites Manual.” This is available from the “Student Services” section of http://www.flvc.org.

Requirements

Requirements for Progression to the Upper-Division Major
Admission to the Accounting major requires the following:
1) completion of at least 52 semester hours,
2) a cumulative grade point average on all prerequisite coursework attempted of at least 2.500,
3) satisfactory completion of all required prerequisite coursework, and
4) a final grade of B or better in both Accounting course prerequisites: ACG2021 and ACG2071 (a B minus is NOT acceptable).

Major Program of Studies at FSU
55-58 hours depending on if CGS is taken as a prerequisite or not.

Community college courses may not be substituted for 3000/4000 level courses.

All courses must be completed with a grade of C minus or better (unless otherwise noted).

Lower-Division Requirements (4 hours)
These courses are Term 5 milestones. Transfer students must complete them in their first term of enrollment at FSU.

RMI 2302 (3) Risk in Business and Society
GEB 1030 (1) Intro. to Professional Development

General Business Core Requirements for Accounting majors (15 hours)
FIN 3403 (3) Financial Management of the Firm
GEB 3213 (3) Business Communications
MAN 3240 (3) Organizational Behavior
ISM 3541 (3) Introduction to Business Analytics
MAR 3023 (3) Basic Marketing Concepts

General Business Breadth Requirements for Accounting Majors (9 hours)
Each of the following:
FIN 3244 (3) Financial Markets, Institutions, and International Finance Systems
QMB 3200 (3) Quantitative Methods for Business Decisions
MAN 4720 (3) Strategic Management and Business Policy

Major Area Requirements for Accounting Majors:
Accounting majors must complete the nine (9) courses listed below.

To enroll in the required upper level accounting courses (those with ACG and TAX prefixes), students must have completed ACG 2021 and ACG 2071 with a grade of B or better in each course (B minus is not acceptable). Students must also receive a score of 70% or higher on FSU’s ACG 2021 final examination or complete the Accounting Competency Examination with a score of 70% or higher before they can enroll in upper-level accounting courses.

Further, students must earn a C or better (C minus is not acceptable) in ACG 3101 to enroll in ACG 3111 and all 4000 level ACG and TAX courses. Students must earn a “C minus” or better in all other required upper-level accounting courses (prefix ACG and TAX). Any student not successful in obtaining the minimum passing grade within two attempts will not be permitted to enroll in that upper-level accounting course again.

ACG 3101 (3) Financial Accounting and Reporting I
ACG 3111 (3) Financial Accounting and Reporting II
ACG 3341 (3) Cost Accounting
ACG 4201 (3) Financial Accounting and Reporting III
ACG 4401 (3) Accounting Information Systems
ACG 4632 (3) Auditing Theory and Application I
TAX 4001 (3) Federal Tax Accounting I
TAX 4011 (3) Federal Tax Accounting II
BUL 3351 (3) UCC and Law for Accountancy

Digital Literacy: (0 beyond prerequisites)
CGS2060 (3) / CGS 2100 (3) and/or CGS 2518 (3). Either may be taken for admission. CGS2518 is a required pre-requisite for some upper-level coursework.

Oral Communication Competency: (0 beyond other requirements)
Students must demonstrate the ability to orally transmit ideas and information clearly. This requirement may be met with an approved college-level course. Business majors are required to take GEB 3213.

Minimum Program Requirements - Summary
Total Hrs. Required 120
General Education 36*
Prerequisite Coursework 21*
Major Coursework 55-58
Minor Coursework 0
Digital Literacy 0 beyond prerequisites
Oral Competency 0 beyond other requirements
Electives to bring total hours to 120 (to include at least 60 hours outside of business)

*Some Prerequisite courses may also be counted as part of General Education requirements.

Mapping

Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. Transfer students must meet mapping guidelines to be accepted into their majors.

Remarks

1. A minimum of 45 hours at the 3000 level or above, at least 30 of which must be taken at this University.
2. At least half of the major course semester hours must be completed in residence at this University. After enrolling at this University, all remaining major course requirements must be completed at this University.
3. The final 30 hours must be completed in residence at this University.

Employment Information
Salary Information: For more information go to: National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.naceweb.org) or the Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm) provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Representative Job Titles Related to this Major: Accountant, Bank Officer, Auditor, Certified Public Accountant (requires 5-year program and license), Financial Planner, Controller, Internal Revenue Agent, Business Consultant.

Representative Employers: CPA Firms, Banks, Investment Firms, Major Corporations, Small Businesses, Management Consulting Firms, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Governments: Local, State, Federal, Non-Profit Organizations.