Degrees and Certificates
Business Administration - Accounting
<< Back to Degrees and Certificates
Washington State University's College of Business and DDP now offer a degree completion program in business administration with a major in accounting - completely online.
WSU’s online major in accounting gives students a solid knowledge base, with courses in financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing, taxation, and business strategy.
The accounting major focuses on innovation - both technical and intellectual - preparing students to enter a constantly evolving profession. Graduates of the WSU online accounting program are prepared for entry-level positions in public accounting, corporate accounting, government agencies, and private business enterprises. The profession, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, will see "faster-than-average growth" due to changing financial laws and greater scrutiny of company finances.
WSU’s College of Business is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the premier accrediting agency for degree programs in business administration and accounting. The WSU accounting program is one of only 165 programs worldwide with separate AACSB accounting accreditation.
Potential careers
Program prerequisites
Program of study
A lifetime of career opportunities in many different contexts exists for accounting majors. Graduates will be equipped with skills to pursue careers with international and national public accounting firms, Fortune 500 corporations, and government agencies.
Accounting graduates can become CPAs, chief financial officers, company controllers, auditors, tax specialists, consultants, budget and finance experts, agents with the FBI and IRS, and general managers. Graduates have accepted jobs at large organizations such as Deloitte, Ernst and Young, KPMG, Moss Adams, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Protiviti. Professionals already working as tax accountants or bookkeepers may see this as an excellent opportunity to increase knowledge and skills to enhance their career options.
Visit the DDP Career Services Center to schedule an appointment with the DDP career counselor to discuss other career options.
Get information about careers in accounting occupations, including employment outlook, salaries, advancement opportunities and more from the U.S. Department of Labor.
College of Business Certification Requirements:
To certify as an accounting major, students must have:
- a 2.5 cumulative grade point average
- 60 semester credits
- a 2.5 GPA in the certifying courses:
- Acctg 230 and 231
- B Law 210
- MgtOp 215
- EconS 101 and 102 (prerequisite Math 099 or 101 with a grade of C or better)
- Engl 101
- Math 201 and 202
- MIS 250
Note: WSU Academic Regulations 34 states that students may ONLY repeat a course in which they have received a grade of C- or below, a withdrawal (W), or when a course may be repeated for additional credit. See Academic Regulations for more information.
In addition to WSU General Education Requirements (GERs) (Can be satisfied with a direct transfer degree; for a list of direct-transfer agreements, visit WSU’s Transfer Information Web page), accounting students must complete the College of Business graduation requirements and the program requirements of the degree.
Upper-Division Business Core Requirements: (15 semester credits)
- Fin 325 – Introduction to Financial Management
- MgtOp 301 – Principles of Management and Organization
- MgtOp 340 – Operations Management
- Mktg 360 – Marketing
- MgtOp 491 – Business Strategy and Policy
OR
MgtOp 492 – Small Business Policy
Upper-Division Accounting Requirements: (18 semester credits)
- Acctg 330 – Intermediate Accounting I
- Acctg 331 – Intermediate Accounting II
- Acctg 335 – Introduction to Taxation
- Acctg 338 – Cost Accounting
- Acctg 433 [M] – Accounting Systems and Auditing
- Acctg 439 [M] – Auditing
Upper-Division Accounting Elective Requirements: (9 semester credits)
- Acctg 420 – Accounting and Culture
- Acctg 435 – Individual Income Taxes
- MgtOp 487 – Business Ethics
College of Business Graduation Requirements:
- 3 credits of Written Communications: Engl 402 [W, M] or 403 [W, M]
- 3 credits of Political Science
- 3 credits of Sociology or Psychology [S]
- One of the following Communication courses: ComSt 102 [C], ComSt 235 [C], HD 205 [C], or Engl 355 [C, M]
- 2.5 cumulative grade point average in all business courses
Global Learning Requirement
The College of Business has a six-credit global learning requirement intended to provide students with opportunities to develop skills and knowledge to succeed in the global marketplace. A variety of options exist to fulfill this requirement, including study abroad, international internships, and approved coursework.
<< Back to Degrees and Certificates
