Accounting

looking up at skyscrapers with screened numbers superimposed

Build Your Career, By the Numbers

Accounting is a growing, in-demand career field at the forefront of business and finance. If you have strong analytical skills, self-motivation and a keen business interest consider accounting as a career choice. WSU’s accounting program, offered completely online, provides the foundation you need to launch or enhance your career.

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WSU Global Campus Accounting.

Why Major in Accounting?

Accounting is an exciting and constantly evolving field, offering professionals almost unlimited career opportunities. Students who choose to pursue an education in accounting can go on to become company controllers, tax specialists, consultants, general managers, auditors, budget and finance experts, Certified Public Accountants and numerous other positions requiring strong accounting and management skills.

What You’ll Learn

WSU’s accounting curriculum provides a strong base in management fundamentals, critical thinking, accounting information systems and accounting practices, and will prepare you to work in private business enterprises, Fortune 500 companies, national and international accounting firms, government agencies, consulting firms and non-profit organizations.

Students in WSU Global Campus’ accounting program graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with a major in accounting. Unlike online accounting degree programs at other institutions, you will gain a broad base of knowledge in business theory and practice in addition to the expertise and practical skills necessary to enter the field of accounting. This powerful combination of business and accounting skills will increase your marketability and value to employers as you enter the job market.

WSU Accounting Program Strengths

WSU’s accounting major is one of only seven programs in the Pacific Northwest and approximately 187 worldwide that have earned the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) Accounting Accreditation.
WSU’s Carson College of Business accounting faculty are award-winning teachers, work closely with students, and take a personal interest in their success.

Photo: Business accounting concept, Business man using calculator with computer laptop, budget and loan paper in office.

Note: All career statistics come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook

Program of Study

All courses are available online

University Requirements

All WSU undergraduates must complete a minimum of 120 semester credits of which 40 credits must be at the 300 – 400 level. Students must also complete the University Common Requirements (UCORE). These can generally be satisfied with a direct transfer degree. For a list of direct-transfer agreements, visit WSU’s Transferring an Associate Degree page.

Certification Requirements

30 semester credits

Before advancing to upper-division business and accounting courses, students must become certified in business administration with a major in accounting. Certification is competitive and course enrollments are limited. Students are required to apply for certification. A Global Campus business academic advisor can provide additional information about the process. If the applicant meets the minimum requirements as indicated below, he or she is then ranked by academic performance to fill the current quota.

Certification Minimum Requirements

Complete the following certification courses with a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher:
- ACCTG 230, 231 – Financial Accounting and Managerial Accounting
- B_LAW 210 – Law and the Legal Environment
- MGTOP 215 – Business Statistics
- ECONS 101, 102 – Micro and Macro (prerequisite Math 099 or 101 with a grade of C or better)
- ENGLISH 101 – College Composition
- MATH 201, 202 – Finite Math and Business Calculus
  OR
- MATH 172, 171 – Calculus II and Calculus I
- MIS 250 – Managing Information Technology
Have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5
Have earned at least 60 semester credit hours

Students will be placed in rank order based on cumulative GPA and other performance criteria. The top students are then certified based on the number of spots available that semester. Transfer course grades will be used to calculate the certification GPA, but they are not included in the WSU cumulative GPA.

Business Core Requirements

18 semester credits

FIN 325 – Introduction to Financial Management
IBUS 380 – International Business
MGMT 301 – Principles of Management and Organization
MGTOP 340 – Operations Management
MKTG 360 – Marketing
MGMT 491 – Business Strategy and Policy
OR
ENTRP 492 – Small Business Policy

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 – Accounting Systems and Auditing
ACCTG 439 – Auditing

Accounting Electives

6 semester credits

ACCTG 420 – Accounting and Culture
MGMT 487 – Business Ethics (was MGTOP 487)
OR
Any 300/400 level MIS or Finance course

College of Business Graduation Requirements

3 credits of Written Communications: ENGLISH 402 or 403
3 credits of Political Science (POL_S)
3 credits of Sociology (SOC) or Psychology (PSYCH)
One of the following Communication courses:
- COM 102 – Public Speaking in the Digital Age
- H_D 205 – Developing Effective Communication and Life Skills
2.5 cumulative grade point average in all business courses

International Experience Requirement

The College of Business has a six-credit international experience requirement to help students develop the skills to succeed in the global marketplace. A variety of options exists to fulfill this requirement, including study abroad, international internships, and approved coursework.

Note: Students who have already completed a business degree through WSU may not return to complete a second business major.

Please review the online WSU Catalog for additional information about specific degree requirements.