Accounting is a service activity, a descriptive/analytical discipline, and an information system. As a service activity, it provides users with quantitative financial information to aid in making business-related decisions. As a descriptive, analytical discipline, it identifies those economic transactions affecting an entity and describes--through measurement, classification, summarization, and reporting--the impact of the transactions on the entity. As an information system, accounting communicates financial information to interested parties. Accountants are involved in one or more of these areas.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
The demand for accounting graduates continues to grow as corporations develop, tax laws change, and new government regulations are introduced.
All types of organizations--public and private--require accounting services in their operations. Those working in private accounting can specialize in financial accounting/reporting, cost accounting, accounting information systems, managerial accounting, internal auditing, tax accounting, budgeting, and financial analysis. Those working in public accounting can specialize in external auditing, management advisory services, tax accounting, and valuation services.
Employers of accountants include: public accounting firms, banks, retail and wholesale businesses, manufacturers, tax firms, pension funds, foundations, hospitals, universities, churches, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and consulting companies. Self-employed accountants may set up their own offices and work for private clients.
STUDENT EXPERIENCES
Accounting students at Youngstown State University have the opportunity to build their leadership skills through various WCBA student organizations. Specific organizations related to accounting include the Institute of Management Accountants and Beta Alpha Psi, the professional business organization for accounting, finance and information system majors. Students can also become student members of the American Institute of CPA's, the Ohio Society of CPA's and the Institute of Management Accountants.
All business majors are strongly encouraged to complete internships. Internships are career-related work experiences that enable students to apply their knowledge and skills in an organizational setting. In the WCBA, internships that are approved for academic credit must be paid. Completing a career-related internship increases a student's job opportunities upon graduation.
REQUIREMENTS TO SIT FOR THE CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS (CPA) EXAM
Ohio residents wishing to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam are required to have completed 150 semester hours of education. To assist our students in meeting this requirement and to enhance their overall education and preparation for the exam, the WCBA offers the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) Program. This program is a 30 semester hour graduate program. With proper planning and coordination, a student can complete both a BSBA and MAcc in five years. For more information on sitting for the CPA exam, please contact the Accountancy Board of Ohio.
For more information, visit the Lariccia School of Accounting and Finance.
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| GENERAL EDUCATION | ||
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| PHIL 2628 | Business Ethics | 3 |
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations | 3 |
| GE: Arts & Humanities | 3 | |
| GE: Natural Science One science course must include a lab | 7 | |
| GE: Social & Personal Awareness | 6 | |
| BUSINESS TOOL COURSES | ||
| Business Tool courses must be completed with the grade of a "C" or higher and CANNOT be taken credit/no credit. | ||
| BUS 1500 | Exploring Business | 3 |
| MATH 1552 | Applied Mathematics for Management | 4 |
| ECON 2610 | Principles 1: Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 2630 | Principles 2: Macroeconomics | 3 |
| MGT 2604 | Legal Environment of Business 1 | 3 |
| ACCT 2602 | Financial Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 2603 & 2603L | Managerial Accounting and Managerial Accounting Spreadsheet Lab | 4 |
| ENGL 3742 | Business Writing | 3 |
| ECON 3790 | Statistics for Business and Economics | 5 |
| BUSINESS CORE REQUIREMENTS | ||
| To enroll in upper level business courses students must have successfully completed ENGL 1550, ENGL 1551, PHIL 2628, CMST 1545, all business tool courses AND have a minimum 2.5 overall GPA. | ||
| Upper level business courses must be completed with the grade of a "C" or higher and cannot be take credit/no credit. | ||
| BUS 3715 | Principles of International Business | 3 |
| FIN 3720 | Business Finance | 3 |
| MKTG 3702 | Business Professionalism | 1 |
| MKTG 3703 | Marketing Concepts and Practice | 3 |
| MGT 3725 | Fundamentals of Management | 3 |
| MGT 3789 | Operations Management | 3 |
| MGT 4850 | Strategic Management and Leadership | 3 |
| ACCOUNTING MAJOR REQUIREMENTS | ||
| ACCT 3701 | Intermediate Accounting 1 | 4 |
| ACCT 3702 | Intermediate Accounting 2 | 4 |
| ACCT 3709 | Accounting Information Systems | 4 |
| ACCT 3711 | Cost Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 4801 | Advanced Accounting | 4 |
| ACCT 4808 | Auditing and Fraud Investigation | 4 |
| ACCT 4813 | Federal Taxation 1 | 4 |
| MGT 3714 | Legal Environment of Business 2 | 3 |
| ACCOUNTING UPPER LEVEL COURSES | 6 | |
| Select 6 SH upper level Accounting courses not included in major. Students should consider at least ONE internship. | ||
| BUSINESS UPPER LEVEL COURSES | 6 | |
| Select 6 SH courses from a business area (ACCT, ADV, BUS, ENT, FIN, MGT, MKTG) | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 120 | |
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | S.H. | |
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3 |
| BUS 1500 | Exploring Business | 3 |
| MATH 1552 | Applied Mathematics for Management | 4 |
| ECON 2610 | Principles 1: Microeconomics | 3 |
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| ECON 2630 | Principles 2: Macroeconomics | 3 |
| MGT 2604 | Legal Environment of Business 1 | 3 |
| GE: Natural Science | 3 | |
| GE: Arts & Humanities | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ACCT 2602 | Financial Accounting | 3 |
| PHIL 2628 | Business Ethics | 3 |
| ENGL 3742 | Business Writing | 3 |
| GE: Social & Personal Awareness | 3 | |
| GE: Lab Science | 4 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ACCT 2603 & 2603L | Managerial Accounting and Managerial Accounting Spreadsheet Lab | 4 |
| ECON 3790 | Statistics for Business and Economics | 5 |
| MKTG 3702 | Business Professionalism | 1 |
| GE: Social & Personal Awareness | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 13 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ACCT 3701 | Intermediate Accounting 1 | 4 |
| ACCT 3711 | Cost Accounting | 3 |
| MKTG 3703 | Marketing Concepts and Practice | 3 |
| MGT 3725 | Fundamentals of Management | 3 |
| Upper Level Business Course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ACCT 3702 | Intermediate Accounting 2 | 4 |
| ACCT 3709 | Accounting Information Systems 1 | 4 |
| FIN 3720 | Business Finance | 3 |
| Upper Level Accounting Course (internship recommended) | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 14 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ACCT 4801 | Advanced Accounting | 4 |
| ACCT 4813 | Federal Taxation 1 | 4 |
| MGT 3789 | Operations Management | 3 |
| BUS 3715 | Principles of International Business | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| ACCT 4808 | Auditing and Fraud Investigation | 4 |
| MGT 3714 | Legal Environment of Business 2 | 3 |
| MGT 4850 | Strategic Management and Leadership | 3 |
| Upper Level Accounting Course | 3 | |
| Upper Level Business Course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120 | |
ENGL 1550, ENGL 1551, Business Tool and upper level business courses (ACCT, ADV, BUS, ENT, FIN, MGT, MKTG) must be completed with the grade of a "C" or higher and cannot be taken credit/no credit.
To enroll in upper level Business courses students must have successfully completed ENGL 1550, ENGL 1551, PHIL 2628, CMST 1545 and business Tool courses AND have a minimum 2.5 overall GPA.
Learning Outcomes
The student learning outcomes for majors within the Lariccia School of Accounting and Finance are as follows:
- Students will be able to identify, formulate, and solve discipline-specific problems within the context of business, ethical, and societal constraints;
- Students will learn to function and communicate (in writing and orally) both individually and within multidisciplinary teams;
- Students will develop enhanced technology skills by being exposed to assignments requiring advanced computer/spreadsheet knowledge, expanded presentation activity (e.g. PowerPoint in the oral-intensive courses), and required analysis of financial statements;
- Students will be given opportunities to work with and be exposed to the business community and professionals through internship opportunities, student organizations, and social functions;
- Students will obtain an understanding of professional and ethical responsibilities and a recognition of and an appreciation for the need to engage in life-long learning.