Program Overview

Accounting Paraprofessional, Certificate of Proficiency

The Accounting Paraprofessional certificate program prepares students to gain extensive training in accounting through continuous application of their accounting knowledge in many phases of the program. Students find jobs in companies ranging from small proprietorships to corporate accounting departments, governmental organizations, and public accounting firms.

Keyboarding skill of 30 wpm or concurrent enrollment in a keyboarding class highly recommended.

Accounting Paraprofessional certificate graduates will:

• be prepared to obtain an entry-level position in their field
• apply manual methods and software tools to prepare accounting statements and reports
• complete the accounting cycle, including end-of-period adjustments
• complete federal income tax returns
• demonstrate communication, critical thinking, cultural humility, information literacy, and teamwork skills
• meet Quantitative Reasoning, Social Science, and Written Communication general education distribution area outcomes

Program Requirements

The courses listed below are a suggested sequence; as long as prerequisites are met, courses may be taken in a different order.

Recommended Course Sequence

• Quarter One
  • ACCT 111 Introduction to Accounting I 5 credits
  • ACCT 112 Business Calculator Applications 3 credits
  • BTE 105 Keyboarding I 3 credits
  • BTE 120 Business Computer Management 3 credits
• Quarter Two
  • ACCT 121 Introduction to Accounting II 5 credits
  • ACCT 275 Ethics in Business 5 credits
  • BTE 112 Excel I 5 credits
  • ENGL 99 Intro to Essay Writing II 5 credits (or any Written Communication course)
• Quarter Three
  • BTE 114 Database Management 5 credits
  • ACCT& 201 Principles of Accounting I 5 credits
  • BTE 212 Excel II 5 credits
  • MATH 98 Essentials of Intermediate Algebra 5 credits (or any Quantitative Reasoning course)
• Quarter Four
  • ACCT& 202 Principles of Accounting II 5 credits
  • ACCT 255 Income Tax I 5 credits
  • BTE 135 Outlook 4 credits
  • ECON& 202 Macro Economics 5 credits (or any Social Science course)
• Quarter Five
  • ACCT& 203 Principles of Accounting III 5 credits
  • ACCT 256 Income Tax II 5 credits
  • ACCT 280 Accounting Projects 3 credits

General Education Requirements - 15 Credits

• ENGL 93 Introduction to Essay Writing I 5 credits (or any Written Communication course)
• MATH 87 Quantitative Literacy 5 credits (or any Quantitative Reasoning course)
• ECON& 202 Macro Economics 5 credits (or any Social Science course)

Diversity and Social Justice Requirement

Within the degree requirements, students must complete a 3-5 credit course that meets the college’s Diversity and Social Justice (DSJ) requirement. DSJ courses are designed to meet other general education or technical requirements simultaneous to meeting the DSJ requirement.

Total Program Credits: 86