Program Overview

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Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Accounting program is designed to prepare students for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam or to pursue another certification, including Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), or Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).

Program Details

The program requires a minimum of 120 credits, with prescribed courses covering a wide range of accounting topics, including business ethics, financial accounting principles, managerial and cost accounting, federal income taxes, governmental and not-for-profit accounting, accounting information systems, and auditing.

Entrance-to-Major Requirements

To change your major to Accounting, you must complete eight entry-to-major courses and maintain a 2.00 or higher cumulative grade-point average:

• ACCTG 211
• ECON 102 GS
• ENGL 015 GWS or ENGL 030 GWS
• FIN 301
• MATH 110 GQ or MATH 140 GQ
• MGMT 301
• MKTG 301
• SCM 200 GQ or STAT 200 GQ A student enrolled in this major must receive a grade of C or better in each course.

Prescribed Courses (55 credits)

• ACCTG 211: Financial and Managerial Accounting for Decision-Making (4 credits)
• ACCTG 310: Federal Taxation I (3 credits)
• ACCTG 340: Cost Accounting (3 credits)
• ACCTG 403: Auditing (3 credits)
• ACCTG 471: Intermediate Financial Accounting I (3 credits)
• ACCTG 472: Intermediate Financial Accounting II (3 credits)
• ACCTG 473: Advanced Financial Accounting (3 credits)
• BA 364Y: International Business and Society (3 credits)
• BA 462: Business Strategy (3 credits)
• ECON 102: Introductory Microeconomic Analysis and Policy (3 credits)
• ECON 104: Introductory Macroeconomic Analysis and Policy (3 credits)
• ENGL 202D: Effective Writing: Business Writing (3 credits)
• FIN 301: Corporation Finance (3 credits)
• MGMT 301: Basic Management Concepts (3 credits)
• MKTG 301W: Principles of Marketing (3 credits)
• MIS 204: Introduction to Business Information Systems (3 credits)
• MIS 390: Information Systems Management and Applications (3 credits)
• SCM 301: Supply Chain Management (3 credits)

Additional Courses (select 18 credits)

Additional Courses - Group 1 (12 credits)

• BA 243: Social, Legal, and Ethical Environment of Business (4 credits)
• MATH 110: Techniques of Calculus I (4 credits)
• MATH 140: Calculus with Analytic Geometry I (4 credits)
• STAT 200: Elementary Statistics (4 credits)

Additional Courses - Group 2 (select 6 credits)

• ACCTG 410: Federal Taxation II (3 credits)
• ACCTG 423: Accounting Data Analytics (3 credits)
• ACCTG 462: Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting (3 credits)
• ACCTG 483: Forensic Accounting (3 credits)

Supporting Courses and Related Areas (6 credits)

Select 6 credits of 200- to 400–level business courses from: ACCTG, BA, ECON, FIN, MGMT, MIS, MKTG, or SCM. A letter grade of C or higher is required for all ACCTG courses.

General Education Requirements

Some General Education requirements may be satisfied by courses required for the major. Students should work with an adviser to select courses.

• Foundations: 15 credits
  • Writing/Speaking: 9 credits
  • Quantification: 6 credits
• Knowledge Domains: 15 credits
  • Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
  • Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits
  • Arts (GA): 3 credits
  • Humanities (GH): 3 credits
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Integrative Studies: 6 credits
  • Inter-Domain course work: 6 credits
• Exploration: 9 credits
  • Natural Sciences (GN) (may be Inter-Domain): 3 credits
  • GA, GH, GN, GS, and Inter-Domain courses: 6 credits

Career Opportunities

This program can start you on the path to graduate school and a master’s degree or help you pursue an accounting career in public accounting, industry, government agencies, the not-for-profit sector, or other fields, depending on your goals.

Job Titles Related to This Degree

• Accountant
• Auditor
• Budget Analyst
• Budget Coordinator
• Credit Analyst

Employment Outlook for Occupational Fields Related to This Degree

• Accountants and Auditors: 5.8% employment growth (10 years), 1,448,290 total employment
• Budget Analysts: 3.9% employment growth (10 years), 47,170 total employment
• Credit Analysts: -3.9% employment growth (10 years), 67,370 total employment

Costs and Financial Aid

Undergraduate Tuition

Undergraduate tuition is calculated based on the number of credits for which you register and the number of total credits you have accrued at or transferred to Penn State.

• 2025–26 Academic Year Rates:
  • If you have 59 or fewer credits: $638 per credit
  • If you have 60 or more credits: $685 per credit
• 2026–27 Academic Year Rates:
  • If you have 59 or fewer credits: $644 per credit
  • If you have 60 or more credits: $692 per credit

Financial Aid and Military Benefits

Some students may qualify for financial aid. Take the time to research financial aid, scholarships, and payment options as you prepare to apply. Federal financial aid may only be used to pay for credits used to satisfy program requirements.

Application Instructions

Deadlines and Important Dates

• Summer Deadline: Apply by March 15 to start May 18
• Fall Deadline: Apply by June 30 to start August 24
• Spring Deadline: Apply by October 31, 2026, to start January 11, 2027

Steps to Apply

1. Review the admission requirements.
2. Gather your required materials.
3. Create a Penn State login account.
4. Read the application instructions.
5. Complete the application.

Faculty

The Bachelor of Science in Accounting program is developed and taught by experienced Penn State faculty with diverse backgrounds.

• Thomas T. Amlie
• Richard Brown
• Thomas Buttross
• Haimeng Teng

Accreditation

The Penn State Harrisburg School of Business Administration carries the elite AACSB accreditation, an honor reserved for the top 5% of business schools worldwide.