Program Overview

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Overview of the Accounting, BS Program

The Accounting, BS program is designed for students seeking a challenging career with unlimited opportunities. Top skills looked at for promotion and success for accounting majors include communication and people skills, research skills, problem-solving, technical knowledge, and critical thinking. A student should be a team player, exhibit time management, and demonstrate motivation, drive, and initiative. Accounting students should stay on top of the latest information, news, and trends. Ethics and professionalism are a must.

Admission and Retention Policies

Students are eligible for admission to the Culverhouse School of Accountancy if they meet the admission criteria to the upper division of the College of Business. A student whose GPA falls below these standards may petition the Director of Undergraduate Student Services for admission to the upper division and to the Culverhouse School of Accountancy if the student’s GPA for the last 30 hours attempted at The University of Alabama is at least 2.5.

• Students who have not been admitted to the School of Accountancy may enroll in upper-division accounting courses offered for non-majors, provided they have fulfilled the prerequisites for those courses.
  • A student who has not been admitted to the School of Accountancy may also enroll in 300-level accounting courses offered for accounting majors, provided that the student has fulfilled the prerequisites for those courses and either meets the criteria for admission to the Culverhouse School of Accountancy or must take those courses as part of a major, minor, or concentration.
• Only students who have been admitted to the Culverhouse School of Accountancy may enroll in 400-level accounting courses without special permission from the director.

Requirements for Accounting Majors

Accounting majors must complete all upper division accounting courses with grades of "C-" or higher. If an Accounting major attempts a major program course and earns below the required C-, the attempt will not count toward their degree. A student who enrolls in any of these courses three times and fails to make a grade of "C-" or higher will not be permitted to take additional accounting courses without special permission.

Course Requirements

The following courses are required for Accounting majors:

• AC 310: Inter Financial Accounting I (3 hours)
• AC 311: Inter Financial Accounting II (3 hours)
• AC 361: Cost Analysis Planning/Control (3 hours)
• AC 371: Introduction To Taxation (3 hours)
• AC 389: Accounting Information Systems (3 hours)
• AC 432: Intro Audit and Assurance Svcs (3 hours) Total Hours: 18

Third-year Requirement for Accounting Majors

No 300- or 400-level accounting courses may be transferred from another institution and applied to the degree requirements for accounting majors. These upper-level courses have unique components, and equivalent courses do not exist at other universities. A condition of enrollment in all undergraduate accounting courses other than AC 351 Managerial Accntng Decisions and AC 352 Corporate Financial Reporting is admission to the Culverhouse School of Accountancy or permission of the director.

Concentration

The Professional Accounting concentration is designed for students who want to increase their breadth of knowledge in accounting, plan to pursue a master's degree in accounting (MAcc or MTA), and intend to sit for the CPA exam. A 2.000 concentration GPA is required. The Professional Accounting concentration is restricted to Accounting majors only.

Professional Accounting Concentration Requirements

• AC 456: Govt & Nonprofit Accounting (3 hours)
• AC 471: Taxation - Transactions & Orgs (3 hours)
• Select one of the following:
  • IBA 250: Context of Global Business (3 hours)
  • AC 492: Accounting Internship (3 hours)
  • FI 301: Intro Financial Inst. & Mkts (3 hours)
  • FI 435: Fund. of Risk Mgt. & Ins. (3 hours)
  • FI 410: Intermediate Financial Mgt (3 hours)
  • FI 414: Investments (3 hours) Total Hours: 9

Career Opportunities

Accounting provides numerous career options, and accounting professionals can be found in public accounting firms, banks and financial institutions, corporations, public utilities, hospitals, the media, law firms, government, manufacturing companies, and nonprofit institutions. There is great demand for accounting graduates across all types of employers, making now an especially great time to obtain an accounting degree.

Types of Entry-Level Jobs Accepted

Employment opportunities for graduates range from large international to small accounting firms, public and private business enterprises, government agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service or the FBI, and nonprofit organizations in positions such as:

• Staff accountant
• Financial analyst
• Financial consultant

Jobs of Experienced Alumni

• Accounting manager
• Auditor
• Bank examiner
• Benefits administrator
• Budget accountant
• Certified public accountant
• Chief financial officer
• Claims adjuster
• Computer systems analyst
• Consumer credit officer
• Controller
• Director of finance
• FBI or CIA agent
• Financial analyst
• IRS investigator
• Loan administrator
• Partner/stockholder
• Tax specialist