Accounting

Focused on Professional Certification

Our degree is the first step toward CPA certification, or becoming an auditor, tax advisor or consultant. Or you can choose to apply your skills in fields such as business, finance or law. You'll enjoy dynamic employment opportunities in an ever-changing climate.

School/Division

Campus Locations

Main Campus - Alfred, NY

Major

Accounting (BS)

Double Major

Double Major option(s) offered.
Learn More

Minor

Accounting

Given that course requirements for taking the CPA examination are set by state law, the Accounting major’s curriculum is tightly structured. You must take all the courses listed in the Business Professional Core, Arts and Sciences Core and general education, arts and sciences electives to total a minimum of 60 credit hours, plus all accounting courses in the major.

Accounting Major

  • ACCT 361 Intermediate Accounting I
  • ACCT 362 Intermediate Accounting II
  • ACCT 371 Personal Income Tax
  • ACCT 372 Cost Accounting
  • ACCT 441 Auditing Theory and Practice
  • ACCT 462 Advanced Accounting
  • ACCT 471 Corporate Taxation
  • FIN 300+ one additional upper-level Finance course
  • LAW 442 Commercial Law

Business Professional Core Requirements

  • ACCT 211 Financial Accounting
  • ACCT 212 Managerial Accounting
  • BUSI 105 Business Perspectives
  • BUSI 106 Contemporary Business
  • BUSI 457 International Business OR
    FIN 458 International Financial Management OR
    ECON 412 International Economics OR
    MKTG 489 International Marketing
  • BUSI 499 Business Policy
  • FIN 348 Managerial Finance
  • LAW 241 The Legal Environment of Business
  • MGMT 328 Management and Organizational Behavior
  • MGMT 484 Operations Management
  • MIS 390 Introduction to Management Information Systems
  • MKTG 221 Marketing Principles and Management

Students are required to complete a Field Experience option selected from the following choices:

  • Approved Internship (BUSI 485)
  • Advanced courses with Active Learning Component (designated as CoB: Field Experience)

Arts and Sciences Core

  • BUSI 113 Descriptive Analytics and Statistics
  • BUSI 213 Research Methods for Business
  • MATH 1041 Quantitative Methods for Business
  • MIS 101 Analytics I
  • ENGL 101 Writing I
  • ENGL 102 Writing II
  • ECON 201 Principles of Microeconomics
  • ECON 202 Principles of Macroeconomics
  • Social Sciences (minimum) 3-4
  • Natural Sciences (minimum) 3-4
  • Humanities (minimum) 3-4

The Bachelor of Science business degree is composed of professional core courses shared by all majors, business courses specific to each major, business electives totaling 48 credits in business, arts and sciences, and general education core courses specified for business, and liberal arts electives to reach a minimum of 60 credits of liberal arts courses (as required for all Bachelor of Science degrees). Depending on the major, you will take additional electives to reach the total of 120 credit hours required for graduation. You are also required to:

  • Complete a minimum of 30 credit hours in upper division business courses
  • Maintain at least a 2.0 grade point average overall
  • One Personal Fitness course (credits not included in the 120 credits required for graduation) and one Wellness Course.
  • Satisfy the University's Global Perspectives requirement

After your first year is complete, we urge all business students to gain the valuable, real-world experience only an internship can offer.

  • Most internships occur during the summer months between semesters
  • Each credit hour you’ll earn equals 45 hours of work; you'll figure out the actual schedule with your site supervisor
  • Internships may or may not be paid, depending on your host organization
  • Grades are assessed based on complete, timely submission of all required internship documentation, with the final learning report weighted most heavily

Accounting as a double major is available to any AU student. To earn an Accounting double major, take all courses listed below, totaling 81 credits.

Learn more about Double Majors

  • ACCT 211 Financial Accounting
  • ACCT 212 Managerial Accounting
  • ACCT 361 Intermediate Accounting I
  • ACCT 362 Intermediate Accounting II
  • ACCT 371 Personal Income Tax
  • ACCT 372 Cost Accounting
  • ACCT 441 Auditing Theory and Practice
  • ACCT 462 Advanced Accounting
  • ACCT 471 Corporate Taxation
  • BUSI 113 or other AU statistics course
  • BUSI 213 Research Methods
  • BUSI 499 Business Policy
  • BUSI various International Business option
  • ECON 202 Principles of Macroeconomics
  • FIN 348 Managerial Finance
  • FIN 300+
  • LAW 241 Legal Environment of Business
  • LAW 442 Commercial Law
  • MGMT 328 Management and Org Behavior
  • MGMT 484 Operations Management
  • MIS 101 Analytics II
  • MIS 390 Intro to MIS
  • MKTG 221 Marketing Principles & Management
  • ECON 201 Principles of Microeconomics
  • ENGL 101 Writing 1
  • MATH 104 or 151 or higher or BUSI 150

You will receive a background in financial and managerial accounting, taxation, and financial statements analysis in the accounting minor. You will also be prepared for graduate programs in accounting, business, and law. The minor in accounting includes 29 credit hours (9 courses) in statistics, operations, economics, mathematics, and (of course) accounting.

  • ACCT 211 Financial Accounting
  • ACCT 212 Managerial Accounting
  • ACCT 361 Intermediate Accounting I
  • BUSI 113 Descriptive Analytics and Statistics
  • ECON 201 Principles of Microeconomics
  • ECON 202 Principles of Macroeconomics
  • MATH 104 Quantitative Methods for Business (or MATH 151 Calculus I)

Plus two courses from the following:

  • ACCT 310 Forensic Accounting
  • ACCT 362 Intermediate Accounting II
  • ACCT 371 Personal Income Tax
  • ACCT 372 Cost Accounting
  • ACCT 462 Advanced Accounting
  • ACCT 471 Advanced Taxation

Students must complete at least half the course work at Alfred University and achieve a grade point average of at least 2.0 "C" in courses submitted for completion of the minor.

Both inside and outside the classroom, the College of Business provides an enriched learning experience. Students in the Accounting major:

  • Use the latest computerized accounting applications
  • Attend professional accounting meetings
  • Meet with professional accountants
  • Take advantage of leadership opportunities
  • Participate in study tours
  • Work with clients

The placement rate for Accounting graduates in Alfred University's College of Business is an exceptionally strong 100% and is an indication of the high quality of our program. Our placement rate for those going to international, national and regional CPA firms is particularly strong.

Recent graduates have been placed at the following firms:

  • Crowe Horwath
  • Harris RF Communications
  • KPMG
  • The Bonadio Group
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers
  • EFP Rotenberg

Many graduates continue on to the MBA Program at Alfred University, which automatically satisfies the New York State requirements to sit for the CPA exam.

Student Stories

Oumar Soumahoro candid

4+1 MBA Accounting

"Alfred has taught me that you can only really blame yourself for your failure because life gives you all the weapons you need to win your war. It is up to you to fight for yourself and overcome eve..."

Oumar Soumahoro, 2018
Find out more about Oumar

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