Accounting Major (BS)
The accounting major is designed for business students who wish to prepare, analyze and verify financial documents. The accounting-specific courses provide students with a solid knowledge base and the strong quantitative skills necessary for a successful career in the accounting profession. UW-Parkside students who complete the current accounting major are well prepared to successfully pass the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Exam.
There are three main fields of accounting: public, private, and governmental. Each of these fields requires that the student learn precise skills in order to be successful; and these skills are continually emphasized through both course material and internships/externships taught by UW-Parkside faculty.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Students will be able to prepare corporate financial statements and analyze corporate annual reports.
- Students will be able to understand, apply, and communicate theory, methodology, and solutions of cost concepts, cost systems, and cost behavior for product pricing, performance evaluation, and other managerial decisions.
- Students will be able to develop and implement an audit plan and create audit reports related to internal auditing, governmental auditing, and operational auditing.
- Students will be able to prepare tax returns for individuals, “C” corporations, “S” corporations, and partnerships.
- Students will be able to analyze cases and develop solutions that require applying principles from the Uniform Commercial Codes, the law of contracts, other areas of law, and professional ethical guidelines.
Requirements for the Accounting Major
Common Fundamental, Preparation, and Core Course Requirements for all Business Majors
Business students should declare a major, and concentration if applicable, as soon as possible to stay on track toward graduation.
The following common requirements for all degrees in the business department are in addition to the university general education requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Fundamental Preparation Courses 1 | ||
| A minimum grade of C or better is required in each course below (C- is not acceptable) | ||
| Required Courses | ||
| ECON 120 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 121 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| COMM 105 | Public Speaking for the 21st Century | 3 |
| QM 110 | Applied Quantitative Analysis in Business | 3 |
| Advanced Writing Course | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Advanced Composition | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
| Writing for Business and Industry | ||
| Fundamental Preparation Courses Subtotal | 15 | |
| Business Preparation Courses 1 | ||
| A minimum grade of C or better is required in each course below (C- is not acceptable) | ||
| ACCT 201 | Financial Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 202 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| BUS 272 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| QM 210 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| QM 310 | Business Statistics II | 3 |
| Business Preparation Courses Subtotal | 15 | |
| Business Foundation Core Courses 2 | ||
| Students must acquire an overall average GPA of 2.5 in 300/400 level foundation, major and concentration courses | ||
| QM 319 | Operations Management | 3 |
| MIS 320 | Management Information Systems | 3 |
| FIN 330 | Managerial Finance | 3 |
| MGT 349 | Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| MKT 350 | Marketing Principles | 3 |
| BUS 495 | Capstone in Strategic Management | 3 |
| Business Foundation Core Courses Subtotal | 18 | |
| Total Credits | 48 | |
- 1
Approved transfer classes worth fewer credits than the equivalent class can reduce the 15 credit requirement.
- 2
Approved transfer classes worth fewer credits than the equivalent class can reduce the 18 credit requirement.
Prerequisites for 300-400 level business courses:
- Major declared and accepted;
- Completion of a minimum of 54 credits;
- Minimum overall GPA of 2.00 (calculated with and without transfer grades);
- Be within 12 or fewer credits of completing general education requirements.
Requirements for the Accounting Major
Students should declare the accounting major as soon as possible to stay on track toward graduation. The Accounting program at UW-Parkside includes fundamental and business preparation courses (31 credits), upper-level foundation core courses (18 credits), and accounting major courses (24 credits).
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Common Fundamental, Preparation, and Core Courses | 48 | |
| Accounting Courses | ||
| Required Major Courses | ||
| ACCT 301 | Intermediate Accounting I | 3 |
| ACCT 302 | Intermediate Accounting II | 3 |
| ACCT 305 | Individual Taxation | 3 |
| ACCT 306 | Business Taxation | 3 |
| ACCT 400 | Advanced Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 403 | Advanced Cost Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 404 | Auditing | 3 |
| BUS 372 | Business Law | 3 |
| Recommended Course | ||
| Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) | ||
| Accounting Courses Subtotal | 72 | |
| Total Credits | 72 | |
Students planning to take regional CPA Exams should take one of the two courses below.
State of Wisconsin:
ACCT 402 Accounting Information Systems
State of Illinois:
PHIL 206 Introduction to Ethics
Degree Requirements (Bachelor's Degree)
In addition to individual program requirements, students must also fulfill the following requirements.
- Complete 120 credits of college work. This must include 36 credits in courses numbered 300 or above. Certain elementary courses are identified in the catalog and/or course schedule as not counting toward the 120 credits required for graduation. In addition, only the first 8 credits of physical education activity courses (100-level) may be counted toward graduation or grade point averages (GPA).
- Earn a minimum of 30 credits toward their undergraduate degree at UW-Parkside. Individual departments and programs may require that certain courses must be taken at UW-Parkside. Students must complete all course work to be counted toward graduation by the end of the semester/subscription period in which they graduate.
- Attain a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.00 on a 4.00 scale. Some programs have higher GPA requirements. Transfer students must also have a cumulative 2.00 GPA on the combination of transfer credits accepted and credits attempted at UW-Parkside.
- Complete an approved major program of study with the minimum major GPA as specified by the program or department. Usually, the minimum GPA is 2.00 on a 4.00 scale, but some majors require a higher GPA. Students who apply transfer credits to their majors must also meet the minimum major GPA requirement on the combination of transfer credits and UW-Parkside credits. At least 15 credits of upper level course work (courses numbered 300 or higher) must be completed at UW-Parkside. A student may not graduate with an incomplete grade in major course work if failure in that course would reduce the GPA in the major below the minimum GPA.
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Minimum Total Credits | 120 |
| Upper Level Credits (300 level or above) | 36 |
| Residency | 30 |
Cumulative Degree GPA: 2.0 minimum
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Skills | 7-8 |
| General Education | 36 |
| Foreign Language** | 6-8 |
| Ethnic Diversity | 3 |
| Total | 52-55 |
** Transfer students in sustainable management, and health information management and technology collaborative, online degree-completion programs, the business management online degree-completion program, and the flexible option degree-completion program will be exempt from the university’s foreign language requirement. See appropriate academic section for further information.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Reading and Writing | ||
| ENGL 101 | Composition and Reading | 3 |
| Computational Skills | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4-5 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning | ||
| Elementary Statistics | ||
| College Mathematics with Applications | ||
| College Algebra I | ||
| Total Credits | 7-8 | |
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| MATH 104 | College Mathematics with Applications | 4 |
| ENGL 100 | Fundamentals of English | 3 |
| General Education (SS) | 3 | |
| Introductory Language | 4 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| QM 110 | Applied Quantitative Analysis in Business | 3 |
| ENGL 101 | Composition and Reading | 3 |
| ECON 121 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| COMM 105 | Public Speaking for the 21st Century | 3 |
| Introductory Language | 4 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
| Year 2 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| ECON 120 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| QM 210 | Business Statistics I | 3 |
| ACCT 201 | Financial Accounting | 3 |
| General Education (HU) | 3 | |
| General Education (NS) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ACCT 202 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| BUS 272 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| QM 310 | Business Statistics II | 3 |
| ENGL 204 |
Writing for Business and Industry or Advanced Composition or Technical Writing |
3 |
| General Education (NS) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
| Year 3 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| FIN 330 | Managerial Finance | 3 |
| ACCT 301 | Intermediate Accounting I | 3 |
| ACCT 305 | Individual Taxation | 3 |
| General Education (HU) | 3 | |
| General Education (NS) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| MIS 320 | Management Information Systems | 3 |
| ACCT 302 | Intermediate Accounting II | 3 |
| ACCT 306 | Business Taxation | 3 |
| MGT 349 | Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| General Education (HU) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |
| Year 4 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| QM 319 | Operations Management | 3 |
| MKT 350 | Marketing Principles | 3 |
| ACCT 400 | Advanced Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 403 | Advanced Cost Accounting | 3 |
| General Education (SS) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| BUS 495 | Capstone in Strategic Management | 3 |
| ACCT 404 | Auditing | 3 |
| BUS 372 | Business Law | 3 |
| General Education (NS) | 3 | |
| General Elective (DV if needed) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |