B.S. in Business, Accounting Option
Accountants are business professionals who work with people to identify, analyze, and solve business problems. Completing an Accounting option opens the door to a wide range of career opportunities. The Accounting option is designed to help students develop the necessary technical expertise and broad-based business knowledge required for long-term success in careers such as audit, assurance, tax consulting, corporate accounting/finance, not-for-profit/government, financial analysis/venture capital, and financial planning.
Students planning to pursue CPA certification or advanced financial positions should also complete the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) program. Students completing MSU's undergraduate and graduate accounting programs are in high demand and often have multiple job offers at graduation.
Program Learning Outcomes
- Knowledge of Business: Students will have strong working knowledge of fundamental concepts in accounting, finance, management, marketing, information technology, strategy, and law.
- Critical Thinking: Students will learn to effectively and persuasively assimilate and evaluate information to solve business problems.
- Quantitative Reasoning: Students will be able to interpret, represent, and evaluate quantitative information and integrate such information into business decisions and recommendations.
- Effective Written Communication: Students will be able to develop and organize ideas, adopt an appropriate tone, employ correct grammar, sentence structure and mechanics, use appropriate vocabulary, and correctly cite sources for facts, quotations and ideas.
- Effective Oral Communication: Students will be able to develop and organize ideas, successfully employ technology in support of a message, speak extemporaneously with minimal hesitations and fillers, adopt an appropriate tone, use appropriate vocabulary, employ correct grammar and sentence structure, and manage presentation pacing and timing effectively.
| Freshman Year | Credits | |
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Spring | |
| BGEN 104US - First Year Business Seminar* | 3 | |
| M 121Q - College Algebra (Students with MSU Math Placement level of 400+ are exempt from this requirement) | 3 | |
| ECNS 101IS - Economic Way of Thinking | 3 | |
| Interdisciplinary electives, free electives or University Core | 6 | |
| BGEN 204 - Business Fundamentals | 3 | |
| BMIS 211 - Data Analytics I | 3 | |
| STAT 216Q - Introduction to Statistics | 3 | |
| Interdisciplinary electives, free electives or University Core | 6 | |
| Year Total: | 15 | 15 |
| Sophomore Year | Credits | |
| Fall | Spring | |
| ACTG 201 - Principles of Financial Accounting | 3 | |
| ECNS 202 - Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 | |
| BMGT 240IS - Business Analytics | 3 | |
| Interdisciplinary electives, free electives or University Core | 6 | |
| ACTG 202 - Principles of Managerial Accounting | 3 | |
| ACTG 223 - Principles of Financial Accounting II | 3 | |
| ECNS 204IS - Microeconomics | 3 | |
| BMGT 205 - Prof Business Communication | 3 | |
| Interdisciplinary electives, free electives or University Core | 3 | |
| Year Total: | 15 | 15 |
| Junior Year | Credits | |
| Fall | Spring | |
| ACTG 327 - Intermediate Financial Accounting and Reporting I | 3 | |
| BMGT 335 - Management and Organization | 3 | |
| BFIN 322 - Business Finance | 3 | |
| BMIS 312 - Data Analytics II | 3 | |
| Interdisciplinary electives, free electives or University Core | 3 | |
| ACTG 328 - Inter Fin Acct & Reporting II | 3 | |
| ACTG 321 - Acct Information Systems I | 3 | |
| BMGT 322 - Operations Management | 3 | |
| BMKT 325 - Principles of Marketing | 3 | |
| BGEN 361 - Principles of Business Law | 3 | |
| Year Total: | 15 | 15 |
| Senior Year | Credits | |
| Fall | Spring | |
| ACTG 401 - Federal Income Taxation | 3 | |
| ACTG 410 - Cost Management Accounting I | 3 | |
| Choose one of the following Accounting electives: | 3 | |
ACTG 421 - Data Analytics for Accountants | ||
ACTG 431 - Tax Assistance | ||
ACTG 441 - Financial Statement Analysis | ||
ACTG 493 - Study Abroad | ||
ACTG 498 - Internship (must be taken for at least 3 credits; counts as one Accounting elective) | ||
| Interdisciplinary electives, free electives or University Core | 6 | |
| BGEN 499 - Senior Thesis/Capstone: Strategy Seminar | 3 | |
| ACTG 411R - Auditing I | 3 | |
| ACTG 415 - Government & Not for Profit Accounting I | 3 | |
| Interdisciplinary electives, free electives or University Core | 6 | |
| Year Total: | 15 | 15 |
| Total Program Credits: | 120 | |
A minimum of 120 credits is required for graduation; 42 of these credits must be in courses numbered 300 and above; University Core credit requirements must be satisfied.
Interdisciplinary Electives: All business students are required to complete 9 credits of electives outside of business, economics and agriculture business. Course may be any level (100-400) but must be in addition to MSU University Core general education requirements.
*BGEN 104US preferred, but any University Seminar (US) core course may satisfy this requirement.
All students transferring to Jabs must meet the MSU & Jabs residency requirements.