Bachelor of Science in Business - Accountancy Concentration

Overview

The Bachelor of Science with a major in Business and concentration in Accountancy provides undergraduate students with the analytical tools and conceptual framework needed to understand and record financial transactions. Accounting is the management of financial information. Accountants design and implement systems that capture relevant information from transactions in which an organization engages, analyze it, and communicate it to others.

Comparison with the Accountancy Major

GWSB offers two options for students to study accountancy: the concentration in Accountancy and the major in Accountancy. For students who plan to work as an accountant, often with a CPA designation, the Accountancy major is more appropriate because it offers substantially more extensive preparation in accounting. The Accountancy concentration is intended to be paired with a complementary field of concentration. In the Accountancy major, students take ten upper-level accounting classes, compared to five courses for the concentration in Accountancy. For BSB students who plan to pursue careers in finance, Accountancy is an ideal second concentration with Finance because it provides a strong background in the accounting information that underlies many financial decisions. BSB students with a concentration in information systems often pursue jobs related to accounting information systems, which would make Accountancy an excellent choice for a second concentration.

Career Options in Accountancy 

Students who complete the concentration in Accountancy should be particularly strong candidates in the job market because of how this field complements other concentrations. For example, students who also select a concentration in Finance would be particularly well-prepared to apply for professional positions such as a credit analyst, equity analyst, or financial analyst. The stronger background in Accounting should make students substantially more attractive to potential employers because finance jobs rely heavily on accounting knowledge. Students who also have a concentration in Information Systems and Technology Management would be particularly qualified for information systems jobs involving accounting information.

 

Degree Requirements

The following requirements must be fulfilled for the concentration in accountancy: 15 credits in required and selected courses; at least 9 of these credits must be taken in residence. All concentration courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C-.

Concentrations are only available to GWSB students. See Concentrations under GW School of Business Undergraduate Regulations in this Bulletin for additional information.

Required
ACCY 3101Intermediate Accounting I
ACCY 3102Intermediate Accounting II
ACCY 3106Financial Statement Analysis 1
or ACCY 4501 Accounting Systems
Two courses selected from the following:
ACCY 3106Financial Statement Analysis 1
ACCY 3401Federal Income Tax: Individuals
ACCY 3403Advanced Tax
ACCY 4107Advanced Accounting
ACCY 4301Auditing
ACCY 4501Accounting Systems 1
ACCY 4900Special Topics

1 ACCY 3106 and ACCY 4501 are options in both the required and selected course categories. If only one is taken, it will count as a required course. If both are taken, one will count as a required course and the other will count as a selected course.