Accounting Major
Accounting skills have broad applications in business, helping companies avoid mistakes and use money efficiently. If you are interested in pursuing a career as a certified public accountant, or if you are not planning to become a CPA but want to gain a solid background in these critical skills, this program is for you.
The extraordinary placement rate of graduates of Valparaiso University’s accounting program demonstrates that accounting is an excellent foundation for a variety of careers. Valpo accounting students learn to understand an organization’s bottom line in an environment that emphasizes ethics, teamwork, problem-solving, and communication.
Many accounting majors combine this 125-credit program with a second business major; it is also a popular option for students who plan to continue their education in an MBA program.
All College of Business majors begin with two core groups of courses:
- The General Education Core (56 credits)
- The Business Core (38 credits)
The major requirements ensure students have a thorough grounding in accounting and quantitative methods.
| Major Requirements for Accounting | ||
| IDS 110 | Business Spreadsheet Applications | 1 credit |
| ACC 310 | Intermediate Financial Accounting I | 3 credits |
| ACC 311 | Intermediate Financial Accounting II | 3 credits |
| ACC 315 | Accounting Information Systems | 3 credits |
| ACC 320 | Cost Accounting | 3 credits |
| ACC 350 | Concepts of Tax Accounting | 3 credits |
| ACC 413 | Auditing and Assurance Services | 3 credits |
| ACC 430 | Research and Analysis in Accounting | 3 credits |
| International Business Requirement | ||
| One course from the following options: | 3 credits | |
| FIN 430 | International Finance | |
| MGT 440 | Cross-Cultural Management | |
| MKT 430 | International Marketing | |
| Total | 21 credits | |
| One course from the following options: | 3 credits | |
| ACC 316 | Gov’t & Not-for-Profit Accounting | |
| ACC 411 | Advanced Accounting | |
| ACC 412 | Concepts of Taxation II | |
| Total |
28 credits | |
| Free Electives | 3 credits | |
| Grand Total (all courses) | 125 credits | |
In addition to the required courses outlined below, each student in the program is required to complete one of the following:
- A Cooperative Education experience combining full-time professional, paid work experience with academic coursework, or
- An Internship
Requirements to sit for CPA exam
Two options:
- 125 credits in accounting with a double major will get you 150 credits to sit for the CPA exam.
- 125 credits in accounting and a fifth year in Valparaiso University’s MBA program will get you 150 credits without doing evening courses.