AC 115 Introduction to Financial Reporting and Analysis (3 credits)
Pre-Req: at least 12 completed or in progress credits
This course introduces students to the concepts of financial accounting as a tool for effective business decision making. Designed for students with no prior knowledge of accounting, this course explains the purpose, meaning, interpretation and use of financial accounting data. Emphasis is placed on evaluating accounting transactions and their impact on the major financial statements.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 201 Preparing and Interpreting Financial Statements (3 credits)
Pre-Req: AC 115
Students who completed GB 112/212 are not eligible to take this course
In this course, students will learn how to construct and interpret basic financial statements using a combination of cases and examples from the popular press. The material covered in this course will be essential for students who wish to pursue careers in accounting, financial analysis, investment banking, consulting, and general management as well as for students who want to manage their own businesses.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 215 Performance Measurement (3 credits)
Pre-Req: AC 115 and (Pre or Co-Req: EMS 104 or EMS 105)
Students who completed GB 112/212 are not eligible to take this course
This course is designed to introduce students to the basics of measuring and reporting on the performance of business organizations. Incorporating current technology, it covers how to collect, analyze, and present performance data to achieve organizational objectives and support ethical and informed decision making. The course presents principles of managerial accounting and examines both financial and non-financial metrics.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 220 Cybersecurity for Business (3 credits)
(AC 115 and FI 118) or (GB 212) and 21 completed or in progress credits
This course exposes students to Information Security topics as related to the accounting profession. We will highlight the NIST cybersecurity framework for understanding accounting’s role in enhancing information security and responsibilities for reporting and responding to information security issues. Students will analyze cases, work with information security data, and discuss how information security is an integral part of all business functions. Additionally, we will investigate various contemporary information security issues facing business and society and the impacts on the accounting profession.
Typically Offered: Once a year
AC 225 Environmental, Social, and Governance Issues in Financial Reporting (3 credits)
(AC 115, FI 118, and MG 116) or (GB 212 & GB 215) and at least 21 hours earned or in progress.
This course introduces students to sustainability reporting and ESG issues related to financial reporting and introduces students to companies’ financial, social and environmental performance measures. Students will be introduced to current sustainability frameworks, standards and commonly used metrics; compare and contrast firms’ sustainability efforts; and discuss the challenges and opportunities in adopting rigorous, universal sustainability standards.
Typically Offered: Once a year
AC 310 Cost Management (3 credits)
Pre-Req: (GB 212 or AC 215) and (GB 112 or AC 201)
This course introduces the concepts of cost management and strategic cost management. Here, the curriculum presents comprehensive coverage of principles involved in the determination of the cost of products as well as services. Further, the course covers operational budgeting, standard costing, activity-based costing, responsibility accounting, and strategic performance topics as tools for management planning and control. This includes emphasizing analysis, interpretation and presentation of information for management decision-making purposes, especially those decisions as they relate to cost management. The curriculum also integrates current technological tools into the coursework.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 311 Financial Accounting and Reporting I (3 credits)
Pre-Req: GB 212 or AC 201
The course examines accounting theory and concepts which form the background for external financial reporting. It addresses the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) related to the preparation of financial statements, with particular emphasis on asset valuations, their relationship to income determination, and current liabilities and bonds. The course addresses skills to record and report the impact of transactions and events in compliance with GAAP, identify financial reporting and measurement alternatives, and determine their effects on financial statements, and apply professional accounting literature to determine the applicable GAAP in a real-world context.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 312 Financial Accounting and Reporting II (3 credits)
Pre-Req: AC 311
The course examines accounting theory and concepts which form the background for external financial reporting. It examines the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) related to the preparation of financial statements, with particular emphasis on the liabilities and equity side of the balance sheet. Topics covered include, leases, stockholders’ equity, earnings per share, accounting for income taxes, and accounting changes.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 331 Governmental and Not-for-Profit Reporting (3 credits)
Pre-Req: GB 212 or AC 201
Introduces financial and reporting issues related to state and local government and nonprofit organizations. Deals with the preparation, analysis and interpretation of financial statements. The course incorporates a project to enrich the student's classroom experience. Students research, analyze and interpret the financial performance of an actual governmental or nonprofit organization. Websites unique to governmental and nonprofit organizations are used in the course.
Typically Offered: Every two or more years
AC 332 Fraud Examination (3 credits)
Pre-Req: GB 212 or (AC 201 and AC 215)
Fraud Examination introduces concepts and techniques useful for accountants, managers, business owners and criminal investigators. The course covers many types of financial fraud, including asset misappropriation, money laundering, mail fraud, securities fraud, electronic fraud, corruption, fraudulent financial statements (management fraud), and tax fraud. The nature of fraud, who commits fraud, the fraud triangle, fraud detection, fraud prevention, fraud against organizations, fraud investigation (theft, concealment and conversion), interviewing and resolution of various types of fraud are examined. Guest speakers, handouts, articles and videos will be used to enhance the real-world nature of the course.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 340 Accounting Information Systems (3 credits)
Pre-req: GB 212 or AC 215
Prepares students to be effective users, evaluators, designers and auditors of accounting information systems (AIS). Examines several typical business processes, such as order entry/sales, billing/accounts receivable/cash receipts and purchasing/accounts payable/cash disbursements and their associated AIS. Major themes throughout the course include oral and written communication, objectives and procedures of internal control, typical business documents and reports, proper system documentation through flowcharts and other techniques, systems analysis and design methodologies and assessment of information processing in support of operational and strategic objectives in the context of rapidly changing technological advances. Hands-on experience with the process, risk, and control implications of enterprise systems coupled with an in-depth field-based business process analysis gives students exposure to state-of-the-art AIS.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 350 Federal Taxation (3 credits)
Pre-Req: GB 212 or AC 201
Gives a broad training in federal income tax law and Treasury Department regulations. Introduces a broad range of tax philosophy, tax concepts and types of taxpayers. Emphasizes the role of taxation in a business decision-making environment for all types of entities. Introduces basic skills of tax planning and tax research.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 381 International Accounting (3 credits)
Pre-Req: AC 312
Provides an overview of the unique accounting problems and issues posed by an international business environment. Examines the causes of international accounting diversity and its implications for financial analysis. Presents the external financial reporting and management control systems issues faced by multinational enterprises.
AC 402 Seminar in Accounting (3 credits)
Offers opportunity for advanced students to study selected topics in small groups. Allows repetition for credit.
Typically Offered: As needed
AC 412 Advanced Accounting (3 credits)
Pre-Req/Co-Req: AC 312
This course presents the theory and concepts regarding specialized topics in financial accounting. It examines business combinations, with emphasis on consolidated financial statements and elimination of inter-company transactions. Topics covered also include accounting for foreign operations, and financial reporting for partnerships, governmental and not-for-profit entities.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 421 Internship in Accounting (3 credits)
Pre-Req: (GB 212 or AC 201), 2 major courses in accounting and instructor permission
Involves each student in an internship of a minimum of 200 hours over 8-14 weeks duration in the spring semester of the junior year, the summer following junior year, or the fall of senior year. Provides the interning student with a valuable experiential learning opportunity. Includes on-the-job training in either public, corporate or government accounting. Requires the student to work closely with a faculty advisor to develop a term paper and a work summary on the internship experience.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 440 Design and Control of Data and Systems (3 credits)
Pre-Req: AC 340
Develops an integrating framework to illustrate the evolving role of current and emerging information technologies in supporting accounting and business activities. Students explore several current issues, including data and knowledge management, using contemporary tools to capture, store, retrieve and analyze data; the design and control of complex information systems, such as a networked interorganizational system; and an overview of assurance services. A group project showing the integration of all the major business processes in a typical business provides a capstone experience.
Typically Offered: Spring
AC 450 Advanced Federal Taxation (3 credits)
Pre-Req: AC 350
Examines tax topics for corporations, partnerships and proprietorships at a more complex level. Focuses on a life-cycle approach for each of the entities. Includes, at a basic level, topics of estate and gift tax and tax-exempt entities. Reinforces tax research and tax planning skills.
Typically Offered: Every two or more years
AC 455 Strategic Performance Management (3 credits)
Modern business professionals need to evaluate the effectiveness of business strategy, which is reliant on the way companies manage their internal processes and external opportunities to accomplish strategic objectives. Students will develop the necessary business analysis skills and be given the opportunity to apply them to business situations in this course.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 470 Financial Statement Auditing (3 credits)
Develops an understanding and appreciation of the philosophy of the audit process and its practice. Presents the preparation of audit working papers supporting an examination of the records and procedures of an enterprise. Covers the report and opinion of the auditor to management, stockholders and others. Discusses internal auditing procedures as opposed to those performed by the independent public accountant. Considers the ethical and legal responsibilities of the auditor. Includes an introduction to operational auditing as a tool to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of a firm's accounting system.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 472 Internal Auditing (3 credits)
Pre-Req: AC 340
Introduces the duties and responsibilities of the internal auditor and the role of internal auditing in organizations. Introduces professional standards and presents readings, case studies, and other opportunities for students to learn the steps required to plan, conduct, and report on common internal audit activities. Additional topics include application of appropriate information technology tools as part of the audit process, and definition of the role of the internal auditor in fraud prevention. Provides a foundation to begin preparation for the Certified Internal Auditor exam.
Typically Offered: Fall and Spring
AC 475 Information Technology Auditing Principles and Practice (3 credits)
Introduces three typical aspects of information technology (IT) audits: the audits of computerized information systems, the computer facility, and the process of developing and implementing information systems. Through readings, case studies, exercises and discussion, students will learn to plan, conduct and report on these three types of IT audits. Additional topics may include challenges posed by emerging information technologies, advanced audit software, business continuity planning, and the role of the IT auditor as an advisor to management.
Typically Offered: Spring