Accounting

Program Codes: BABUSAC
Bachelor of Arts

Introduction
The curriculum of the Business Department within the Walker College of Business is designed to prepare students for management positions in business and industry, with federal, state and municipal agencies performing business functions, to become entrepreneurs, and to prepare students for graduate and professional schools. Mercyhurst University, through its business department, has the following degree programs accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting
  • Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Economics
  • Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance
  • Bachelor of Arts degree in International Business
  • Bachelor of Arts degree in Management
  • Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing
  • Bachelor of Arts degree in Sport Business Management

Curriculum in the business majors is designed to develop the “whole person” through a liberal-arts course of study; develop communication skills, both oral and written; offer a broad base of business courses for general understanding of the world of business with specialized study in a functional area of business; provide analytic and decision-making tools; and provide students with off-campus work experience (internship), where theory from coursework is put into practice.

Minor Programs

The Business department offers seven minor programs for interested students: Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Human Resource Management, Management, Marketing. and Risk Management. The minor program in Business Administration is intended for non-Business majors only. Requirements for each minor are listed on the associated major page.

Business Administration Minor (For Non-Business Majors only)

Required coursework:
ACCT 101 Principles of Accounting I
ACCT 102 Principles of Accounting II
BADM 310 Business Law I
ECON 105 Macroeconomics
ECON 106 Microeconomics
FIN 280 Financial Management
MGMT 120 Principles of Management
MKTG 162 Principles of Marketing

No minor course may be taken on a pass-fail basis, and students must earn a minimum GPA of 2.75 in the required business courses to meet minor program requirements. Students who fail to earn a grade of "C" or better in a required business course must repeat the course. Only two courses from a major may be used to satisfy minor requirements. 

Mission Statement
The mission of the Business Department is to prepare students for leadership roles on the national and international level, to become the entrepreneurs of the future, and to continue their education in graduate and professional schools. With its collegial and supportive culture, the department embraces a rigorous and collaborative approach to learning that inspires informed judgment, decisive action and a global, enterprise perspective. Graduates will embrace Mercyhurst’s core values of respect and tolerance for people and their ideas, and dignity in the treatment of all workers.

Business graduates are expected to demonstrate:

  • Competency in both oral and written communication.
  • The ability to work effectively in groups and teams.
  • The ability to apply ethical principles in solving business problems/
  • The ability to critically apply theory and practice in the functional areas of business to identify, analyze and solve business problems.

Business Majors:
The business majors require the successful completion of 39 credits of common business core courses. These core courses are designed to provide an exposure to fundamental business functions.

Students who select more than one major, or who select a major and minor or minors within business, may take only two overlapping courses. In the case of dual majors within business, an exception is made only for the business core. This policy establishes the uniqueness of each intellectual discipline and assures the intellectual integrity of dual majors and minors.

No course taken as part of the business core or part of a business major (or minor) requirement may be taken on a pass/fail basis. Additionally, students who earn less than a “C” in these courses must repeat them (See Repeat Courses section).

GPA Requirements and Reviews
All students (including transfer students) in the business department must maintain a minimum business and overall GPA of 2.75. Failure to meet these GPA requirements at the time of graduation will result in the student earning a degree of either BA in Business Studies or BA in General Studies, depending upon his/her GPA.

Repeat Courses
Students who fail to earn a grade of C or better in any business program requirement must repeat the course. If the student does not receive a C (or better) after repeating the course, the student will not be permitted to re-take the course resulting in the inability to earn a major or minor in the field of study.

The goal of this program is to provide a sound education in all phases of the theory and application of accounting. Those students who elect accounting as a major field of study will become professionally competent in advanced theories and applications of financial accounting, cost analysis, auditing, and tax procedures.

The business department recommends that students who intend to practice as Certified Public Accountants contact the state in which they plan to reside concerning the educational requirements of that state. Candidates can sit for the CPA Exam in Pennsylvania with less than 150 credits, however, they will be required to complete all 150 credits before they are eligible to apply for CPA licensure. Most states have credit requirements that exceed the minimum course requirements for graduation at Mercyhurst University. Check the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ web page at www.aicpa. org for each state’s requirements. Keep in mind that this site is not as up-todate as the states’ own web sites, which can be accessed through the AICPA home page. Those students who wish to practice as Chartered Accountants in Canada must meet additional educational requirements.

The department offers two options for students:

  1. The Accounting major, with 121 credit hours, is offered for students who wish to work in the private (non-public) sector of accounting. These graduates are eligible to sit for the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) Exam.
  2. A double major in Accounting and Finance is offered for students who wish to a) earn additional credit hours towards licensing requiremnts and b) be eligible to sit for both the Certified Public Accountant and the Certified Financial Planner Exams. This option provides students with the opportunity to work in public accounting and/or finance upon graduation.

Note: Students with junior or senior standing who are accepted into the Accounting major or the Accounting/Finance double major should recognize that they may not be able to meet all degree requirements without additional study beyond the traditional four years. 

BUSINESS MAJOR CORE COURSES:

ACCOUNTING MAJOR REQUIREMENTS:

 

ACCOUNTING MINOR

Accounting Minor Requirements:
ACCT 101   Principles of Accounting I - 3 credits
ACCT 102   Principles of Accounting II - 3 credits
ACCT 201   Intermediate Accounting I - 3 credits
ACCT 202   Intermediate Accounting II - 3 credits
ACCT 230   Tax Accounting - 3 credits
ACCT 340   Cost Accounting - 3 credits
ACCT 401   Advanced Accounting - 3 credits

 

 

Degrees & Certificates
Course Descriptions