Accounting
Major: Accounting
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Total Credit Hours: 180.0
Co-op Options: Three Co-op (Five years); One Co-op (Four years); No Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 52.0305
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 13-2011; 11-3031; 13-2051
About the Program
Accounting is the language of business and so much more. It provides the critical information that guides decision-making at all levels of business, government, and non-profit organizations. An Accounting degree offers students the opportunity to obtain technical knowledge, critical thinking, data analytics, decision-making, and innovation skills as well as communication expertise required to lead in today's transforming marketplace. Accounting graduates find career opportunities across many areas including public accounting, corporate and non-profit financial management, accounting, auditing, taxation roles, and governmental accounting.
Many professional accountants obtain a license as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or obtain a Certified Managerial Accountant (CMA) designation after passing the examinations and completing all education and experience requirements. The University’s co-op program provides practical experience for Accounting students. Time spent working in accounting co-op positions is accepted as part of the experience requirement for Pennsylvania and many other states.
Students planning to obtain a CPA license must take additional coursework to meet state mandated requirements. Each state has different education requirements for licensure. Interested students should consult with their academic advisor and/or the Department of Accounting upon declaring the major to ensure ample time to fulfill such requirements.
Degree Requirements
General Education Requirements | ||
CIVC 101 | Introduction to Civic Engagement | 1.0 |
COM 270 [WI] | Business Communication | 3.0 |
COOP 101 | Career Management and Professional Development | 1.0 |
ENGL 101 | Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research | 3.0 |
or ENGL 111 | English Composition I | |
ENGL 102 | Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing | 3.0 |
or ENGL 112 | English Composition II | |
ENGL 103 | Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres | 3.0 |
or ENGL 113 | English Composition III | |
MATH 101 | Introduction to Analysis I | 4.0 |
MATH 102 | Introduction to Analysis II | 4.0 |
PHIL 105 | Critical Reasoning | 3.0 |
PSY 101 | General Psychology I | 3.0 |
UNIV B101 | The Drexel Experience | 1.0 |
UNIV B201 [WI] | Career Management | 1.0 |
English literature elective ENGL 200 through ENGL 399 | 3.0 | |
Fine Arts Elective | 3.0 | |
History Elective | 4.0 | |
Select two of the following: | 6.0 | |
Applied Cells, Genetics & Physiology | ||
or BIO 101 | Applied Biological Diversity, Ecology & Evolution | |
Applied Chemistry | ||
Applied Physics | ||
General Education Electives | ||
Students select 16.0 General Education electives, with a minimum of one course in each of the following three categories. Students take the remaining 7.0 credits from any of the topics listed under Additional General Education Electives. | ||
Education Electives | ||
Society & Culture | ||
Communication, English, Fine Arts, Global Studies, Language or Philosophy | 3.0 | |
Social Science | ||
Anthropology, Criminology, History, Sociology, Political Science, Psychology | 3.0 | |
Science | ||
Computer Science, Information Systems, Science | 3.0 | |
Additional General Education Electives | ||
Seven (7.0) credits must be earned by taking courses from the following topics: Communication, English, Fine Arts, Global Studies, Language, Philosophy, Anthropology, History, Sociology, Criminology, Political Science, Psychology, Computer Science, Information Systems, Math or Science | 7.0 | |
Business Requirements | ||
ACCT 115 | Financial Accounting Foundations | 4.0 |
ACCT 116 | Managerial Accounting Foundations | 4.0 |
BLAW 201 | Business Law I | 4.0 |
BUSN 101 | Foundations of Business I | 4.0 |
BUSN 102 | Foundations of Business II | 4.0 |
BSAN 160 | Business Analytics and Data Visualization | 4.0 |
ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 4.0 |
ECON 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 4.0 |
FIN 301 | Introduction to Finance | 4.0 |
INTB 200 | International Business | 4.0 |
MGMT 450 | Strategy and Competitive Advantage | 4.0 |
MIS 200 | Management Information Systems | 4.0 |
MKTG 201 | Introduction to Marketing Management | 4.0 |
OPM 200 | Operations Management | 4.0 |
ORGB 300 [WI] | Organizational Behavior | 4.0 |
STAT 201 | Introduction to Business Statistics | 4.0 |
Select one of the following: | 4.0 | |
Introduction to Entrepreneurship | ||
For-Profit Business Consulting | ||
Nonprofit Business Consulting | ||
Startup Business Consulting | ||
International Business Consulting | ||
Negotiations and Conflict Resolution | ||
Sport Business Consulting | ||
Business Statistics II | ||
Required Accounting Major Courses | ||
ACCT 321 | Financial Reporting I | 4.0 |
ACCT 322 | Financial Reporting II | 4.0 |
ACCT 323 | Financial Reporting III | 4.0 |
ACCT 329 | Advanced Accounting | 4.0 |
ACCT 331 | Cost Accounting | 4.0 |
ACCT 341 | Principles of Auditing | 4.0 |
TAX 341 | Federal Income Taxes | 4.0 |
TAX 342 | Advanced Federal Taxes | 4.0 |
Free Electives | 18.0 | |
Total Credits | 180.0 |
Students planning to take the CPA exam should review the educational requirements established by the State Board of Accountancy in the state in which they plan to sit for the examination. Students are qualified to sit for the examination in Pennsylvania by meeting the degree requirements above. Students planning to apply for a CPA license in Pennsylvania have to obtain 225.0 quarter credit hours—the equivalent to 150 semester hours.
Writing-Intensive Course Requirements
In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.
A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.
Sample Plan of Study
5 Year 3 Co-Op
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
BUSN 101 | 4.0 | BUSN 102 | 4.0 | ACCT 115 | 4.0 | VACATION | |
ECON 201 | 4.0 | ECON 202 | 4.0 | BSAN 160 | 4.0 | ||
ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | ||
MATH 101 | 4.0 | MATH 102 | 4.0 | PSY 101 | 3.0 | ||
UNIV B101 | 1.0 | COOP 101 | 1.0 | Society & Culture elective | 3.0 | ||
CIVC 101 | 1.0 | ||||||
16 | 17 | 17 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ACCT 116 | 4.0 | BLAW 201 | 4.0 | ||
STAT 201 | 4.0 | COM 270 | 3.0 | ||||
History elective | 4.0 | INTB 200 | 4.0 | ||||
Select one of the following: | 3.0 | Select one of the following: | 3.0 | ||||
0 | 0 | 15 | 14 | ||||
Third Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ACCT 321 | 4.0 | ACCT 322 | 4.0 | ||
MKTG 201 | 4.0 | FIN 301 | 4.0 | ||||
OPM 200 | 4.0 | MIS 200 | 4.0 | ||||
ENGL 200 - ENGL 399 Course | 3.0 | Science elective | 3.0 | ||||
0 | 0 | 15 | 15 | ||||
Fourth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ACCT 323 | 4.0 | ACCT 341 | 4.0 | ||
ACCT 331 | 4.0 | TAX 341 | 4.0 | ||||
ORGB 300 | 4.0 | Free elective | 4.0 | ||||
PHIL 105 | 3.0 | ||||||
0 | 0 | 15 | 12 | ||||
Fifth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
ACCT 329 | 4.0 | MGMT 450 | 4.0 | Free electives | 8.0 | ||
UNIV B201 | 1.0 | TAX 342 | 4.0 | Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | ||
General Education elective | 3.0 | General Education elective | 4.0 | Select one of the following: | 4.0 | ||
Free elective | 3.0 | Free elective | 3.0 | ||||
Social Science elective | 3.0 | ||||||
14 | 15 | 15 | |||||
Total Credits 180 |
4 Year 1 Co-Op
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
BUSN 101 | 4.0 | BUSN 102 | 4.0 | ACCT 115 | 4.0 | VACATION | |
ECON 201 | 4.0 | ECON 202 | 4.0 | BSAN 160 | 4.0 | ||
ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | ||
MATH 101 | 4.0 | MATH 102 | 4.0 | PSY 101 | 3.0 | ||
UNIV B101 | 1.0 | COOP 101 | 1.0 | Society & Culture elective | 3.0 | ||
CIVC 101 | 1.0 | ||||||
16 | 17 | 17 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ACCT 116 | 4.0 | BLAW 201 | 4.0 | ACCT 321 | 4.0 | ACCT 322 | 4.0 |
STAT 201 | 4.0 | COM 270 | 3.0 | MKTG 201 | 4.0 | FIN 301 | 4.0 |
History elective | 4.0 | INTB 200 | 4.0 | OPM 200 | 4.0 | MIS 200 | 4.0 |
Select one of the following: | 3.0 | Select one of the following: | 3.0 | ENGL 200 - ENGL 399 course | 3.0 | Science Elective | 3.0 |
15 | 14 | 15 | 15 | ||||
Third Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ACCT 323 | 4.0 | ACCT 341 | 4.0 | ||
ACCT 331 | 4.0 | TAX 341 | 4.0 | ||||
ORGB 300 | 4.0 | Free electives | 4.0 | ||||
PHIL 105 | 3.0 | ||||||
0 | 0 | 15 | 12 | ||||
Fourth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
ACCT 329 | 4.0 | MGMT 450 | 4.0 | Free electives | 8.0 | ||
UNIV B201 | 1.0 | TAX 342 | 4.0 | Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | ||
General Education elective | 3.0 | General Education elective | 4.0 | Select one of the following: | 4.0 | ||
Free elective | 3.0 | Free elective | 3.0 | ||||
Social Science elective | 3.0 | ||||||
14 | 15 | 15 | |||||
Total Credits 180 |
4 Year No Co-Op
First Year | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
BUSN 101 | 4.0 | BUSN 102 | 4.0 | ACCT 115 | 4.0 | VACATION | |
ECON 201 | 4.0 | ECON 202 | 4.0 | BSAN 160 | 4.0 | ||
ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | ||
MATH 101 | 4.0 | MATH 102 | 4.0 | PSY 101 | 3.0 | ||
UNIV B101 | 1.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | Society & Culture elective | 3.0 | ||
16 | 16 | 17 | 0 | ||||
Second Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ACCT 116 | 4.0 | BLAW 201 | 4.0 | ACCT 321 | 4.0 | VACATION | |
STAT 201 | 4.0 | COM 270 | 3.0 | MKTG 201 | 4.0 | ||
History elective | 4.0 | INTB 200 | 4.0 | OPM 200 | 4.0 | ||
Select one of the following: | 3.0 | Select one of the following: | 3.0 | ENGL 200 - ENGL 399 course | 3.0 | ||
15 | 14 | 15 | 0 | ||||
Third Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
ACCT 322 | 4.0 | ACCT 323 | 4.0 | ACCT 341 | 4.0 | VACATION | |
FIN 301 | 4.0 | ACCT 331 | 4.0 | TAX 341 | 4.0 | ||
MIS 200 | 4.0 | ORGB 300 | 4.0 | Free elective | 4.0 | ||
Science elective | 3.0 | PHIL 105 | 3.0 | ||||
15 | 15 | 12 | 0 | ||||
Fourth Year | |||||||
Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
ACCT 329 | 4.0 | MGMT 450 | 4.0 | Free electives | 8.0 | ||
UNIV B201 | 1.0 | TAX 342 | 4.0 | Fine Arts elective | 3.0 | ||
General education elective | 4.0 | General education elective | 4.0 | Select one of the following: | 4.0 | ||
Free elective | 3.0 | Free elective | 3.0 | ||||
Social Science elective | 3.0 | ||||||
15 | 15 | 15 | |||||
Total Credits 180 |
Co-op/Career Opportunities
Public, private, and government accounting provide the greatest range of career possibilities. Professional accountants are normally certified as public accountants (CPA) or managerial accountants (CMA) after passing the appropriate professional examinations.
Drexel’s co-op program provides an added advantage to accounting students; time spent working in accounting co-op positions is often accepted as part of the one year of accounting experience needed for CPA certification.
Drexel’s Accounting graduates accept positions in public accounting, private industry, government, and non-profit organizations. Many also choose to continue their studies in graduate schools, pursuing such degrees as an MBA, master’s in taxation, master's in accounting, or a PhD. Overall, Drexel’s graduates enjoy a high placement rate.
Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center page for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities. To learn more about career opportunities and resources, see the Career Guides provided by the Steinbright Career Development Center.
Facilities
LeBow College of Business opened its 12-story, 177,500-square-foot home, Gerri C. LeBow Hall in September 2013. Located in the heart of Drexel University campus, it forms a gateway to Drexel and serves as a backdrop to the historic statue of A.J. Drexel (Moses Ezekiel, 1904).
The building’s organization unites the school’s various constituencies around a five-story-high atrium ringed by 15 classrooms of varying sizes and configurations, including a finance trading lab. The atrium is immediately accessible from main entrances at the three corners of the building. An open stair within the atrium leads to a 300-seat auditorium, 100-seat lecture hall, and a behavioral studies lab one floor below. Other amenities consist of 19 collaboration rooms, 3,500 square feet of student lounges and quiet study areas, a bank of four elevators and full ADA accessibility, and an event space with catering capacity. The building's upper floors contain faculty and staff offices interspersed with seminar and conference rooms.
Gerri C. LeBow Hall brings together faculty, students, and staff in a state-of-the-art building on the University City campus. Please visit the LeBow College of Business webpage, the Behavioral Lab webpage, the Finance Trading Lab webpage, and the SAP Next-Gen webpage to learn more about Gerri C. LeBow Hall.