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Undergraduate

Accounting

The Accounting program forms graduates skilled in data analytics, information management, financial decision making and the professional and moral qualities that predicate ethical business practices.

What is Accounting?

An economy’s ability to serve society’s needs depends upon the information flow between those seeking financial resources (organizations) and those who have resources to provide (investors, banks). Assumption recognizes the special role of accountants in this process and seeks to form graduates who possess superior skills in data analysis, information management, and financial decision-making as well as the professional and moral qualities that predicate ethical business practices. Acquire the skills necessary to become an accountant by earning your accounting degree. With these skills, you can get ready to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exams. Your studies will be complemented by coursework in the liberal arts and such topics as business law, management, and marketing.

Why Study Accounting at Assumption?

Assumption’s accounting curriculum draws from a breadth of business coursework and our strong liberal arts foundation. Students learn critical and ethical thinking, communication, and decision-making skills in addition to the foundations of the knowledge and technology necessary to build a rewarding career in accounting. Our program will prepare you for a career in a variety of settings including public accounting firms, corporate settings, or nonprofit institutions. Assumption’s Accounting major is one of only a few in New England certified by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA).

With these skills, you can get ready to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exams. At Assumption, you can earn a Master’s degree in accounting in just one additional year after graduating with a Bachelor’s degree. Students can apply for acceptance into Assumption’s Accelerated MBA program during the spring of their junior year.

Program Contact

Smriti Rao, Ph.D

Department Chair, Economics, Finance and Accounting, Professor of Economics, Global Studies Program Director
508-767-7565 Tsotsis Family Academic Center - Room 229

Program Curriculum

  • Accounting majors are required to complete 9 accounting courses and 9 interdisciplinary courses as part of their core accounting curriculum. The curriculum provides the basic educational background needed to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and/or Certified Management Accountant (CMA) examinations.

    BUSINESS CORE (8 COURSES)

    ACC 125 Principles of Accounting I
    ACC 126 Principles of Accounting II
    ECO 110 Microeconomics
    ECO 111 Macroeconomics
    MGT 100 Introduction to Management
    MKT 101 Principles of Marketing
    ECO 115 Statistics

    UPPER LEVEL (9 COURSES)

    ACC 200 Intermediate Accounting I
    ACC 201 Intermediate Accounting II
    ACC 210 Cost Accounting
    ACC 211 Accounting Information Systems
    ACC 310 Federal Income Taxes
    ACC 320 Advanced Accounting
    ACC 420 Auditing
    FIN 325 Managerial Finance 1
    BUS 215 Business Law I

    The following electives are available to supplement the major requirements listed above. None of these courses is required to meet the undergraduate degree requirements but will assist in fulfilling the educational requirements for certification.

    BUS 320 Issues in Corporate Governance and White Collar Crime
    ACC 331 Fraud Examination
    ACC 250 Personal Finance
    BUS 399 Internship in Business
    IDS 250 Community Tax Assistance

    Course Descriptions

  • Learning Goals

    • Master fundamental knowledge, concepts, and theories within the field of Accounting
    • Understand how to work in a professional multi-cultural and global environment
    • Understand ethical reasoning and act in a socially responsible manner
    •  Exercise critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills resulting in good decision-making
    • Communicate effectively
    • Relate well to others and perform well as an individual or as part of a team
  • Certified Public Accountant (C.P.A.) candidates should note that all states have adopted some version of what has come to be called the 150-hour rule. This rule requires 150 semester hours of university education as a condition either to take the Uniform C.P.A. Examination or to become certified as a C.P.A. In Massachusetts, the requirement to take the C.P.A exam is 120 semester hours of university education, and then 150 hours of education are required to obtain certification (the C.P.A. license). While the requirement does not specifically call for a graduate degree, 30 additional semester hours (150 hours less the 120 hours required in our undergraduate Accounting program) does represent a full year of study after the Bachelor’s degree. Assumption has designed a Six-in-Five Accelerated CPA track M.B.A. program to enable our C.P.A. candidate majors to begin their graduate studies during their senior year, satisfy the additional credit hour requirement, and receive both a B.A. and M.B.A. degree in five years instead of the six years these two degrees customarily require. Students planning to sit for the Uniform C.P.A. Examination should consult with the Accounting faculty no later than fall of their junior year. This will allow the student to devise a strategy for meeting the educational requirements.

    Students who wish to apply for certification in Massachusetts after successful completion of the C.P.A. Examination should take the following courses to fulfill the specific requirements for certification:

    At Least One Course in Each Area

    Area 1

    ACC 331 Fraud Examination
    ACC 332 Forensic Accounting
    IDS 250 Community Tax Assistance

    Area 2

    BUS 320 Issues in Corporate Governance and White Collar Crime
    ACC 250 Personal Finance
    PHI 260 Business Ethics

    Any business or economics course not required for the accounting major

  • Assumption’s CPA Track MBA program is designed to enable accounting majors who are likely CPA candidates to begin their graduate studies during their senior year. They satisfy the additional 30-hour requirement and receive both a BA and MBA degree in 5 years.

    Candidates should apply to the program during the spring of their junior year and no later than April 1 of their senior year. Accounting majors who are accepted into the program may substitute two MBA courses during their senior year to meet graduation requirements.

  • Required Courses (3)

    ACC 125 Principles of Accounting I
    ACC 126 Principles of Accounting II
    MGT 100 OR MKT 101 Introduction to Management OR Principles of Marketing

    Electives (4)

    ACC 200 Intermediate Accounting I
    ACC 201 Intermediate Accounting II
    ACC 210 Cost Accounting
    ACC 211 Accounting Info Systems
    IDS 250 Community Tax Assistance
    ACC 310 Federal Income Taxes
    ACC 320 Advanced Accounting
    ACC 331 Fraud Examination
    ACC 332 Forensic Accounting
    ACC 250 Personal Finance
    ACC 420 Auditing

    Course Descriptions

  • In today’s society fraud is increasingly a public concern. From corporate malfeasance to embezzlement, improper business practices damage the economy, destroy businesses and ruin lives. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the area of forensic accounting and fraud examination is currently the fastest-growing niche in the accounting profession.

    By combining accounting financial knowledge with investigative skills, forensic accountants help ensure compliance at all levels of the economy. As part of a growing field, forensic accountants find employment in diverse fields such as criminology, cybersecurity, and strategic risk with organizations that include the FBI and the Big 4 public accounting firms.

    Required Courses (7)

    ACC 125 Principles of Accounting I
    ACC 126 Principles of Accounting II
    MGT 100 Introduction to Management
    ACC/MGT 331 Fraud Examination
    ACC 332 Forensic Accounting
    BUS 320 Issues in Corporate Governance and White Collar Crime
    CYB 115 Cybersecurity Fundamentals

    Course Descriptions

Faculty

Smriti Rao, Ph.D
Chair, Department of Accounting Department Chair, Economics, Finance and Accounting Professor of Economics Global Studies Program Director
Deanna Polli Foster, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor of Accounting
Michael T. Matraia, J.D., M.S., C.P.A.
Associate Professor of Practice in Accounting
Kristen P. Quinn, MSA
Associate Professor of Practice, Accounting

Experiential Learning

Learn more about experiential learning opportunities at Assumption

Contact the CDIC

Learn the Skills Employers Seek

Faculty/Student Research

The Assumption curriculum encourages scholarly and real-world experience. With hands-on research conducted alongside faculty mentors, students gain a depth of knowledge and skills that lead to professional success and personal fulfillment.  

Internships

Assumption starts planning for your future the day you arrive on campus. “Internship in Business” is a 3-credit seminar course in the Business Studies Department that is available to juniors or seniors. The course provides hands-on experience and training, networking with professionals, and assessment of your personal career strengths and interests. You’ll spend a minimum of 120 hours working in the field. During the faculty-led weekly seminar, students discuss how organizational behavior and management concepts apply to their individual placements.


CAREER PATHS

Employers that have hired Assumption University graduates

Bain Capital

Deloitte

Dell

Marcum O'Connor & Drew

TJX Companies

Hanover Insurance Group

First-rate Academics in a Catholic University Setting

Assumption University awakens in students a sense of wonder, discovery, and purpose, forming graduates known for their intellectual seriousness, thoughtful citizenship, and devotion to the common good. Students are provided an education that shapes their souls, forms them intellectually, and prepares them for meaningful careers. Enlivened by the harmony of faith and reason, here, students’ minds and hearts are transformed.


Assumption is dedicated to providing a clear understanding of what your education will cost

We’ll help cut through the complexity of financing your education, ensuring you understand what you need, how to apply for aid, and what’s expected of you. You will be assigned a personal financial aid advisor who will guide you through the process and answer all of your financial aid-related questions.


Career Opportunities

Students are qualified for career opportunities in:

  • Staff and independent auditing
  • Internal auditing (corporate employees)
  • Government auditing
  • Corporate accounting
  • Government and non-profit accounting
  • Forensic accounting including white-collar crime
  • Banking
  • Tax accounting