Accounting

Program Overview

Major Notes

To graduate with a Business degree, students must:

• Have earned and maintain an overall grade point average of 2.0
• Have earned 60 credits
• Earn a “C” or higher in BUS 101, BUS 206, BUS 207, and the math course taken to fulfill the General Education requirement
• Complete a 75 Hour Experiential Learning Graduation Requirement for all business majors.

Please consult with your academic advisor for more information.

Curriculum: Major Requirements

Business Core (30 credits)

    • BUS 101: Financial Accounting*
    • BUS 206: Management Principles*
    • BUS 207: Marketing Principles*
    • BUS 250: Accounting Principles
    • BUS 315: Data Analytics & Information Systems
    • BUS 342: Business Law
    • BUS 410: Financial Markets
    • BUS 411: Financial Decision Making
    • BUS 426: Strategic Management
    • MAT 208: Introductory Statistics or MAT 209 Probability and Statistics

* Must earn a grade of "C" or better
 

Accounting Courses (18 credits)

    • BUS 252: Intermediate Accounting I
    • BUS 253: Intermediate Accounting II
    • BUS 301: Advanced Accounting
    • BUS 304: Federal Taxation
    • BUS 400: Cost Accounting
    • BUS 402: Auditing

Related Area (9 credits)

    • COM 344: Writing for the Workplace
    • ECON 248: Macroeconomics I
    • ECON 249: Microeconomics II

High Performer Development Series (3 credits)

    • BUS 251: High Performer Development Series I
    • BUS 351 High Performer Development Series II
    • BUS 451 High Performer Development Series III*

*With department chair approval, transfer and/or adult education students may take BUS 452 to fulfill this requirement.

Recommended Courses (Optional)

    • BUS 441: Cooperative Education in Business I
    • BUS 442: Cooperative Education in Business II

 

Fraud Examination Concentration

Accounting majors also can complete a 12-credit concentration in fraud examination. This concentration includes courses necessary to provide you with the core competencies needed to excel in fraud examination. By completing the courses necessary for this concentration, you’ll be prepared to sit for the Certified Fraud Examiner exam. Attaining fraud examiner certification can be extremely useful if you’re pursuing a career in a field such as accounting, human resources, management, criminal justice or insurance. Required courses in the fraud examination concentration are:

    • BUS 101: Financial Accounting
    • BUS 200: Managerial Accounting OR BUS 250 Accounting Principles
    • BUS 205: Fraud Examination
    • MBA 555: Forensic Accounting (Please check with your advisor for more details.)

Experiential Learning Opportunities

• In the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne, our business lab and Bloomberg Terminals provide financial real time, historical data, market moving news and analytics.
• The O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship provides a support system that can elevate aspiring and existing entrepreneurs as well as provide experiential learning opportunities for students, clients and mentors. Services
  are delivered through an integrated network of partners, mentors, staff and student expertise. Fields include accounting, business development, communications, digital design, engineering and marketing.
• The Future Business Leaders of America, Inc. (FBLA) is the largest business career and technical student organization in the
  world. FBLA Collegiate is the collegiate division of FBLA and is dedicated to inspiring and developing the next generation of
  leaders by preparing members for careers in business and business-related fields.

Accreditation Statements

• Alvernia University's accounting program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) and by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).
• Alvernia is an accredited institution and a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Career Outlook

After earning your Bachelor of Science in Accounting, you can pursue a variety of careers, including:

• Budget Analyst
• Grant Writer
• Certified Management Accountant
• Internal Auditor Comptroller
• International Business Manager
• Chief Financial Officer
• IRS Investigator
• International Trade Specialist
• Corporate Controller
• Revenue Agent Partner in an Accounting Firm
• Financial Analyst Financial Manager

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment with a bachelor’s degree in accounting is projected to grow up to 4 percent from 2022 to 2032. The median annual wage in those professions was $78,000 in May 2022.

Opportunities for Majors

Phi Beta Lambda

Phi Beta Lambda provides opportunities students to develop vocational competencies for business and office occupations and business teacher education. The specific goals are to promote competent, aggressive business leadership, understand American business enterprise, establish career goals, encourage scholarship, promote sound financial management, and develop character and self-confidence and to facilitate transition from school to work. The Alvernia College PBL Chapter has won many awards on both state and national levels. In competitions, the Alvernia PBL Chapter regularly participates in state and national workshops and conferences, is active in campus projects and completes community service projects.
 

The Institute of Management Accountants (IMA)

IMA is the world's largest organization devoted to management accountants, financial management and information management professionals. IMA Student Chapters promote careers in those areas and helps to develop leadership skills.
 

Internship Opportunities

Internship placements for our students have included Citizens Bank, Walt Disney World, Rohm & Haas, Vanguard, GVA Smith Mack, Haines & Kibblehouse, US Department of Treasury, US Department of Finance, Stroehmann/Maier’s Bakery, Webb Insurance, InRoads, Reading Royals, Olsen/DeTurck, Philadelphia Eagles, Cott Beverage, Four Seasons Produce, Morgan Stanley, Ernst & Young and the Camden Riversharks.
 

The Washington Center Experience

Alvernia students have an opportunity to earn college credit by spending a semester or summer in Washington, D.C. where they serve as interns in a congressional office, government agency, major corporation, newspaper or news network, or agencies devoted to legal affairs, international relations, or business and economics. Participants are customarily juniors or seniors who have achieved grade point averages of 2.5 or better and who have the endorsement of the appropriate academic area. In addition to their internship, students select one seminar dealing with the arts and humanities, communication, public policy, the legal system, business, and government. Interested students should see their academic advisor.
 

Delta Mu Delta

Delta Mu Delta is a business honor society that recognizes and encourages academic excellence of students to create a community that fosters the well-being of its individual members and the business community through life-time membership.
 

Bloomberg Terminal

Alvernia University students have access to the Bloomberg Terminal, located in the John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne. The Bloomberg Terminal provides real-time and historical data, market moving news, and analytics to help leading business and financial professionals worldwide make better informed investment decisions. The university’s subscription to the Bloomberg Terminal will enable students to become family with tools used in financial services while reinforcing classroom theory.

Get to Know Your Faculty

For more information about Alvernia’s Accounting program contact the Admissions Office at 610-796-8269 or admissions@alvernia.edu. Or reach out directly to Header School of Business Chair Tufan Tiglioglu at 610-796-8278 or tufan.tiglioglu@alvernia.edu. To see a list of lecturers in the College of Business, Communication, and Leadership, click here.