Degree 

Certificate  

Computer Specialist Certificate  

Business Faculty  

Business Home

Transfer: Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) in Accounting, Business, or related field.

The certificate or associate degree in Accounting prepares students for a variety of positions in the accounting field. Many students find part-time employment in the accounting field after completing the first accounting courses in the program and continue to work while fulfilling program requirements.

Lower division accounting courses are required for all business administration degree programs, these accounting courses provide an important foundation for students who plan to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree program.

Note to students intending to transfer to schools of business or four-year colleges and universities: See your counselor for special course requirements that may not be listed below. Management courses do not transfer to UC.

Career Options

Accounting programs prepare students to work as public accountants, management accountants, government accountants, and internal auditors. Persons trained in accounting may also pursue careers as budget analysts and financial managers. Accountants may be licensed as Certified Public Accountants, Public Accountants, Registered Public Accountants, Certified Internal Auditors, Certified Management Accountants, and Certified Information Systems Auditors. Some accountants work as teachers, researchers, and consultants.

Capable accountants usually advance rapidly with work experience. Graduates of community college programs who meet the educational and experience requirements of their employers may obtain junior accounting positions and advance to more responsible positions by demonstrating their accounting skills on the job.

Job Description

Public accountants have their own businesses or work for accounting firms. Management accountants record and summarize the financial information of their companies. Internal auditors verify the accuracy of their organization's records and check for mismanagement, waste, and fraud. Government accountants and auditors maintain and examine the records of government agencies and audit private businesses and individuals whose activities are subject to government regulations or taxation.

Most accountants concentrate in one phase of accounting. For example, many public accountants work primarily in examining a client's financial records and reporting to investors and authorities that the records have been prepared and reported correctly. Others concentrate on tax matters, such as preparing an individual's tax returns and advising companies about business decisions. Still others concentrate on consulting and offer advice on matters such as the design of companies' accounting and data processing systems and controls to safeguard assets.

Management accountants provide the financial information corporate executives need to make sound business decisions. Within accounting departments, they may work in areas such as taxation, budgeting, costs, or investments. Internal auditors examine their firm's financial and information systems, management procedures, and internal controls to ensure that records are accurate and controls are adequate to protect against fraud and waste. They also review company operations and evaluate their efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance with corporate policies and procedures, laws, and government regulations.

Computers are widely used in accounting and auditing. With the aid of special computer software packages, accountants summarize transactions in standard formats for financial records, calculate projected financial ratios, or organize data in special formats for financial analysis. 

Qualifications and Skills Needed

Most public accounting and business firms require applicants for accountant and internal auditor positions to have at least a bachelor's degree in accounting or a related field. Most employers also prefer applicants who are familiar with computers and their applications in accounting and internal auditing. Professional recognition through certification and licensure is also helpful.

Persons planning a career in accounting should have an aptitude for mathematics and be able to analyze, compare, and interpret facts and figures quickly. They must make sound judgments and be able to clearly communicate the results of their work, orally and in writing, to clients and management. Accountants must be good at working with people and must be able to work with limited supervision. A high level of personal integrity is required.  

 

Click a link below for full course description.

Associate in Science Degree with a Major in Accounting

 

Required Core Courses  

Units

ACTG 100 Accounting Procedures

3

ACTG 121 Financial Accounting

4

ACTG 131 Managerial Accounting

4

ACTG 194 QuickBooks Pro or
ACTG 197 Computerized Accounting

1 or 1.5

CAOT 225 Spreadsheets I: Excel

1

CAOT 226 Spreadsheets II: Excel

2  

Plus a minimum of 7 units from the following:

ACTG 103 Ten Key Skills

0.5

ACTG 171 Federal Income Tax

3

ACTG 172 Business Income Taxes

3

ACTG 196 Intermediate QuickBooks & QuickBooks Pro  

1.0

ACTG 198 Adv. Computerized Accounting with Peachtree

1.5

BUS. 100 Introduction to Business

3

BUS. 103 Intro to Business Information Systems

3  

BUS. 120 Mathematical Analysis for Business

3

BUS. 123 Statistics

3

BUS. 150 Small Business Management

3

BUS. 201 Business Law

3

BUS 205 Business Ethics

3

BUS. 401 Business Communications

3

CAOT 230 Database Applications I: Access

1

CAOT 231 Database Applications II: Access

2

CAOT 301 Maximizing Your Employment Potential

1

ENGL 110 Composition, Literature, and Critical Thinking or
ENGL 165 Critical Thinking & Advanced Compositions or
PHIL 109 Critical Thinking and Writing  

ECON 100 Principles of Macroeconomics

3

ECON 102 Principles of Microeconomics

3

SPCH 100 Fundamentals of Speech or
SPCH 120 Interpersonal Communication or
SPCH 150 International Communications

3

Total Required Units in Major Area

22-22.5

Plus General Education and other requirements for the Associate degree (refer to Associate Degree Requirements).
Note: Minimum C grade required in all courses applied to the major.

 

 Back to top

Accounting Certificate

Required Courses

Units

ACTG 100 Accounting Procedures

3

ACTG 121 Financial Accounting

4

ACTG 131 Managerial Accounting

4

ACTG 194 QuickBooks Pro or ACTG 197 Computerized Accounting  

1 or 1.5

CAOT 225 Spreadsheets I: Excel

1  

CAOT 226 Spreadsheets II: Excel

2

Plus a minimum of 7 units from the following:

ACTG 103 Ten Key Skills

0.5

ACTG 171 Federal Income Tax

3

ACTG 172 Business Income Taxes

3

ACTG 196 Intermediate QuickBooks & QuickBooks Pro

1.0

ACTG 198 Adv. Computerized Accounting with Peachtree

1.5  

BUS. 100 Introduction to Business

3

.

BUS. 103 Intro to Business Information Systems

3

BUS. 120 Mathematical Analysis for Business

3

BUS. 123 Statistics

3

BUS. 150 Small Business Management

3

BUS. 201 Business Law

3

BUS 205 Business Ethics

3

BUS. 401 Business Communications

3

CAOT 230 Database Applications I: Access

1

CAOT 231 Database Applications II: Access

2

CAOT 301 Maximizing Your Employment Potential

1

ENGL 110 Composition, Literature, and Critical Thinking or
ENGL 165 Critical Thinking & Advanced Compositions or
PHIL 109 Critical Thinking and Writing

3

ECON 100 Principles of Macroeconomics

3

ECON 102 Principles of Microeconomics

3

SPCH 100 Fundamentals of Speech or
SPCH 120 Interpersonal Communication or
SPCH 150 International Communications

3
Total Required Units
22-22.5
Note: Minimum C grade required in all courses applied to the major.

 

Back to top

Accounting Computer Specialist Certificate

Required Courses

Unit

ACTG 100 Accounting Procedures

3

ACTG 103 Ten Key Skills

0.5

ACTG 194 QuickBooks Pro or
ACTG 197 Computerized Accounting

1 or 1.5

CAOT 104 Intro to Computers with Windows I

1.5

CAOT 225 Spreadsheets I: Excel

1
CAOT 226 Spreadsheets II: Excel 2

CAOT 301 Maximizing Your Employment Potential

1

Total Required Units

10-10.5

 

Back to top

 

Go to Sidebar Content