Accounting Course Descriptions
ACT 100 - Survey of Accounting
4 Credits
The focus of this course is on understanding the meaning of the numbers presented
in financial reports, their relationship to each other and how they are used in evaluation,
planning and control. The course is designed for non-business majors.
ACT 205 - Accounting for Decision Making
4 Credits
This course is an introduction to financial and managerial accounting. Students will
explore the practical and theoretical aspects of decision making and problem solving
associated with asset, liability, equity related accounts, along with planning operations,
controlling activities and making decisions.
The course will provide students with an understanding of the uses and limitations of accounting information (internal and external) in economic decision making. This course is designed for non-accounting majors.
ACT 210 - Accounting for Financial Decision Making
3 Credits
A study of basic concepts and fundamentals underlying the measurement, valuation,
analysis and communication of financial accounting information to external users for
decision making and problem solving.
Co-requisites: CIS 107.
ACT 220 - Accounting for Managerial Decision Making
3 Credits
A study of basic concepts and fundamentals underlying the planning, controlling and
communicating of managerial accounting information to internal users for decision
making and problem solving.
Prerequisite: ACT 210 with a minimum grade of C–; or permission of instructor and division chairperson.
ACT 225 - Fundamental Income Tax Practicum & Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program
1-2 Credits
Under faculty supervision, students prepare federal, state, local school and city
income tax returns. Tax preparation training provided by the IRS and facilitated by
the instructor (IRS Ethics, Basic, Intermediate, and TaxWise software training augmented
by faculty instruction).
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program offers basic income tax preparation assistance for individuals of low- to moderate-income, individuals with disabilities, non-English speaking taxpayers, and the elderly within your community.
Our students will be trained to help prepare basic tax returns electronically by working through modules on their own or by attending a classroom session. This course will provide the student with real world work experience and an opportunity to demonstrate social responsibility by fulfilling community service.
Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0, previously completed ACT 210 or the equivalent, and have the permission of the instructor. May be repeated up to three credits.
ACT 260 - Governmental & Nonprofit Accounting
3 Credits
A comprehensive analysis of accounting and financial reporting for government, voluntary
health and welfare organizations, and nonprofit enterprises. Emphasis is placed on
fund accounting. It includes budgeting, accounting, reporting, and auditing for federal
government, colleges, and nonprofit.
Prerequisite: ACT 210 with a minimum grade of C–or permission of instructor and academic advisor.
ACT 270 - Fraud Examination
3 Credits
This course covers the principles and methodology of fraud detection and deterrence.
The course includes such topics as skimming, cash larceny, check tampering, register
disbursement schemes, billing schemes, payroll and expense reimbursement schemes,
non-cash misappropriations, corruption, accounting principles and fraud, fraudulent
financial statements, and interviewing witnesses.
Prerequisite: ACT 220.
ACT 310 - Intermediate Accounting I
3 Credits
A detailed study of the theoretical and practical aspects of the conceptual framework
of financial systems, including an in-depth examination of generally accepted accounting
principles (GAAP). Emphasis is placed on asset valuation and financial statement reporting.
Prerequisites: ACT 220 with a minimum grade of C–, or permission of instructor and division chairperson.
ACT 320 - Intermediate Accounting II
3 Credits
This course continues the study begun in ACT 310 by exploring additional theoretical
and practical aspects of financial reporting systems. Emphasis is placed on liability
and equity valuation and disclosure.
Prerequisite: ACT 310 with a minimum grade of C–; or permission of instructor and division chairperson.
ACT 330 - Legal Concepts for Accountants
3 Credits
A study of the primary laws affecting the practice of accounting. Emphasis is placed
on contracts, property, uniform commercial code, bankruptcy, business organization
structure, governmental regulations and accountants' legal responsibility.
Prerequisite: ACT 320 with a minimum grade of C–; or permission of instructor and division chairperson.
ACT 340 - Cost Accounting
3 Credits
A comprehensive investigation of procedures, models and costing systems for service
and manufacturing organizations. Emphasis is placed on information relevancy for decision
making and problem solving.
Prerequisite: ACT 220 with a minimum grade of C–; or permission of instructor and division chairperson.
ACT 355 - Internal Auditing
3 Credits
This course introduces students to the internal audit profession, introduces concepts,
standards, and processes involved in internal auditing. Topics include internal auditing
concepts and theories as well as the steps required in the planning, execution, and
completion of an audit, including report writing and interviewing skills.
The professional nature of the internal auditing function including professional codes of conduct and standards are discussed. Additional topics include internal controls, managing the IA department, IA working papers, procedures, evidences, and sampling.
Prerequisite: ACT 320 or consent of instructor.
ACT 360 - Forensic Accounting
3 Credits
This course is an introduction to the field of forensic accounting and the role it
plays in both preventing fraud from occurring and discovering fraud after it has occurred.
Students are introduced to many opportunities in the field of accounting and fraud
detection in the private sector, public accounting, and government.
Topics include complex financial investigations, compliance and financial audits, money laundering, net worth analysis, the psychology of white collar crime, and financial statement fraud.
Prerequisite: ACT 320 or consent of instructor.
ACT 410 - Accounting Information Systems
3 Credits
A study of the design, implementation and evaluation of accounting systems, including
emphasis on the application of accounting regulations (GAAP) to transaction processing,
internal accounting controls, and revenue and expenditure cycles.
Prerequisites: ACT 220 with a minimum grade of C–; CIS 105–106 or CIS 107.
ACT 421 - Individual Taxation
3 Credits
A comprehensive study of the theory and provisions of the federal income tax system
and its application to individuals.
Prerequisite: ACT 220.
ACT 422 - Business Taxation & Research
3 Credits
A study of the current theory and provisions of federal income tax law relating to
business. Emphasis is on tax research and the problems faced by businesses.
Prerequisite: ACT 421.
ACT 425 - Income Tax Practicum / VITA
1-3 Credits
Income Tax Practicum and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program. Under faculty
supervision, students prepare federal, state, local school, and city income tax returns.
Tax preparation training provided by the IRS and facilitated by the instructor (IRS
Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Tax Wise software training augmented by faculty instruction).
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program offers basic income tax preparation assistance for individuals of low- to moderate-income, individuals with disabilities, non-English speaking taxpayers, and the elderly within the community.
Students will be trained to help prepare basic tax returns electronically by working through modules on their own or by attending a classroom-like session. This course will provide the student with real world work experience and an opportunity to demonstrate social responsibility by fulfilling community service.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade point average of 3.0, previous completed ACT 421 or the equivalent, and the permission of the instructor. May be repeated up to six credits.
ACT 430 - Auditing & Assurance Services
3 Credits
An introduction to auditing and other assurance services to assist students in understanding
audit decision making and evidence accumulation in today’s complex auditing environment.
Emphasis is placed on internal control policies, generally accepted accounting principles
(GAAP), generally accepted auditing standards (GAAS), audit sampling, accumulation
of audit evidence, and substantive tests of controls and transactions.
Prerequisite: ACT 320 with a minimum grade of C–; or permission of instructor and division chairperson.
ACT 440 - Advanced Accounting
3 Credits
The study of advanced accounting topics that includes an examination of partnership
formation and liquidation; home office and branch accounting; consolidations; and
accounting for non-profit organizations.
Prerequisite: ACT 320 with a minimum grade of C–; or permission of instructor and division chairperson.
ACT 450 - Advanced Tax Law
3 Credits
An investigation of the theory and provisions of federal tax law and its application
to corporations, estates and trusts.
Prerequisite: ACT 421 and ACT 422 with minimum grade of C–; or permission of instructor and division chairperson.
ACT 2/3/485 - Special Topics
2-3 Credits
Course coverage varies depending on interests of students and faculty. Topics may
include cases in financial statement reporting, accounting theory, fund accounting,
corporate consolidations, accounting history, or international accounting.
Prerequisite: ACT 220 with a minimum grade of C–; or permission of instructor and division chairperson.
ACT 2/3/486 - Independent Study
2-3 Credits
Individually supervised research projects designed to provide students with the opportunity
to analyze accounting topics that are not covered in other accounting information
systems courses.
Prerequisite: ACT 220 with a minimum grade of C–; or permission of instructor and division chairperson.
ACT 497 - Accounting Internship
1-6 Credits
A supervised and structured work experience (40 clock hours for each semester hour)
designed to integrate practice and theory. Students must register for this course
prior to starting employment. Grading is on a Pass/Fail basis. Some sections may include
a service-learning component.
Prerequisite: ACT 320 with a minimum grade of B or better; or permission of instructor and division chairperson; successful completion of application requirements for internship. May be repeated for up to six credits.
BUS 220 - Principles of Marketing
3 Credits
An introduction to the process of creating and fulfilling consumer and organizational
needs through strategies involving the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution
of ideas, goods, and services in a market economy.
BUS 240 - Management & Organizational Behavior
3 Credits
This course focuses on the role of the manager in contemporary business and explores
behavioral science concepts and research directed toward understanding human behavior
and management within organizations.
BUS 250 - Legal Environment of Business
3 Credits
This course serves as an introduction to the American legal system, dispute reconciliation,
and functions of the law. The emphasis is on understanding the functions of contracts
in American business law. The course will examine the history and sources of American
law, the legal systems and procedures, agency and employment, sales and other topics.
Not open to students with credit in BUS 345.
BUS 318 - Business & Society
3 Credits
This course is designed to equip business students with materials and tools to aid
them in resolving ethical dilemmas they may face in their professional lives. The
purpose here is to counterbalance the negative behaviors seen in media coverage with
the realization and firm conviction that business can operate in an ethical and honorable
manner.
Classic case studies, topical case materials, simulations, and course readings will challenge the student to take a journey through the world of business ethics at the ground level of the contemporary business organization.
Prerequisites: BUS 240 and ECN 205 or ECN 207–208.
BUS 343 - Human Resource Management
3 Credits
This course provides a broad understanding of the complex role of the human resource
management function. Special emphasis is placed on demographic, professional and workforce
trends that shape human resource management in contemporary business.
Prerequisite: BUS 240, or BUS 305 for non-business majors, and junior or senior status. Not open to students with credit in BUS 243.
BUS 345 - Business & Employment Law
2 Credits
Introduction to the American legal system, dispute reconciliation, and functions of
the law emphasizing employment law issues to include employee rights, equal opportunity
employment, compensation matters, and emerging legal issues in personnel administration.
Prerequisite: BUS 343. Not open to students with credit in BUS 250.
BUS 479 - CORE: Strategic Management
3 Credits
This course is the capstone learning experience for business administration, international
business, finance, and accounting majors. It encourages a reflective search for truth
in enterprise while focusing on how firms formulate, implement, and evaluate strategies.
The course is designed to integrate student’s functional business knowledge including
ethical considerations through an engagement with a significant research project.
The major learning challenge for students in this course will be to make and justify, through oral and written communication, subjective strategic decisions informed by extensive analysis and supported by the application of a variety of strategic tools. Finally, this course partners with the Career Development Center to provide students learning modules on resume preparation, etiquette, dress, and informational interviewing.
Prerequisites: Completion of junior core seminar; BUS 220, 240, 343, 345; FIN 325. Not open to students who have completed BUS 498.
CIS 107 - Computer Applications
3 Credits
This course introduces computer literacy and electronic spreadsheets. Topics include
computer systems, the Internet, functions and tools in electronic spreadsheets and
their applications in business fields.
Not open to students with credit for CIS 106, CIS 180, or CIS 203. Course will not apply to a major in Computer Information Systems.
CIS 234 - Database Management Systems
3 Credits
A study of relational database management concepts and features, including the creation,
maintenance, and manipulation of database files using a current relational database
management system.
Not open to students with credit for CIS 204 and CIS 340.
ECN 207 - Principles of Microeconomics
3 Credits
A basic study of the decision making behavior of individuals, households, firms, industries,
and other economic units regarding resource allocation. Students will explore how
markets function to coordinate the economic activities of different economic units.
Topics include scarcity, opportunity cost, demand and supply, consumption, production,
market structures, and profit maximization.
ECN 208 - Principles of Macroeconomics
3 Credits
A basic study of the overall economy including inflation, unemployment, economic growth,
money supply, national income, and government economic policies. It emphasizes the
important measures used to determine an economy’s performance and explores the potential
impacts of macroeconomic policy.
FIN 325 - Managerial Finance
3 Credits
A study of the forms of business organization, the financial organization of business
activities, and financial decision theory.
Prerequisite: ACT 210 or ACT 205; ECN 205 or ECN 207–208; MTH 140.
IBA 311 - International Accounting and Finance
3 Credits
This course provides the students with an understanding of international accounting
and accounting standards, the operation and functions of the foreign exchange markets
and the strategies for financial risk aversion. It also discusses the importance of
global capital markets as a major source of financing for multinational enterprises.
Other topics include capital mobility, the roles of hard currencies in cross-border
trades and investments.
Prerequisite: ACT 220.
MTH 140 - Introduction to Statistics
3 Credits
An introduction to the basic concepts and computations used in statistical analysis
as well as their application to problems in other disciplines, especially biology,
business, education, and social sciences. Topics include the description of data graphically
and numerically, the collection of data via samples and experiments, and the process
of drawing inferences or conclusions from data.
The laboratory component of the course emphasizes conceptual understanding, interpretation of statistical quantities, and written/oral communication and will require the use of mathematical software.
Prerequisite: MTH 102 or placement.
PHL 346 - Principles of Business Ethics
3 Credits
An introduction to traditional ethical theories in preparation for more advanced study
of problems in social philosophy and business.