Accounting

The Accounting major provides the student with a foundation to pursue a career in accounting.  Whether you are interested in entering the corporate world or preparing to be a CPA, we have a program flexible enough to serve your needs. Our students are challenged to recognize and define complex business problems, explore alternatives, and effectively communicate successful solutions.  Students in the Accounting major at UM-Dearborn can complete the CPA exam preparation course through Wiley CPA Pro at a significant discount, and even qualify to receive a 100% reimbursement.

Accounting 4+1 Option

The Accounting 4+1 Option allows students to earn both the BBA in Accounting and the Master of Science in Accounting at a substantial savings in time and money.  Students in the program may count up to five graduate accounting courses toward the BBA Accounting major and the MS-Accounting at the same time, thereby saving up to five courses. Students will receive scholarships to reduce the net cost of these five shared courses to undergraduate tuition rates.  Please see the College's website for admission requirements and program details.

 In addition to major requirements, students must complete the BBA Degree Requirements.

Dearborn Discovery Core (General Education)

All students must satisfy the University’s Dearborn Discovery Core requirements, in addition to the requirements for the major.  

Major Requirements

Required
ACC 355Cost Accounting and Analysis3
ACC 356Intermediate Financial Accounting 13
ACC 357Intermediate Financial Acct 23
ACC 360Federal Income Taxation3
ACC 457Auditing3
FIN 402Advanced Corporate Finance3
Select one course from the following:3
Advanced Managerial Accounting
Intermediate Financial Accounting III
Advanced Issues in Accounting
Advanced Federal Income Tax
Not-for-Profit Accounting
Business Law: Advanced Topics
Total Credit Hours21

Students admitted to the 4+1 Option may substitute ACC 539 for ACC 439, ACC 560 for ACC 360, ACC 557 for ACC 457, ACC 555 for ACC 355, and ACC 516 for ACC 416. 

Accounting Minor

Prerequisites

MATH 104College Algebra4
or MATH 105 Pre-Calculus

Minor Requirements

ACC 298Financial Accounting3
ACC 299Managerial Accounting3
ACC 356Intermediate Financial Acct 13
or ACC 358 Financial Reporting
ACC 360Federal Income Taxation3
Plus one course from: any other ACC course at the 300 level or above.3
Total Credit Hours15

Finance majors may use ACC 358 towards an accounting minor.

Learning Goals

The following Learning Goals have been developed by the faculty in the College of Business. These goals describe what we want all of our students to know and be able to accomplish upon graduation.

  1. Students will be knowledgeable about the business disciplines.
  2. Students will be effective communicators.
  3. Students will be effective team members.
  4. Students will be competent in the application of technology.
  5. Students are able to understand and integrate knowledge across diverse disciplines, cultures, and context.
  6. Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills to solve business problems.

ACC 298     Financial Accounting     3 Credit Hours

The first course, of a two-course sequence, to introduce accounting concepts, principles, financial statement preparation, and the uses of accounting information. Topics include fundamental concepts and procedures of financial accounting including income measurement, asset valuation, financial statement preparation and analysis, and uses of accounting information for decision making.

Prerequisite(s): (MATH 104* or MATH 1040* or MATH 100* or MATH 1000* or MATH 105* or Mathematics Placement with a score of 115 or MATH 113* or MATH 115*)

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Sophomore or Junior or Senior or Graduate

ACC 299     Managerial Accounting     3 Credit Hours

To introduce managerial accounting concepts and applications. Specific topics include: cost terminology, cost behavior, product costing systems, budgeting, standard costing systems and variance analysis, and cost allocation methods. To connect the materials in this course to concepts covered in the prerequisite course, ACC 299 begins with financial statement analysis. Discussion of ethics and globalization issues will be interwoven into the presentation of course materials.

Prerequisite(s): ACC 298

ACC 355     Cost Accounting and Analysis     3 Credit Hours

To study the development, analysis and interpretation of accounting information for planning and controlling costs and revenues. Topics include: cost concepts, cost behavior, product costing systems, cost allocation systems, budgeting, standard costs and variance analysis and performance evaluation techniques.

Prerequisite(s): (ACC 356 or ACC 358) and BE 401

ACC 356     Intermediate Financial Accounting 1     3 Credit Hours

To study the accounting function in the business environment; review the operations and operating cycles in service, merchandising, and manufacturing industries; the conceptual accounting base of recording revenue and matching expenses at the traditional point of sale or delivery; the current state of the accounting profession; and an overview of financial accounting statements.

Prerequisite(s): ACC 299

ACC 357     Intermediate Financial Acct 2     3 Credit Hours

To study financing and investing issues in today’s international business environment, including financing through various ownership and debt instruments, off-balance-sheet financing and leverage; investing in tangible and intangible operating assets; investing in financial instruments for return and risk management purposes; and investing in financial instruments to influence or control operations of other business units.

Prerequisite(s): ACC 356 and ACC 380 and ACC 381 and FIN 401*

ACC 358     Financial Reporting     3 Credit Hours

This course provides an intermediate level analysis of financial accounting focusing on recognition, measurement, and reporting issues associated with assets, liabilities and owner equity in conjunction with related income determination questions. The course is designed for financial statement information users who need a level of sophistication beyond an introductory level, yet not the complete technical expertise of a financial accountant. (YR).

Prerequisite(s): ACC 298

Restriction(s):
Cannot enroll if Major is Accounting

ACC 360     Federal Income Taxation     3 Credit Hours

To acquaint the student with the federal income tax, tax research, tax planning, and application of tax laws to taxable entities. The course will introduce the student to a broad range of tax concepts within a framework of financial accounting principles. Emphasis will be placed on the taxation of business entities, individual taxpayers, and the differences between financial and tax accounting. The use of technology to research problem assignments will be used to develop students' business communication and problem solving skills.

Prerequisite(s): ACC 356 or ACC 358 or FIN 411

ACC 380     Accounting Information Systems     3 Credit Hours

To study the concepts, theory, organization and application of accounting information systems and the flow of accounting data through transaction cycles. Topics include: the principles of accounting systems design, internal control analysis and development and the overall evaluation of networked computer-based accounting systems. Emphasis is placed on transaction processing systems, internal control systems, and computer-assisted decision making for unstructured problems by employing accounting databases.

Prerequisite(s): ACC 299

Corequisite(s): ACC 381

ACC 381     Accounting Info Sys Lab     1 Credit Hour

ACC 381 is a lab component of ACC 380. Students will complete weekly laboratory assignments to reinforce the concepts of ACC 380 to use information technology to solve business problems. In addition, the use of several common applications (e.g., Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint) will also be covered at the beginning to advanced levels.

Prerequisite(s): ACC 299

Corequisite(s): ACC 380

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Sophomore or Junior or Senior

ACC 416     Intermediate Financial Accounting III     3 Credit Hours

To study financial accounting issues surrounding revenue recognition, contingent liabilities, complex earnings per share, derivative instruments, leases, and deferred taxes; as well as a comprehensive review of income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows, the related disclosures, and their information content.

Prerequisite(s): ACC 357

ACC 417     Advanced Issues in Accounting     3 Credit Hours

This course is intended to help students gain expertise in preparing financial statements for complex business organizations. Specific topics include: the preparation of segmental and consolidated financial statements; intricate accounting issues associated with business combinations including but not limited to combinations at the date of acquisition and periods post acquisition; analysis of inter-company transactions such as inventory and asset transfers between parent and subsidiary; reporting for segments of a business as well as interim reporting; foreign exchange issues including inter-period reporting and financial statement translation; international reporting issues associated with all of the above, as well as, other topics. (YR)

Prerequisite(s): ACC 357

ACC 439     Not-for-Profit Accounting     3 Credit Hours

To study the principles and procedures of accounting for not-for-profit entities. Topics may include: state and local government financial accounting, financial accounting for selected other entities, managerial concepts and current issues. Students will not receive credit for both ACC 439 and ACC 539.

Prerequisite(s): ACC 356

ACC 457     Auditing     3 Credit Hours

To introduce students to the audit profession, process, and practice. Topics include general auditing and ethical standards, principles of internal control and audit objectives, audit testing and sampling techniques, as well as the auditor’s responsibility for communications and risk assessment.

Prerequisite(s): ACC 356 and ACC 380

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Senior

ACC 482     Seminar: Accounting     1 to 3 Credit Hours

To provide students with an opportunity for intensive study in current areas related to the research activities and/or professional activities of faculty members. Permission of College of Business.

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Senior
Can enroll if College is Business

ACC 492     Research: Accounting     1 to 3 Credit Hours

To provide the advanced student with the opportunity to undertake a research project under the supervision of a faculty member. At least two weeks prior to registration in the term when such a course is to be elected, an interested student must submit to the dean of the school a written request for permission to elect a research course, on a form available in the school office. The request will include a description of the proposed research project. The dean will review the proposal with faculty members to ascertain availability of relevant faculty supervision and to establish appropriate credit. Permission of College of Business.

Restriction(s):
Can enroll if Class is Senior
Can enroll if College is Business

*An asterisk denotes that a course may be taken concurrently.

Frequency of Offering

The following abbreviations are used to denote the frequency of offering: (F) fall term; (W) winter term; (S) summer term; (F, W) fall and winter terms; (YR) once a year; (AY) alternating years; (OC) offered occasionally