Accounting, B.B.A.

The Accounting major prepares students for careers in financial reporting, managerial accounting, taxation, and general business. Students obtaining accounting degrees from this institution pursue careers in public accounting, controlling, finance, sales, and general management. They are employed by public accounting firms, industrial companies, financial companies, and government agencies. Accounting students are exposed to the traditional accounting fields such as auditing, information systems, generally accepted practices, law, taxation, and cost determination. The program is designed so students can prepare for the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) Examination. The program follows the prescribed Alabama State Board of Accountancy curricular recommendations.

Business Core

Admission Policy

Freshmen admitted with either an American College Testing Program (ACT) composite score of less than 18 or a Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) combined score of less than 800 must successfully complete ENG 101 and 102 and 144 , 147 , 154 , or higher to be eligible for enrollment in the Stephens COB. Current University students changing to a business major, transfer students, and non-Stephens COB students being readmitted to the University must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 based on a 4.0 scale in order to be eligible for admission to the Stephens COB.

Academic Regulations

Business majors must schedule freshman English and mathematics each semester until course requirements are successfully completed.
To graduate, a Business major must:

a. attain a minimum 2.0 GPA in the basic business core and a minimum 2.0 GPA on all business courses attempted in the major and

b. complete the last 18 semester hours in the basic business core and the last 15 semester hours in the major at UM in the Stephens COB.

Transfer students should follow the program of study outlined for B.B.A. candidates at the University during the freshman and sophomore years at other institutions.

a. The dean of the College determines eligible transfer credit that applies toward business degrees.

b. Transfer students must schedule freshman and sophomore course deficiencies each semester until successfully completed.

General Education Core

Students seeking an undergraduate degree at UM must complete a 50-semester-hour General Education curriculum that includes courses in English, history, mathematics, the natural sciences, social sciences, fine arts, oral and written communication, and personal development.

The minimum requirements are included in the Academic Programs and Policies chapter of this Bulletin, under the degree requirements section.

All Business majors must take EC 231 and 232 , which fulfill 6 hours of the History, Social, and Behavioral Sciences component of the General Education curriculum.

MIS 161 satisfies the General Education requirement for Personal Development.

Business Core

Students seeking the B.B.A. degree must complete the 36-semester-hour business core, 18 or more hours in their majors, plus sufficient electives after consultation with their adviser to complete at least 120 hours required for graduation. The Business Core requirements are:

Accounting Requirements

Three electives from:

Business Elective

Business Elective 300/400 level (3 credit hours)

CPA prerequisites:

A student who intends to sit for the CPA in Alabama must complete:

Accounting electives AC 425 *, AC 427 *, and AC 428 *;
Six additional Accounting course hours to meet the 150-hours requirement of the State of Alabama accountancy law.

* Two of the courses noted by an asterisk may be taken at the graduate level within the M.B.A. program.

Accounting Majors seeking a dual degree path

The Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy’s postsecondary educational hours requirement before a candidate can sit for the Uniform CPA examination is a total of 150 completed hours. In addition, the Board requires 33 specific accounting hours at the upper division undergraduate and/or graduate level.

A student may obtain an undergraduate accounting degree with 120 credit hours and an M.B.A. degree with 30 graduate credit hours. A student who declares the graduate path towards fulfillment of the Board’s post-secondary educational hours requirement may opt to complete two of four cross-listed accounting courses (AC 525, AC 527, AC 528, AC 581) at the graduate level and complete the remaining required M.B.A. courses. Dual degree students completing one or more of the four cross-listed accounting courses at the graduate level may opt out of AC 522.