School of Accountancy

Return to: Jon M. Huntsman School of Business

Department Head: Christopher Skousen
Location: Eccles Business Building (EBB) 815
Phone: (435) 797-2429
FAX: (435) 797-1475
Website: huntsman.usu.edu/acct/

Undergraduate Advisor:
Myra Durrant, EBB 309, (435) 797-2272, myra.durrant@usu.edu

Director of Graduate Accounting Programs:
Brad Lindsey, EBB 804, (435) 797-4126, brad.lindsey@usu.edu

Degrees Offered:

Majors: Bachelor of Science (BS), Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Accounting

Undergraduate Minors: Accounting

Graduate Programs: Master of Accounting (MAcc)

Assessment

Full details of the learning objectives, assessment plan, student outcomes, and evidence of continuous improvement for these programs of study can be found at huntsman.usu.edu/soaassessment/index.

Department Mission Statement

“We achieve excellence in accounting education by providing an engaged learning experience, enabling our students to distinguish themselves as ethical, dedicated, and successful business professionals.”  

Guiding Principles
The following eight values guide us in accomplishing our mission:

• Integrity: We expect adherence to the highest standards of honesty, personal accountability, and ethical behavior from our faculty and our students. 
• Respect: We promote the fair treatment of individuals and aspire to an increased global vision by respecting, experiencing, and learning from diverse points of view. 
• Teaching: We seek to disseminate accounting, information technology, and business knowledge in dynamic and creative ways to our students and business community. 
• Discovery: We are committed to producing new and relevant educational and business ideas and to a process of lifelong learning for ourselves and our students.
• Stakeholders: We value the diverse contributions received from our students, faculty, alumni, employers, and business community.
• Rigor: We seek to create rigorous learning activities that challenge our students to be well-rounded critical thinkers and communicators, capable of undertaking leadership roles.
• Global Vision: We embrace the opportunities resulting from an increasingly dynamic and interconnected global business environment.
• Resources: We seek continual improvement in our financial strength and national prominence.  

Financial Assistance

The Huntsman School offers scholarships to undergraduate students.  Each graduate program has unique scholarship, fellowship, assistantship and waivers that are available.  Details about offerings are available at huntsman.usu.edu/future-students/scholarships.

Undergraduate Program Requirements

Huntsman School of Business Admission Requirements

All students with majors in the School of Accountancy must satisfy Huntsman School of Business admission requirements. Academic advising about these requirements is available in the Huntsman School’s FJ Management Center for Student Success in EBB 309.

All students enrolled at USU are required to satisfy the General Education requirements and University Studies Depth Education requirements of the University.

Matriculation Requirement and Transfer Limitation

USU Credits and Business Credits

At least 30 of the last 60 semester credits must be taken from Utah State University, at least 20 of which must be completed in upper-division courses, of which at least 10 credits must be completed in courses required by the student’s major. At least 50 percent of the Huntsman School credits required for a Huntsman School degree must be taken from the Utah State University Huntsman School or its departments, which include: School of Accountancy, Economics and Finance, Management, and Management Information Systems. At least 12 credits of 3000-level or above accounting courses must be completed through the USU School of Accountancy.

Accounting Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the Huntsman School of Business requirements, students must have achieved an overall GPA of 2.0 or higher, complete ACCT 2010  (with a grade of B or better), ACCT 2020 , and DATA 2100 .

General Instructions for all Accounting Majors

Since some accounting courses are not offered every semester and many have prerequisites, students should plan their program at least a year ahead.

Internships

Accounting students are strongly encouraged to consider obtaining practical training via formal internships. Increasingly, professional placement opportunities upon graduation are found through participation in the internship program options. Some of the internship opportunities may require absence from campus for a semester, oftentimes during the January to April time period. Therefore, students should consult with their academic advisor and internship coordinator early in their academic career, in order to establish a proper curriculum plan enabling them to take full advantage of internship opportunities with the least disruption to their academic schedule and progress.

Graduation Requirements

To be recommended by the department for graduation, majors in the School of Accountancy must have a grade point average of at least 2.50 in their upper-division Huntsman School of Business acumen and major requirement courses, a C or better in HSB business acumen courses, at least a 2.50 GPA in ACCT courses, and an overall GPA of 2.0. This includes transfer credits. At least fifty percent of the business credits required for a business degree must be taken on the Utah State University campus or at a designated residence center.

Four-Year Degree Plan (8 Semesters)

A four-year degree plan for the Accounting major can be found in the catalog  and on the major overview page at huntsman.usu.edu/advising/majors/accounting_major.

Second Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting

Students seeking a second bachelor’s degree in accounting must be approved by the School of Accountancy, must achieve an accounting and overall grade point average of 2.5, and must complete the course of study listed above for an accounting major. For further information, refer to the Second Bachelor’s Degree, in the Bachelor’s Degree Requirements section.

Graduate Program

The Master of Accounting (MAcc) program provides greater breadth and depth in accounting, auditing, and taxation to develop the level of understanding, skill, and leadership ability necessary to enter professional accountancy and related business careers. This program fulfills the 150-hour education requirement for CPA certification in Utah and most U.S. jurisdictions.

Admission Requirements

Candidates are considered based on their demonstrated excellence in their undergraduate degree program. A minimum GPA of 3.0 or better for the last 60 semester credits of undergraduate work is required for consideration. The minimum undergraduate accounting core GPA must also be 3.0. Official GMAT scores (not required) may be provided for consideration for merit-based tuition waivers such as the Excellence waiver. Letters of recommendation, professional experience, professional certification, and leadership are also considered in admission decisions. Students may apply for admission during their junior year of baccalaureate study. USU accounting students may take graduate courses during their last year of undergraduate study, provided prerequisite courses have been completed, they have been admitted into a graduate program, they have approval from the MAcc advisor, and a split registration form is approved by the dean of the School of Graduate Studies.

Students with the equivalent of a USU undergraduate degree in Accounting have completed all of the preparatory work for graduate study. Students with less than the equivalent of the undergraduate program are expected to make up the deficiencies. The director of Graduate Accounting Programs will assist in necessary program scheduling.

Graduate students are expected to maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 to remain in the program.

Complete information relative to the details of the program and course scheduling is available from the School of Accountancy.

Financial Assistance

Financial assistance is available in the form of President’s Fellowships, Graduate School Fellowships, graduate assistantships, and special School of Accountancy scholarships. Applications for assistance should be made after the application for admission to the School of Graduate Studies is filed but before March 1 of each year. Application forms are available from the School of Accountancy, and the awards are normally announced by April 15.

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Return to: Jon M. Huntsman School of Business