Accounting, B.S.

Degree Type
Bachelor of Science

Admission Requirements

Students who wish to pursue an accounting degree at Old Westbury must first be admitted into the School of Business. Admission to any of the academic departments within the School of Business is a separate process that occurs after admission to SUNY Old Westbury.  The University's admission process is conducted through the Office of Enrollment Management and requires that official copies of all prior transcripts be sent directly to the Office of Enrollment Management.

Students may seek admission to the School of Business through its Office of the Undergraduate Programs once they have completed at least 32 undergraduate credits.  Admission to the Accounting program requires a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above.  The main objective of this program is to provide analytical skills and knowledge to enter any branch of the accounting profession with the primary focus of students' studies in the area of Public Accounting. 

Career Opportunities

Graduates with an accounting degree will competitively qualify for positions in public accounting, private accounting, government and not-for-profit organizations.
 
While SUNY Old Westbury offers a B.S. degree in accounting, a student who wishes to be licensed as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in New York State must now meet a more extensive education requirement. This generally requires completion of a 150-credit hour program of study.  Students who complete both their B.S. degree in Accounting and either their M.S. degree in Accounting or M.S. degree in Taxation at Old Westbury will satisfy this requirement.   The national CPA exam provides an objective evaluation of the preparation level of students for public accounting. 
Curriculum

A. Liberal Education Curriculum and Freshman Seminar

B. Courses in Accounting and Business

Accounting Courses Required:

  • BU3502 Principles of Accounting I 3cr.
  • BU3511 Principles of Accounting II 3cr.
  • BU4500 Intermediate Accounting I
  • BU4510 Intermediate Accounting II
  • BU4570 Federal Income Tax I
  • BU4590 Cost Accounting
  • BU5505 Essentials Government Non/Profit 2cr.
  • BU5525 International Accounting 2cr.
  • BU5540 Advanced Accounting
  • BU5550 Auditing

Accounting elective(s) (minimum 2 credits):

  • BU5520 Financial Accounting Research 2cr.
  • BU5555 Accounting Information Systems 2cr.
  • BU5560 Financial Statement Analysis 2cr.

Total Accounting Credits 36 cr.

Business Courses Required:

  • MA2000 Applied Statistics
  • BU3600 Principles of Business Law 2cr.
  • BU3605 Intermediate Business Law 2cr.
  • BU3610 Advanced Business Law 2cr.
  • BU3800 Marketing Principles
  • BU4110 Organizational Behavior & Management
  • BU4762 Financial Management
  • BU5115 Operations Management
  • BU5190 Business Strategy & Policy

Total Accounting/Business Credits 66 cr.

C. Liberal Arts Requirement: 18 cr.

  • PE2420 Principles of Microeconomics (GE)
  • PE2430 Principles of Macroeconomics
  • BU3071 Information Technology & Application
  • MA2300 Calculus for Business & Economics (GE)
  • BU3905 Business Communication 2cr.

D. Business or Liberal Arts Electives