Dec 03, 2024  
2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Undergraduate Catalog This is not the most recent catalog version; be sure you are viewing the appropriate catalog year.

Accounting [BBA + MS]


This combined degree program prepares students for careers in public accounting, industry and governmental and nonprofit entities. Certified Public Accountants (CPA) candidates must have completed 150 hours of education before admission as members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and to be licensed as a CPA in most states.

Learn

All business students at Eastern Michigan University are required to take a Business Core that provides basic knowledge in statistics, accounting and finance principles, information systems, law, management, marketing, operations management and business policy.

Accounting majors take advanced courses in financial accounting, managerial accounting, tax accounting, accounting information systems, governmental accounting, and internal auditing. The courses provide students with the knowledge and skills needed to identify, measure, collect, analyze and communicate economic information to permit informed judgments and decisions by managers in various organizations and outside users of accounting information. Educational objectives of the combined BBA-MS program are based on those articulated by the AICPA Core Competency Framework. Students develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes required to enter the public accounting profession, as well as high-level accounting positions in other organizations.

Opportunities

An Accounting Major offers a diverse set of opportunities in all types of organizations: for-profit, non-profit, and local and federal government agencies. Accounting majors generally start their careers in Public Accounting Firms as Staff Accountant and may progress all the way to Partner. Other opportunities may include Accounting Manager, Internal and External Auditor, Tax Accountant and Manager, Information Systems Analyst. An accounting degree is a good opportunity to work one’s way up the corporate ladder, as many top officers have accounting backgrounds.

Department Information


Accounting & Finance | Philip Lewis, Ph.D., Interim Department Head | 406 Owen, 734.487.3320, plewis4@emich.edu

Advisor Information


College of Business Academic Services, 306 Owen, 734.487.2344, cob.undergraduate@emich.edu (Make an Appointment)

Faculty Advisors

Dan Brickner, 734.487.0075, dbrickner@emich.edu

Howard Bunsis, 734.487.2519, hbunsis@emich.edu

Phil Lewis, 734.487.1311, plewis4@emich.edu

Lois Mahoney, 734.487.0157, lmahone1@emich.edu

Barb Ross, 734.487.2349, bwadding@emich.edu

Program Admission


Following are the minimal standards for admission to the combined degree program. Generally, each item should be satisfied, though the candidate’s overall record is considered. Transfer credits and grades will be evaluated in terms of Eastern Michigan University equivalency.

Undergraduate Degree -


The requirements listed below will appear on a student’s undergraduate transcript.

For the undergraduate portion of this program, students must earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level or above.

General Education Requirements:


For specific requirements, see General Education  or print a worksheet .  

Major Requirements: 60 hours


Business Core: 36 hours


Minor Requirement:


This major does not require a minor.

Graduate Degree -


The requirements listed below will appear on a student’s graduate transcript.

Degree Requirements: 24 hours


  • Students must have a 3.0 GPA and a (GMAT score of 500 or higher OR GRE score of 306 or higher) to be admitted to the graduate portion of the program.
  • Students must be admitted to the graduate portion of the program before registering for courses in the graduate section of this program of study.
  • Students planning on taking the CPA exam must take ACC 546 .

Required Accounting Courses: 6 hours

Restricted Elective Accounting Courses: 12 hours

Choose twelve credit hours from the following

Restricted Elective Courses: 6 hours

Select six credit hours from any combination of 500- to 600- level ACC, COB, DS, FIN, IB, IS, OM, MGMT, MKTG, LAW, or SCM courses, with advisor approval.

Combined Program Total: 150 hours


Critical Graduation Information


Each undergraduate student will be responsible for the fulfillment of the requirements or their equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration at a college or university or a subsequent catalog including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

In the event an undergraduate student does not complete the degree requirements within seven years of the date of their original registration at a college or university, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their major/minor in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all bachelor’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some majors and minors require more than the minimum in one or more of the areas below; students are urged to consult the online catalog for the requirements of their particular programs.

  • Earn a minimum total of 124 credits at the 100-level and above. Courses with numbers below 100 will not be counted toward this degree requirement. At most 8 credit hours of physical education (PEGN) activity courses will be counted toward this requirement.
  • Meet the requirements of the General Education program (see information below).
  • Complete a Writing Intensive (GEWI) Course in your major.
  • Earn a minimum of 60 credits from a four-year college or university; courses taken at community colleges cannot be used to meet this requirement. (Some formal program-to-program articulation agreements modify this requirement. See specific agreements for details.)
  • Earn a minimum of 30 credits from courses taken at EMU.
  • Complete 10 of the last 30 hours for the degree from courses taken at EMU.
  • Have a minimum of 30 unique credit hours in their major and 20 unique credit hours in their minor for a total of at least 50 unique credit hours between them. Some majors that require 50 or more hours themselves do not require a minor; students should check requirements of the selected major in the undergraduate catalog to see if a minor is required.
  • Earn no more than 60 credit hours in one subject area (prefix). Credits in excess of the 60 maximum will not be counted toward the minimum of 124 credits required for a bachelor’s degree.
  • Earn the minimum number of credits in 300-level and above courses in each major and minor as specified below - these credits must be earned in distinct courses; that is, no course can be used to fulfill this requirement in more than one major or minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 6 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each minor
    • Earn a minimum of 9 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that requires a minor.
    • Earn a minimum of 15 credits in 300-level or higher courses at EMU in each major that does not require a minor
  • Transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken at colleges and universities that are accredited by one of the recognized regional accrediting bodies only if the courses are college-level (equated to 100-level or above at EMU) and the student earned a “C” (or 2.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Transfer credit may be awarded on a case-by-case basis for college-level courses in which a “C” (2.0) or better was earned at institutions outside the U.S. or at non-accredited U.S. institutions; individual departments/schools conduct the internal review of such courses within EMU, and additional documentation may be required. Please note: EMU awards only credit for transferred courses; grades are not used in the calculation of an EMU GPA.
  • Earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in courses taken at EMU in order to graduate. In addition, a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 must be reached in each major and minor. Only courses taken at EMU and those applied to a student’s major or minor will be used in the calculation of their major and minor cumulative GPAs. (Note: some programs may require a higher GPA - check with your program advisor.)

General Education Requirements EMU’s General Education Program requires students to choose from a menu of approved courses in several different areas; do not assume that other courses in the same department or with similar names will fulfill these requirements. A detailed description of General Education requirements is available in the General Education  section of the catalog.

Students who transferred to EMU may have modified general education requirements based on Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) or articulation agreements; consult your academic advisor for additional information.