Accounting Department

Mission

Consistent with the mission of Niagara University and the College of Business Administration, the department of accounting seeks to prepare accounting students to become professional accountants with potential for leadership roles in business, to provide all business students foundation knowledge in accounting, to challenge students to reach their potential, and to develop interest in learning as a lifelong pursuit.

Goals

To help achieve our mission, the following goals have been established:

To convey a conceptual understanding of accounting and business law and its application to the functional areas of business in the global community.
To enhance understanding of the interpretation and use of financial information for decisions in a constantly changing business environment.
To instill an understanding of the ethical responsibilities of professional accountants and the consequences of business decisions.
To help students develop a sense of professional and personal responsibility by providing opportunities for students to interact with the business community.
To develop critical thinking, communication, and interpersonal skills.
To provide a learning atmosphere that emphasizes information technology and develops computer and technical skills.

Accounting Degree Options

Currently, students with a four-year bachelor’s degree in accounting are qualified for entry-level positions in all areas of the accounting profession, including public accounting, management accounting, government, and not-for-profit organizations.

To help you achieve your educational objectives, Niagara University offers five accounting degree options:

the four-year BBA undergraduate degree in accounting;
the four+one-year BBA/MBA graduate degree in professional accountancy
the three+one-year BBA/MBA graduate degree in professional accountancy;
the MBA professional accountancy degree; and
the MBA degree with a concentration in accounting.

Four-Year BBA Degree

This undergraduate program prepares students for careers in management accounting, government, and not-for-profit organizations. Students are qualified to sit for the CPA exam, the CMA exam, and other professional exams.

BBA/MBA in Professional Accountancy (4+1 degree)

This is an integrated 154-hour program in which students earn a BBA degree after four years and an MBA degree after five years. The program prepares students for careers in public accounting, and is a New York state CPA-150 licensure-qualifying program for the CPA exam. In the first three years of the program students take a common core of accounting, business, and liberal arts courses. Students begin taking some MBA courses in the fourth year of the program, and can complete the BBA/MBA program in one additional year. Students are awarded the BBA degree after completing BBA requirements (usually four years), and the MBA degree after completing MBA requirements (one additional year). Only one year of public accounting experience and successful completion of the CPA exam are required for the CPA certification. This program also allows students to sit for the CMA and CGMA exams.

The Deloitte Distinguished Scholar Program in Accounting (3+1 degree)

This is an integrated 154 hour program where students earn a BBA after 3 years and an MBA after 4 years. This program includes courses that are complete during the summer as well as during the standard academic year. In the first 2 years students take the common core of accounting, business and the liberal arts, in the 3^rd years take 2 MBA courses and then continue on in the 4^th year to complete the MBA with a concentration in accounting. Students are award the BBA degree after completing the BBA requirement (after 3 years) and the MBA degree after completing the MBA degree requirement (generally 1 additional calendar year). One year of public accounting experience and the successful completion of the CPA exam are required for the CPA certification.

MBA in Professional Accountancy (CPA Your Way)

This graduate program is intended for students who complete an undergraduate degree in a field other than accounting or business, and who wish to qualify for the CPA exam. The program prepares students careers in public accounting, and is a New York state CPA-150 licensure-qualifying program for the CPA. Students without an undergraduate accounting or business degree would need to complete 69 graduate semester hours.

MBA with a Concentration in Accounting

This graduate program prepares graduate students for careers in management accounting, government, and not-for-profit organizations. Students are qualified to sit for the CMA and CGMA exam and other professional exams, but not the CPA exam.

Minors

Currently we offer two minors that students are encouraged to consider, which will help expand their skill set. Both minors are very relevant in today’s accounting landscape.

Fraud Examination and Economic Crime

This minor is an interdisciplinary program to introduce students to fraud examination and economic crime integrating accounting, computer, and criminal justice issues.

Data Analytics

This minor is also an interdisciplinary program to introduce students to data. It will help prepare students to handle data from collecting to analyzing and all other complexities that come with data.

Advisement

Please consult your academic adviser for assistance in preparing for the program you want. Students interested in the five-year BBA/MBA degree begin taking some MBA courses in the fourth year of the program, and usually can complete the BBA/MBA program in one additional year.

Accounting and Finance Center of Excellence

The Accounting and Finance Center of Excellence provides resources and facilities for education, engagement and research in all areas of accounting and finance. A sampling of the center's activities include:

Supporting the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) tax clinics, which provide tax support of low income and elderly individuals in the community.
Supporting the “Meet the Accounting and Finance Professionals” night. This event brings accounting and finance recruiters from all over the state to recruit our students for internships and careers.
Faculty development seminars on all areas of accounting and finance.
Speaker series and seminars on accounting and financial issues.
Support of the well-established Family Business center.

Courses

These courses can be taken by all students. ACC 111 Financial Accounting and ACC 112 Management Accounting can be taken to fulfill the analytical skills (AS) distribution requirements in the general education component, and LAW 301 Business Law I or LAW 302 Business Law II can be taken to fulfill the social science (SS) distribution requirement in the general education component. Honors sections may be offered for some courses.

ACC 111 — Financial Accounting (AS) (3 credits)

This is an introductory course which views accounting as a source of information and a tool for effective decision making. The course provides a basic understanding of the concepts of financial accounting and includes analysis and interpretation of financial reports with emphasis on their use by external parties such as stockholders and creditors. Computer/Internet applications included.

ACC 112 — Management Accounting (AS) (3 credits)

Prerequisite Take ACC 111

This introductory course focuses on accounting information as a tool for effective decision making within an organization. The course provides a basic understanding of the procedures of management accounting as a means of identifying management problems and evaluating potential solutions. It emphasizes a multi-disciplinary approach to the use of management reports by managers inside the business organization. Computer/Internet applications included.

ACC 223 — Intermediate Acc I (3 credits)

Prerequisite Must have taken ACC*112

A comprehensive study of the preparation and use of financial reports for business decisions and the role of accounting standards in the international business community. Activities that may be included in the course are ethical issues in business decisions, financial information on the Internet, research papers, group projects, class presentations, and computer spreadsheets.

ACC 224 — Intermediate Acc II (3 credits)

Prerequisite Take ACC 112

ACC 240 — VITA: Personal Tax Preparation (AS) (3 credits)

This is a hands-on tax preparation course and service learning opportunity that allows students to acquire a number of skills including client interaction, problem-solving, team work, critical thinking, and leadership that are considered valuable to entry level accounting professionals. Students will learn tax rules and regulations related to individual income taxes, and how to prepare US individual income tax returns (form 1040, with schedules A,B and CEZ) using TaxWise software. Students will update the Niagara University VITA Handbook of Policies & Procedures for Volunteers to be used in the future. Classroom learning time and VITA service is anticipated to be 70-85 hours over the semester.

ACC 302 — Accounting for Managers (AS) (3 credits)

Prerequisite Must have taken ACC 111 and ACC 112

This course covers key financial and managerial accounting concepts such as how accounting system generates accounting information and how accounting information enhances managers' decision-making process. Specifically, the course is focused on developing managers' ability to interpret accounting information, both financial and non- financial, through case studies to aid their decision-making process.

ACC 314 — Contemporary Issues in ACC: (3-6 credits)

A course involving case studies of current issues in accounting. Topics may include any area relating to accounting such as financial accounting and reporting issues, auditing, fraud, ethical issues, international accounting, government and not-for-profit accounting, legal issues, taxation, management accounting, and strategic accounting.

ACC 335 — Cost Management Systems (3 credits)

Prerequisite Must have taken ACC*112

A study of the design and use of modern cost management systems. Topics include product costing, activity-based costing and management, profit planning, performance measurement, and strategic decision making and control. Computer applications, a writing component, and group projects included.

ACC 336 — Advanced Acc (3 credits)

Prerequisite Must have taken ACC*224;

A study of the special accounting information needs of the various forms of accounting entities, whether large or small, public or private, profit or nonprofit. Topics include business combinations, multinational corporations, segment reporting, partnership accounting, bankruptcy, and estates and trusts. Computer applications included.

ACC 340 — Fraud Exam & Eco Crime (3 credits)

Prerequisite Must have taken ACC*111, ACC*112, ECO*102, CIS*232 and

This course examines forensic accounting and economic crime, integrating accounting, criminal justice and computer and information systems concepts and issues. The course includes limited accounting theory and concentrates on financial fraud, white-collar crime, how financial fraud is perpetrated, approaches to fraud investigation and documentation, and fraud detection and prevention.

ACC 346 — Auditing (SS) (3 credits)

Prerequisite Must have taken ACC*224;

A study of the theory and practice of auditing. The primary focus is on audits of the financial statements performed by independent accountants. Auditing integrates accounting standards and practices, legal liability for public accountants, and ethical expectations as prescribed in the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct, culminating in the examination of audit evidence and preparation of the auditor's report. Although ACC 224 is the prerequisite, students are advised to take auditing in their senior year. Computer applications, a writing component, and group projects included.

ACC 347 — Tax I (3 credits)

Prerequisite Must have taken ACC*112

A conceptual study of United States federal income taxation. The current income tax code as it relates to individuals, corporations, partnerships, and other taxable entities is introduced. Practical tax problems are reviewed to demonstrate the proper application of the tax code, and current issues in tax accounting and tax planning are considered. Computer applications included.

ACC 366 — Govt & Non Prof Acc (3 credits)

Prerequisite Must have taken ACC*112

A study of the special features of accounting and financial reporting for governmental and not-for-profit entities including state and local governments, health care entities, universities and colleges, public schools, voluntary health and welfare organizations, and other not-for-profit entities.

ACC 403 — Honors Thesis I (3 credits)

Individual research of a substantive nature pursued in the students major field of study. The research will conclude in a written thesis or an original project, and an oral defense.

ACC 404 — Honors Thesis II (3 credits)

Individual research of a substantive nature pursued in the students major field of study. The research will conclude in a written thesis or an original project, and an oral defense.

ACC 493 — Accounting Co-op I (6.00 credits)

A junior or senior work-study program providing relevant employment experience. The objective of the program is to integrate classroom theory and practical, work experience, thus lending relevancy to learning and providing the student with a realistic exposure to career opportunity.

ACC 495 — Accounting Co-op/Internship (6.00 credits)

ACC 496 — Accounting Co-op/Internship (6.00 credits)

2024-2025 Academic Catalog

Table of Contents

Accounting Department

Mission

Goals

Accounting Degree Options

Four-Year BBA Degree

BBA/MBA in Professional Accountancy (4+1 degree)

The Deloitte Distinguished Scholar Program in Accounting (3+1 degree)

MBA in Professional Accountancy (CPA Your Way)

MBA with a Concentration in Accounting

Minors

Fraud Examination and Economic Crime

Data Analytics

Advisement

Accounting and Finance Center of Excellence

Bachelors

Minor

Courses

Print Options