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College
College of Business Administration

Department
Department of Accounting

Room 550, Business Administration Building
E-mail: accounting@kent.edu
Tel: 330-672-2545
Fax: 330-672-2548
Web: business.kent.edu/departments/accounting

Description

The Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting is designed to provide students with a solid foundation in accounting theory and practice necessary for entry-level accounting positions and career advancement. It encompasses a common body of concepts, conventions, principles and theories essential to the professional competency of the certified public accountant, controller, industrial accountant, institutional accountant and governmental accountant.

In addition to the above program that leads to the bachelor's degree, the department offers a five-year program that leads to both the Bachelor of Business Administration and the Master of Science in Accounting degrees. The two-degree, five-year program meets the requirements for admission of graduates to the Certified Public Accountant's Examination (Section 4701 of the Ohio General Code after Jan. 1, 2000). Requirements differ in different states, and students should check with the state board of accountancy for requirements. For more details on the Master of Science in Accounting program, which is the fifth year of the five-year program, students should examine the Graduate Schools Bulletin, or contact the Graduate Programs Office (room A310, Business Administration Building).

Career Opportunities

Accountants and auditors held about 1.2 million jobs in 2012. They worked throughout private industry and government, but 25 percent of accountants and auditors worked for accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services firms.

Most accountants and auditors work in urban areas, where public accounting firms and central or regional offices of businesses are concentrated.

Some individuals with backgrounds in accounting and auditing are full-time college and university faculty; others teach part time while working as self-employed accountants or as accountants for private industry or in government.

Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks held about 1.7 million jobs in 2012. They work in nearly all industries and at all levels of government. State and local government, educational services, healthcare, and the accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services industries are among the individual industries employing the largest numbers of these clerks.

(Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Admission Requirements

Freshman Students: Must meet the requirements for admission to Kent State University. The students most likely to be admitted and succeed at the Kent Campus are those who have graduated with at least 16 units of the recommended college preparatory curriculum in high school, who have achieved a cumulative high school grade point average of 2.5 or higher (on a 4.0 scale), and whose composite ACT score is 21 or better (980 combined critical reading + math SAT score).

Transfer Students: A cumulative GPA of at least 2.50 is required. Students who have completed (or the equivalent of) COMM 15000, ENG 21011, MATH 11010 (or placement out of ENG 11011 and/or MATH 11010) must have earned a minimum C (2.00) grade; students who have completed ACCT 23020 and ACCT 23021 must have earned a minimum B- (2.70)  grade in both courses. If a student does not have at least a B- in both ACCT 23020 and ACCT 23021 but the student does have an average GPA of at least a 2.7 in ACCT 23020 and 23021, the student can apply to the Accounting Department to be considered for an override to be admitted to junior level accounting courses.

Progression in the major: Minimum 2.500 cumulative GPA, minimum C (2.000) grade in COMM 15000, ENG 21011, MATH 11010 and minimum B- (2.700) grade in ACCT 23020 and ACCT 23021.

Graduation Requirements

Minimum 120 total credit hours  and  39 upper-division hours for graduation. Minimum 2.500 GPA overall and 2.500 GPA in major required for graduation. Minimum B- (2.700) grade in both ACCT 23020 and ACCT 23021. If a student does not have at least a B- in both ACCT 23020 and ACCT 23021 but the student does have an average GPA of at least 2.700 in ACCT 23020 and ACCT 23021, the student can apply to the Accounting Department for an override to admitted to junior level accounting courses. Minimum C (2.000) grade is required in COMM 15000, ENG 21011 and MATH 11010 (or placement out of MATH 11010). Minimum C (2.000) grade is required in ACCT 33001, 33004, 33010, 33012 and 43010.

Program Learning Outcomes

The learning objectives for the Bachelor of Business Administration degree are as follows:

  1. Our students will have a thorough understanding of various organizational and market activities and processes to be able to systematically analyze, interpret and apply to make business decisions
  2. Our student will have the ability to articulate and communicate business knowledge and skill necessary to enter the economy as business professional
  3. Our students will be able to recognize and analyze ethical problems to make ethical business choices.
  4. Our students will understand the impact of globalization on business decisions in organizations.
Study Abroad/Away Opportunities

There are many study abroad/away opportunities, for more information contact the Office of Global Education.

Student Organizations

Beta Alpha Psi; The Accounting Association; Delta Sigma Pi

Advanced Degree Programs

Accounting (M.S.A.), Master of Business Administration: Accounting; Finance (M.B.A.)