Accounting is of major importance to organizations in today’s business environment. It is used to provide quantitative information, primarily financial in nature, about economic entities that are intended to be useful in making business decisions.

The role of today’s accountant extends well beyond the traditional duties of bookkeeper, encompassing a wide range of financial activities including planning, analysis, and problem solving. Contemporary accounting focuses on the ultimate needs of the users of financial information and provides information to assist these users in making reasoned choices among financial alternatives. Majors in accounting will be exposed to all aspects of the accounting profession, including financial and managerial accounting, cost accounting, income taxes and auditing. Courses are also offered in other accounting areas of interest.

The Accounting Program is flexibly designed to meet the needs of students who wish to prepare for the CPA Exam (150 credit requirement) and those who wish to pursue other career paths. Students are prepared for graduate studies in accounting, finance, management, public administration, international business, and law.

Each student is assigned a personal advisor from among the accounting faculty and receives personal attention regarding educational and career guidance. This includes information on corporate job opportunities, CPA certification, on-campus interviews, and an internship program available with large and small accounting firms.

The major leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.

The Accounting Program provides a foundation which the graduate can use to pursue a number of different career paths. These include public accounting (CPA), corporate accounting, and international accounting. An accounting degree also provides a solid foundation for career paths in government, finance, and management.

The full-time Accounting faculty includes eight members, five of whom Certified Public Accountants and four with a Doctorate in Accounting. In addition, the faculty has a broad and varied range of professional accounting and related business experience. This experience enables the faculty to share both the theoretical and practical aspects of accounting with students. All faculty members participate in continuing professional education programs in order to stay proficient in contemporary issues.

Goal 1: Communication: Our students will demonstrate effective oral and written communication using appropriate current technology.

Outcome 1: Students will deliver well prepared oral presentations.

Outcome 2: Students will compose well written business documents.

Goal 2: Ethics: Our students will consider the moral implications of business actions and processes, and propose ethically sound solutions.

Outcome 1: Students will detect ethical dilemmas and offer potential alternatives and solutions.

Goal 3: Foundation: Our students will have a broad-based knowledge in the functional areas of business.

Outcome 1: Students will comprehend principles and practices in key business disciplines.

Goal 4: Perspectives: Our students will consider diverse points of view and apply them towards issue resolution.

Outcome 1: Students will be able to identify and analyze different points of view when seeking to resolve business-related issues.

Goal 5: Our students will be critical thinkers and decision makers able to use qualitative and quantitative methods.

Outcome 1: Students will be able to identify and analyze problems and opportunities, generate alternatives, and recognize appropriate solutions.

Goal 6: Reasoning (in the discipline) – Accounting majors will be critical thinkers and decision makers able to use qualitative and quantitative methods.

Outcome 1:  Students will be able to apply Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the financial reporting process.

Outcome 2: Students will be able to apply Generally Accepted Auditing Standards within the framework of an audit procedure.

Outcome 3:  Students will be able to apply Internal Revenue Code into the tax preparation process.

1. Transfer students who have 48 or more credits accepted at the time of transfer are waived from the courses marked with a (W) below.  Waivers do not apply Major Requirements.
2. Double counting between General Education, School Core, and Major may be possible.  Check with your advisor to see if any apply.
3. Writing Intensive Requirement (two general education courses and participation in the ASB Business Writing Across the Curriculum (BWAC) program):  two writing intensive courses in the general education curriculum are required: Critical Reading and Writing and Studies in the Arts and Humanities; the rest of the Writing Intensive Requirement is met by participation in the ASB BWAC program.
4. Not all courses are offered each semester.  Please check the current Schedule of Classes for semester course offerings.
5. The Career Pathways Program requirements must be completed prior to graduation.  Visit the Cahill Career Center/ASB Office.

ACCOUNTING MAJOR

Note: A 2.0 GPA in the major is required for graduation, which includes ASB core requirements and upper level major requirements.

At least 1/2 of the courses fulfilling a minor must be distinct from the student’s major. That is, three of the six courses required for a minor cannot be used towards fulfillment of major requirements. A school core does not need to be completed for a minor. Minors are open to students regardless of school affiliation.

The goal of the minor program in Accounting is to provide Ramapo College students with an option to develop a competency in the field of accounting which will complement their major program of study. Students with a minor in Accounting will be better prepared to work in their major fields because accounting is an integral part of all aspects of business. The importance of financial statements to a finance, marketing, management, economics, international business or information systems major is a primary reason for business students to participate in the program

A minor degree program in Accounting would consist of four (4) upper level accounting courses plus ACCT 221 Principles of Financial Accounting and ACCT 222 Principles of Managerial Accounting, both required courses for all ASB students

The program requirements are the following:

ACCOUNTING MINOR

For more information, please contact Professor Tim Burns, Convener, Accounting, Room ASB-109B, (201) 684-7390 or tburns1@ramapo.edu

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