Accounting and Finance

Dr. Rhonda Richards, Chair
Dr. Cody Bogard; Mr. JP Anderson; Dr. George Collier; Dr. Ying-Chou Lin; Dr. Stephanie Metts; Dr. Carol Sullivan; Dr. Arthur Tran; Dr. Hanzhi Xu; Dr. Elizabeth Whitlow

Accounting

The primary mission of the Department of Accounting and Finance is to offer baccalaureate programs in accounting and finance which are designed to provide high-quality academic education as well as practical experiences. The department is dedicated to preparing students to be successful in a diverse, ever-changing, and globally competitive environment. Additionally, these programs encourage students to develop an interest in lifelong learning.

The accounting program will prepare graduates to meet the many challenges of today’s complex business environment. Accounting professionals play a critical role in a wide variety of public accounting firms, businesses, government organizations, and not-for-profit institutions. The major goal of the accounting program is to offer a broad-based academic background to prepare graduates for entry into the accounting profession.

Finance

The primary mission of the finance program is to prepare students for the practical and professional aspects of the practice of finance. The finance curriculum is designed to provide students with broad, in-depth knowledge so that they may choose from a variety of finance careers. The curriculum’s foundation gives students the ability to recognize finance principles and terms, which facilitates their appreciation of the interrelationships among business disciplines and their ability to participate meaningfully in discussions about finance and finance-related issues. The program provides students with the flexibility to focus their program to prepare for positions such as financial analysts, financial services professionals, or corporate finance.

Note: The Bachelor of Business Administration program in Accounting and in Finance requires that students achieve a minimum grade of C (2.0) in all business core classes as well as a 2.3 GPA in the major. The University GPA requirements for graduation are listed in the Baccalaureate Degrees and Requirements section.