Accounting

Accounting Major

The Department of Accounting within the College of Business and Public Management offers a full program of accounting courses to enable students to start careers in both the public and private accounting sectors.

West Chester University has always been reputed for its teaching excellence. The School of Business faculty members are an integral part of this tradition. The commitment of our faculty members to teaching excellence directly facilitates the success of our students.

Our experience in the past decade has indicated that students who successfully complete the B.S. in Accounting program are adequately prepared to succeed on the first attempt at the CPA and CMA examinations immediately after graduation.

The accounting department also works with students to help meet the recent Pennsylvania requirement of obtaining 150 credit hours to receive the CPA certificate. Since students have a variety of options for the extra thirty credits, meeting with a faculty member is beneficial.

The accounting curriculum is sufficiently broad to facilitate a career choice in business, government, consulting and public accounting. The curriculum also has adequate depth to provide students with a solid foundation to successfully attempt the CPA and CMA examinations or pursue advanced degrees in any of the business disciplines.

The business program at WCU is designed to meet AACSB standards. Consequently, the general education requirements for accounting majors exceed the general university requirements.

Our AACSB accreditation status indicates that we voluntarily commit to participate in a systematic program of quality enhancement and continuous improvement.

The West Chester University Department of Accounting, in collaboration with the Department of Mathematics, is pleased to announce its Accelerated B.S. in Accounting to M.S. in Applied Statistics program.  Students are able to seamlessly complete their bachelor’s degree in accounting, while taking graduate classes as an undergraduate, to earn a master’s degree in applied statistics, and satisfy the 150-college credit requirement in five years.  Please contact Dr. Richard Barndt at RBarndt@wcupa.edu for more details.

Accounting Minor

Accounting is the language of business. The role of the accountant is to take both financial and non-financial data and transform it into usable information that enables management, investors, creditors, and government agencies to make competent, informed decisions. Open to business and non-business students, the Minor in Accounting is for students who want to better understand the basic business foundations, financial statements, and the accountant’s role in the management of an entity.

There are opportunities for students to obtain a Minor in Accounting. With proactive planning, it is possible for a student to meet the requirements for this minor within a four-year period. Students who are interested in the Minor in Accounting program are advised to contact their academic advisors as early as possible for guidance.

White Collar Crime Minor

“White collar crime” is a term used to describe a broad range of non-violent and financially motivated criminal activity which is perpetrated primarily by business or government professionals. The Minor in White Collar Crime is a blend of accounting and criminal justice courses selected to provide students with a basic understanding of the various types of white collar crime including fraud and corruption. Emphasis is placed on prevention, detection, investigation, and resolution of white collar offenses.

There are opportunities for students to obtain a white collar crime minor. With proactive planning, it is possible for a student to meet the requirements for this minor within a four-year period. Students who are interested in the white collar crime minor are advised to contact their academic advisors as early as possible for guidance.