The Accounting Professional program provides students the basic competencies involved in an accounting or financial role for small businesses or in a support role for CPAs and other accounting professionals in a larger firm. An in-depth understanding of accounting principles will ensure professionals have the skills necessary to undertake the tasks and analysis required to work as an entry-level professional, provide bookkeeping services to small businesses of all sorts, liaise between small businesses and their accounting firms or support a team of accounting professionals.

Any successful business owner can tell you that proper accounting is one of the most important aspects of their entire organization. Proper accounting is essential to the effective functioning and success of any small business and the leadership teams in these companies depend entirely on their accounting staff to track and report the overall health of the company from day to day, quarter to quarter and year to year. Staff who understanding how to calculate the essential accounting data for a company have the skills to properly advise leadership on the business decisions they need to make.

Apart from the CPA who prepares the formal tax filings, the skills students gain from the Accounting and Finance Professional Program will ensure they're prepared for the lead accounting and financial position with any small business or effectively assist on a sophisticated accounting and finance team. The theory and practical skills combined in this Program will ensure students come away with the essentials of accounting, business math and statistics with a fundamental understanding of finance and business law. Students who complete the Accounting Professional Program will have the skills necessary for success in these positions starting from day one on the job!

Program Objectives

After completing this program, learners will be able to:

• Define terms related to business accounting
• Apply accounting concepts and principles
• Prepare financial statements
• Analyze financial statements for decision making
• Evaluate internal controls
• Account for partnership transactions
• Differentiate international financial reporting standards from generally accepted accounting principles
• Define terms related to business accounting
• Apply a working knowledge of accounting concepts and principles
• Demonstrate the ability to prepare and understand corporate financial statements
• Analyze financial statements using various ratios and tools
• Describe long-term liabilities
• Examine concepts related to managerial accounting
• Examine how managers use financial information to guide important decisions
• Apply concepts related to managerial accounting
• Prepare and analyze various types of budgets
• Differentiate international financial reporting standards from generally accepted accounting principles
• Use Microsoft Office

Certification Opportunities

After completing this program, learners will have the opportunity to take the leading national/industry-recognized certification exam(s) essential to entry-level employment in this fast-growing field.

National Workforce Career Association (NWCA) Accounting Professional (ACCT-P)

Optional Volunteer Externship Opportunity

Students who complete this program are eligible to participate in an optional volunteer externship opportunity with a local company/agency/organization whose work aligns with this area of study in order to gain valuable hands-on experience.  As students progress through their eLearning program, an Externship Coordinator will reach out to coordinate placement.

Note: Additional documentation including health records, immunizations, drug-screening, criminal background checks, etc. may be required by the externship facility.