Department of Accounting

309 Anderson Hall
610-436-2812

Lori R. Fuller, Chairperson

PROFESSORS: Cataldo, Derstine, Fuller, Tomkowicz

ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS: Flynn, Halsey, Oehlers

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR: Barndt

INSTRUCTORS: Belak, Soltis

The primary objective of the Department of Accounting is to provide quality academic instruction and advising to students enrolled in business programs. For the accounting major, the department prepares students to be professional accountants by providing the skills and knowledge necessary to perform competitively on national certification examinations, and to be proficient in performing a wide variety of accounting-related tasks in both public accounting and industry, as well as assume leadership roles in accounting and business.

The department prepares accounting graduates to

  • understand basic accounting concepts;
  • critically analyze accounting problems and develop solutions;
  • use quantitative methods and technology to analyze accounting problems;
  • effectively communicate information of an accounting nature through written and oral presentation;
  • effectively interact with others as part of a team;
  • understand the importance of ethical decision making in accounting; and
  • understand the impact of globalization on accounting.

The Department of Accounting offers a full program of accounting courses designed to prepare a student for entrance into the fields of public, private, or governmental accounting. Students successfully completing the curriculum should be adequately prepared to take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) examinations.

The following applies for students entering into the accounting major:

  • All freshmen, external transfer students, and current WCU students who have not completed all prerequisites will be admitted to the pre-business accounting major and be advised by pre-business counselors.
  • Current WCU students who complete all prerequisites will be admitted into the accounting major once grades are posted.

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE – ACCOUNTING

120 semester hours

  1. General ed requirements, see pages 37-44 (48 semester hours)
    Includes ECO 111*; MAT 105* or 107* or 108* or 110* or 161*;
    PHI 101 or 150 or 180; SPK 208* or 230*;
    and nine semester hours of student electives
    * A minimum grade of C must be attained in each of these courses.
  2. Business core (36 semester hours)
    ACC 201*, 202*; BLA 201*; ECO 112*, 251*, 252*; FIN 325*;
    MGT 200*, 313*, 341*, 499*; MKT 325*
    * A minimum grade of C must be attained in each of these courses.
  3. Other required courses (3 semester hours)
    MAT 108 or 161 (If either of these MAT
    courses is completed with a grade of C or
    better to fulfill general requirements, then a
    free elective may be substituted.)
  4. Accounting major courses (27 semester hours)
    ACC 301*, 302*, 303*, 305*, 401*, 403*, 404*,
    405*, 407*, 420*
    * A minimum grade of C must be attained in each of these courses
  5. Free electives (3 semester hours)

A minimum of 30 semester hours in business courses must be completed at West Chester University, with a minimum of 15 semester hours in 300-400 level ACC courses.

To enroll in 400-level courses, the following courses must have been successfully completed: ACC 202; ECO 251, 252; MAT 108 or 161. All internal and external transfers must complete ACC 201, ECO 111, ECO 112, and MAT 105, 107, 108, 110 or 161 with a grade of C or better in order to be admitted to the program.

To progress in the accounting major program, students must maintain a 2.50 overall GPA and pass an Excel proficiency exam to register for 300- or 400-level business courses. To graduate, students must have a 2.50 overall GPA.

To apply for their business major, students must (1) complete ACC 201; ECO 111, 112, and 251; and MGT 200 with a C or better in each course; (2) pass and complete both MAT 107* and MAT 108† with a C or better required in at least one of them.  If a student is placed directly into MAT 108 and receives a C or higher or has completed MAT 161 or MAT 162 with a C or better, then the student does not have to take MAT 107 (replaced as a free elective); (3) have a minimum overall GPA of 2.50; (4) pass an Excel basic skills exam with an 88% or better; and (5) have at least 45 credit hours.  These requirements must be met to be eligible to register for 300 and 400 level business courses.  The same rules apply to all transfer students – both internal (those from within the University) and external (those from a non-WCU institution).

Accounting Minor (18 semester hours)

  1. Required courses** (12 semester hours)
    ACC 201, 202, and 301; ECO 111
  2. Electives** (6 semester hours)
    Any two of the following courses:
    ACC 300, 302, 303, 305, 403, 404, 407, and 420

* Course substitutions for MAT 107 are MAT 105 or MAT 110.
† Course substitutions for MAT 108 are MAT 161 or MAT 162.
** A minimum grade of C must be attained in each of these courses.

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
ACCOUNTING & BUSINESS LAW

Symbol: ACC

The objective of the accounting concentration is to prepare students for accounting careers in business, for the CPA examination, and for the private practice of accounting.

201 Financial Accounting I (3) Introduction to financial accounting. A conceptual approach to recording, financial summarizing, and presentation and evaluation of the financial affairs of a business firm.

202 Managerial Accounting II (3) Introduction to management accounting. Accumulating, processing, and interpreting financial data to be used as a basis for making managerial decisions in a business firm. PREREQ: ACC 201.

300 Fraud Examination for Managers (3) Introduction to tools necessary to understand the prevention, detection, and investigation of accounting fraud. PREREQ: ACC 201.

301 Intermediate Accounting I (3) Analysis and evaluation of assets, liability, and capital account. Problems of income measurement and recognition. PREREQ: ACC 202.

302 Intermediate Accounting II (3) Continuation of ACC 301. PREREQ: ACC 301.

303 Cost Accounting I (3) Techniques of product unit cost determination and uses of cost data in managerial decisions. PREREQ: ACC 202.

304 Cost Accounting II (3) Continuation of ACC 303. PREREQ: ACC 303 and minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.

305 Intermediate Accounting III (3) Continuation of ACC 302. PREREQ: ACC 302.

320 Accounting Information Systems (3) Accounting information systems development, processing, and controls with emphasis on current computer-based systems and programs used in accounting fields. PREREQ: ACC 202.

400 Accounting Internship (3-6) The business internship for students in accounting enhances the student's educational experience by providing a substantive work experience in the business world. PREREQ: Internship program coordinator's approval.

401 Auditing (3) Introduction to auditing as a tool for verification of the fair representation of financial statements. PREREQ: ACC 302.

403 Federal Taxation I (3) A study of individual and federal income taxes, with some business application. Emphasis on tax planning for minimization of tax liability. PREREQ: ACC 202.

404 Federal Taxation II (3) A study of the principles of federal income taxation on corporations and corporate distributions, partnerships, estates, and trusts. Emphasis is on tax planning and researching complex problems. PREREQ: ACC 403.

405 Advanced Accounting (3) In-depth study of business combinations and consolidations, government accounting, and other specialized topics. PREREQ: ACC 302.

407 Not-for-Profit and Governmental Accounting (3) A study of accounting principles and procedures of not-for-profit and governmental organizations. The course includes accounting for the local, state, and federal government, hospitals, colleges and universities, public schools, and charities. PREREQ: ACC 301.

410 Directed Studies in Accounting (1-3) Special research projects, reports, and readings in accounting. Open to seniors only. PREREQ: ACC 201 and 202 and/or permission of instructor.
This course may be taken again for credit. Writing emphasis course.

415 Professional Accounting (3) This course is intended to develop and implement students' knowledge currently required for professional accounting careers. PREREQ: ACC 201 and 202 and/or permission of instructor.

Symbol: BLA

201 The Legal Environment of Business (3) Examines the framework of the American legal system and its impact on the environment in which business operates. Sources of law, including constitutional, statutory, administrative, and common law principles, that define the relationships between government and business; buyers and sellers of goods and services; and employers and employees are discussed.

302 Special Subjects in Business Law (3) In-depth coverage of the legal topics of contracts and sales. It is intended as a partial preparation for the uniform Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination and thus provides students with an adequate knowledge of the most widely examined subjects. Provides marketing students with a detailed knowledge of the legal topics that they will use in their careers and covers basic legal topics highly useful to management majors and all persons engaged in business.