Accounting Option
Why study accounting?
The Accounting Option prepares students for careers in private, government, non-profit and public accounting. Demand for accountants is extremely high as businesses work to plan, manage and control their operations. Graduates can serve as internal auditors, managerial accountants, tax examiners, budget analysts or government auditors. After completing the Accounting Option, students are eligible to take the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam. Students who wish to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) will need to reference the Board of Accountancy’s First License webpage for relevant education and experience requirements.
Requirements to declare the option
Students wanting to declare the Accounting option must meet the following requirements:
- Must have completed all required prerequisite Accounting courses with a minimum grade of 2.5 in each course.
(*Note: Students in the process of completing a course will not be considered for the Accounting Option until the course has been completed.)
- Must have earned a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average across all prerequisite Accounting courses.
Students may NOT enroll in any Accounting courses until speaking to their advisor to determine whether they meet the requirements.
Accounting curriculum
Accounting Option students must complete the following courses for graduation. Prerequisite courses are in parentheses. A minimum grade of 1.7 is required for the prerequisite courses. UW Bothell courses listed; however, equivalencies may apply. See advisor for a complete list.
| Course Type | Course Numbers & Names |
|---|---|
| Core Courses (prerequisites in parentheses) | BBUS 300 – Organizational Behavior, Ethics and Inclusivity, Diversity Designated Course (B WRIT 135) BBUS 307 – Business Writing, Writing Designated Course BBUS 310 – Managerial Economics (B BUS 220, Calculus) BBUS 320 – Marketing Management (B MATH 123 or MATH 120 or score of 400 on MTHDSP or score of 154-163 on MPT-AS) BBUS 340 – Operations & Project Management (B BUS 220, B BUS 215) BBUS 350 – Business Finance (B BUS 220, B BUS 215, B BUS 210) |
| Required Accounting Courses (prerequisites in parentheses) | BBUS 361 – Intermediate Accounting 1* (B BUS 210) BBUS 362 – Intermediate Accounting 2 (B BUS 361) BBUS 363 – Intermediate Accounting 3 (B BUS 362) BBUS 373 – Cost Accounting* (B BUS 211, B BUS 220, Calculus) BBUS 411 – Auditing Theory & Practice (B BUS 362) BBUS 435 – Accounting Information Systems (B BUS 361) BBUS 450 – Federal Income Taxation (B BUS 361) |
| Accounting Electives (prerequisites in parentheses) | 10 credits – Complete 2 courses from this list: BBUS 412 – Advanced Business Law (B BUS 230) BBUS 449 – Accounting Practices in Not-for-Profit Organizations (B BUS 362) BBUS 451 – Financial Policy & Planning (B WRIT 135, B BUS 350)** BBUS 458 – Risk Modeling BBUS 463 – Advanced Financial Accounting (B BUS 362) BBUS 465 – Applied Financial Accounting (B BUS 307, B BUS 361) BBUs 466 – Applied Managerial Accounting (B BUS 373) BBUS 467 – Advanced Taxation (B BUS 450) BBUS 468 – Advanced Accounting and Analytics (B BUS 361) BBUS 490 – Special Topics in Business (300, 310) |
| General Electives (any 300/400 level UW course) | 5 credits |
| Capstone Courses | Before you can register for the capstone courses, you must complete all core courses and meet with your advisor to file a graduation application. BBUS 470 – Business Policy & Strategic Management (B BUS 211, B BUS 230, B BUS 300, B BUS 307, B BUS 310, B BUS 320, B BUS 340, B BUS 350) BBUS 480 – Global Environment of Business (B BUS 211, B BUS 230, B BUS 300, B BUS 307, B BUS 310, B BUS 320, B BUS 340, B BUS 350) |
| Total Credits | 90 Credits |
*Accounting Option students who add a Finance Concentration cannot use the following courses as part of their Finance Concentration (i.e., no double-counting of courses):
- BBUS 361 – Intermediate Accounting I
- BBUS 373 – Cost Accounting
**Accounting Option students who add a Finance Concentration cannot count the following courses as Accounting Option electives:
- BBUS 451 – Financial Policy & Planning
- BBUS 453 – Financial Institutions & Markets
- BBUS 454 – Investments
Accounting certification preparation
After completing the two-year Accounting Option, students are eligible to take the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam. Students who wish to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) will need to reference the Board of Accountancy’s First License webpage for relevant education and experience requirements.
In addition to public accounting, the Accounting Option will thoroughly prepare students for careers in private, government and non-profit accounting. The curriculum is designed to enable graduates to fill a number of corporate positions such as internal auditor, managerial accountant and tax accountant. Graduates will also be prepared to serve in government positions such as tax examiner, budget analyst and government auditor. You can get more information from the Washington Society of Certified Public Accountants.