Accounting

The Division of Accountancy and Legal Environment offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree in Accounting. Graduates of the program add value to many types of organizations. They are prepared to meet business challenges because they learn many professional skills including core knowledge, communication, accounting research, technology, and critical thinking skills. These skills help them obtain entry-level jobs and advance in a diverse set of accounting careers.

2017-2018 Graduates

  • 68% had an internship.
  • 94% had a job and/or admission to grad school at or a few months after graduation,
  • 82% of those reporting had salaries of $40,000 or above.
Follow this link to see how our Accounting Alumni have advanced in their careers.

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Marshall University is one of only 186 schools worldwide to have achieved accreditation by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business – for its undergraduate majors and graduate programs in business and accounting. We have an Accounting Advisory Board of elite business professionals who are dedicated to the students and the program.

The Division of Accountancy and Legal Environment has award-winning faculty, with diverse backgrounds and teaching interests. Most have worked in the profession, and are CPAs or hold other prestigious certifications. Our faculty in the accountancy major are committed to an emphasis on teaching and interaction with students. Our approach is to focus on student learning, and we provide a dedicated faculty-student mentoring program.

Our Accounting students actively engage with professionals through events such as Student Night, Visit the Firms, Beta Alpha Psi, VITA, and internships. The students who fully engage in these activities become members of the professional community even while still in college.

Graduates with a BBA in Accounting from the Lewis College of Business are qualified to sit for several certification exams upon graduation: The Certified Management Accountant (CMA), the Certified Financial Manager (CFM), the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).

In most states (including West Virginia), a student must have 150 semester hours of college credit to become a CPA. With your BBA in Accounting from the College of Business and some additional college credit, you will qualify to sit for the exam, and eventually become a CPA!

  • In both 2015 and 2016 Marshall outranked WVU on the overall CPA exam pass rates.
  • In 2016, Marshall’s overall pass rate was only .7% lower than the overall pass rate for all candidates.
  • In 2016, Marshall had higher pass rates for the FAR (financial reporting) and REG (tax/legal) sections of the exam than the pass rates on these sections for all candidates.
  • In 2015, Marshall had higher pass rates for the AUD (auditing) section of the exam than the pass rate on this section for all candidates.

Follow this link to find out more about Marshall’s CPA exam success!

Marshall students interested in setting for these professional exams can receive a discount on exam review materials by purchasing through this link.

Division Mission Statement:

The mission of the Division of Accountancy and Legal Environment is to provide an education that will enable graduates to successfully enter the profession of accountancy, business, and/or graduate study. The faculty is committed to maintaining a current and relevant curriculum in the fields of accountancy and legal environment through professional engagement, service to our communities, and the development of applied and pedagogical research.

BBA with a Major in Accounting Mission Statement:

The mission of the BBA in Accounting program is to provide students the core knowledge and skills necessary to successfully enter the profession of accountancy, business, and/or graduate study.

Opportunities & Careers

Corporate Accounting:
  • Internal Auditor
  • Management Accountant
  • Comptroller/Controller
  • Cost Accountant
Government Accounting:
  • IRS Agent
  • State Auditor
  • Bank Examiner
  • Municipal Accountant
  • FBI Agent
Not For Profit Accounting:
  • University Accountant
  • Charitable Organization Accountant
  • Hospital Accountant
Public Accounting:
  • Audit/Assurance Service Professional
  • Tax Accountant
  • Management Advisory Services

Projected job market data for Accountants: https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/13-2011.01

Major Courses

  • ACC 311 – Intermediate Accounting I
  • ACC 312 – Intermediate Accounting II
  • ACC 318 – Cost Accounting I
  • ACC 341 – Accounting Information Systems
  • ACC 348 – Federal Taxation
  • ACC 414 – Advanced Accounting Problems
  • ACC 429 – Auditing I
  • ACC 499 – Professionalism and Ethics Seminar
  • ACC 198 – Accounting Professionalism
  • LE 308 – Commercial Law
  • Accounting Electives (6 hours)