Accounting Major, B.S.

General Degree Requirements

To earn a degree, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the four areas below, in addition to their individual major requirements. 

• Degree and Certificate Requirements  
• General Studies Requirements  
• Ethnic Studies & Social Justice Graduation Requirement  
• Senior Experience Graduation Requirements  

Program Requirements

• A total of 120 semester hours are required for graduation. 
• To earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting, a student must successfully complete 30 or more credit hours of business coursework at MSU Denver. This 30-hour residency requirement can be met by completing any business courses with the prefix ACC, ACCM, BNK, BUS, CIS, ECO, FIN, MGT, MKT, and REL and a course number of 2000 or higher. A student must complete at least 12 upper-division semester hours in Accounting at MSU Denver.
• In order to graduate, students must maintain a 2.0 average inside the Business Core.
•  A grade of “C-” or better is required for each Accounting major course in this program (i.e., major courses required or accounting electives) to count toward the bachelor’s degree.
• In order to graduate, a grade of “C-” or better is required in MGT 4950.
• Students should note that programs differ in the minimum grade required.
• A minor is not required for this program.

Additional Program Information:

• Students interested in becoming Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) in Colorado should be aware that they must take two auditing courses and one ethics course to qualify for licensure. To fulfill CPA requirements, one of the two required auditing courses must be ACC 4200 - Auditing and Attestation . All states require 150 semester hours of education to become a licensed CPA. MSU Denver offers classes that satisfy the 150-hour requirement for licensure.
• ACC 1010 will not substitute as a requirement in the Bachelor of Science in Accounting.
• Students should consult an Accounting faculty advisor to develop an appropriate academic program. A wide variety of internship opportunities are available through the C2 Hub.

General Studies Requirements: 33 credits

Students should consult the General Studies Requirements for a list of courses that fulfill the General Studies Requirements  for degree completion.

• Written Communication (6 credits)
• Oral Communication (3 credits)
  • Recommended: COMM 1010 - Presentational Speaking  or COMM 1100 - Fundamentals of Oral Communication  (one of these courses is required in the College of Business Additional Requirements)
• Quantitative Literacy (3 credits) 
  • Recommended: MTH 1310 - Finite Mathematics for the Management and Social Sciences , as it is the pre-requisite for MTH 1320 - Calculus for the Management and Social Sciences , which is an “Additional Requirement” for College of Business students completing any Bachelor of Science major.
• Arts and Humanities (6 credits) 
• Historical (3 credits) 
• Natural and Physical Sciences (6 credits) 
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credits)
  • Recommended: ECO 2010 - Principles of Macroeconomics  (required in the Business Core)
  • Recommended: ECO 2020 - Principles of Microeconomics  (required in the Business Core)
• Global Diversity (0 or 3 credits**)

** Students will fulfill the global diversity requirement by taking an approved course within one of the following categories: arts and humanities; historical; natural and physical sciences; or social and behavioral sciences.

Ethnic Studies & Social Justice Requirement: 0 or 3 credits

• Students should consult the Ethnic Studies & Social Justice Graduation Requirement  for a list of courses that fulfill the ESSJ Requirement for degree completion. 
• Many programs include courses that meet this requirement. Students should consult with their advisor to determine what program courses may fulfill this requirement.

College of Business Additional Requirements: 6-7 credits

• COMM 1010 - Presentational Speaking Credits: 3

• or

• COMM 1100 - Fundamentals of Oral Communication Credits: 3

•  

• MTH 1320 - Calculus for the Management and Social Sciences Credits: 3 (pre-requisite: MTH 1310 ; can also accept MTH 1109 , MTH 1110 , MTH 1112 , or MTH 1400 ; with a grade of C- or better) (MTH 1410 , MTH 2410  or MTH 2420  may be substituted for MTH 1320 )

Business Core: 42-45 credits

All business majors require foundation course work in all significant areas of business theory and practice. The following courses are required for all students majoring in Accounting. Students must maintain a 2.0 average inside the Business Core. A student cannot register for a business core course until all General Studies requirements in Written Communication, Oral Communication, and Quantitative Literacy are complete.

• ACC 2010 - Principles of Accounting I Credits: 3
• ACC 2020 - Principles of Accounting II Credits: 3

•  

• ACC 4440 - Accounting Ethics and Professionalism Credits: 3

• or

• BUS 3040 - Global Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Credits: 3

• or

  • Enrollment in the MCAcc 3+2 Program

   

• BUS 1850 - Introduction to Business Credits: 3 *
• BUS 1950 - Business Communication Credits: 3
• CIS 2010 - Foundations of Information Systems Credits: 3
• CIS 3300 - Business Analytics I (Descriptive and Predictive) Credits: 3
• CIS 3320 - Business Analytics II (Prescriptive) Credits: 3
• ECO 2010 - Principles of Macroeconomics Credits: 3
• ECO 2020 - Principles of Microeconomics Credits: 3
• FIN 3300 - Managerial Finance Credits: 3
• MGT 2210 - Legal Environment of Business I Credits: 3
• MGT 3000 - Organizational Management Credits: 3
• MGT 4950 - Strategic Management Credits: 3 **
• MKT 3000 - Principles of Marketing Credits: 3

•  

  * Transfer students that transfer in 6 or more credits of business courses will not need to take BUS 1850 but may take any other College of Business 3-credit hour course that does not appear in their Major or Business Core requirements.

  ** “C-” or better must be earned in MGT 4950.

Accounting Major Requirements: 18 credits

Accounting majors should have learning experiences that focus on the development, measurement, analysis, validation, and communication of financial and other information. The following courses are required for all majors in Accounting. A grade of “C-” or better is required for each course in this section to count toward the bachelor’s degree.

• ACC 3090 - Income Tax I Credits: 3
• ACC 3300 - Accounting Information Systems Credits: 3
• ACC 3400 - Cost Accounting Credits: 3
• ACC 3510 - Intermediate Accounting I Credits: 3
• ACC 3520 - Intermediate Accounting II Credits: 3
• ACC 4200 - Auditing and Attestation Credits: 3

Accounting Electives: 6 credits

A grade of “C-” or better is required for each course in this section to count toward the bachelor’s degree. Students should complete 6 credits of upper division accounting courses. Below are suggested courses, but any upper division ACC course (3000 or 4000 level) will count towards this requirement.

• ACC 3100 - Income Tax II Credits: 3
• ACC 3110 - Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Credits: 3
• ACC 3200 - Governmental Accounting Credits: 3
• ACC 3750 - International Accounting Credits: 3
• ACC 3980 - Internship in Accounting Credits: 1-15
• ACC 4440 - Accounting Ethics and Professionalism Credits: 3
• ACC 4510 - Advanced Accounting Credits: 3
• ACC 4520 - Mergers and Acquisitions Credits: 3
• ACC 3700 - Risk Assurance and Advisory I Credits: 3

Senior Experience: 3 credits

• MGT 4950 - Strategic Management Credits: 3 (this course is also required in the Business Core)

Summary of Requirements

Required courses for the major may also count for General Studies and ESSJ requirements, so the total credits listed may be greater than the number required to complete the degree. Therefore, it is important that you work with your advisor to make sure you are meeting requirements for your degree.

Program Modified June 27, 2023