Accounting, BS

Chairperson: Kevin T. Rich, Ph.D.
Department of Accounting website

The curriculum in accounting is designed to accomplish many specific objectives, the most important of which are: critical thinking, oral communication, business writing proficiency, technical knowledge and skills needed for an entry level accounting position and technical knowledge needed for the Certified Public Accounting Examination.

The individual course descriptions focus primarily on content, as opposed to process. The accounting curriculum reflects the faculty’s commitment to excellence and breadth. Faculty use a wide variety of methods to enhance the learning process, with a focus on experiential learning. Accounting courses employ applied projects, technical assignments, group work, class presentations and written reports, and cover ethical and international issues. Accounting courses include technology assignments, team projects, oral reports and term papers and they cover ethical and international accounting issues. The department offers a group of electives in accounting analytics, tax research, international accounting, financial statement analysis, and government accounting. Several courses call for use-of-software tools used in industry as well as class presentations by students.

Credit Transfer Policy for Accounting Majors (To Reach the 150 Cr. Hr. Requirement)

To be eligible for the CPA exam in most states, students must complete 150 credit hours. One way to reach 150 credit hours could be completing credits at another university. Credits taken at another university after the start of students' final 30 credits do not transfer back to Marquette University, nor do they count towards credit earned towards the 150 hours at Marquette. The current university transfer policy states that all transfer credits must be approved in advance and the last 30 credits must be taken at Marquette University.

  1. Transfer credits completed prior to the final 30 credits needed for graduation:

    1. Students who plan to study at another institution must obtain written approval for each course before the term begins. If prior approval is not obtained, there is no guarantee that credits earned will be accepted by Marquette University. Course approval forms are obtained on the Marquette Central website.

    2. Grades are not accepted in the transfer approval process, only credits transfer. Transferred credit where the grade earned is less than C will only apply toward degree requirements or prerequisites that do not require a grade of C or better. Repeated courses are only reviewed and accepted for credit once, even if taken at different institutions. The most recent grade received is used in the evaluation process.

    3. Once students graduate from Marquette, the university does not transfer any credits, even if completed prior to the last 30 hours; therefore, they are not reflected on a student's transcript.

  2. Any credits completed at another university after fulfilling graduation requirements do not transfer back to be recorded on a Marquette University transcript.

    1. Students completing credits after graduation need to check with their respective state's CPA Board in advance of taking these credits, to ensure that the credits are accepted toward the 150-credit requirement.

    2. It is the responsibility of students to check with their respective states' CPA Board.