Accounting
We prepare students to thrive as ethical leaders by focusing on the fundamentals of informed and ethical decision-making in the accounting profession. Whether you plan to become Certified Public Accountant or pursue a career in a related field, we believe all Carroll School students benefit from understanding how capital is managed and allocated.
Contact
Fulton Hall 520 | 617-552-3940
Mark Bradshaw, Chairperson
Maureen Chancey, Admin. Assistant
.
Why Accounting?
Undergraduate Programs
Accounting Concentration
Designed for those who plan on becoming Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), the accounting concentration prepares students for careers in public accounting, industry, financial institutions, government, information systems, law, or not-for-profit organizations.
Curriculum
6 courses
5
Required Courses
| Course # | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ACCT1022 | Managerial Accounting |
| ACCT3301 | Financial Accounting Standards and Theory I* |
| ACCT3302 | Financial Accounting Standards and Theory II |
| ACCT3307 | Managerial Cost & Strategic Analysis |
| ACCT4405 | Federal Taxation |
*After taking ACCT3301, students desiring to switch to the Accounting for Finance and Consulting concentration may do so by supplementing ACCT3301 with a one credit independent study that together will satisfy the ACCT3321 requirement for that concentration.
1
Additional Course from this list
| Course # | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ACCT3309 | Audit & Other Assurance Services* |
| ACCT3351 | Financial Statement Analysis |
| ACCT6601 | Financial Accounting Standards and Theory III |
| ACCT6618 | Accounting Information System (AIS) |
*Auditing is a requirement to sit for the CPA exam in all states and a requirement for admission to the Boston College Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) Program.
Most states require between eight and eleven accounting classes (24 to 33 accounting credit hours) in order to be qualified as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Because the accounting concentration requires only six accounting classes (18 credit hours), in addition to ACCT1021 Financial Accounting (3 credit hours) included in the CSOM core, a student must take additional accounting classes. The department offers a number of accounting electives that students can take to satisfy their CPA requirements.
| Course # | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ACCT3309 | Audit & Other Assurance Services |
| ACCT3351 | Financial Statement Analysis |
| ACCT3399 | Directed Readings and Research |
| ACCT4409 | Advanced Auditing (Spring) |
| ACCT6601 | Financial Accounting Standards and Theory III |
| ACCT6615 | Advanced Federal Taxation |
| ACCT6618 | Accounting Information Systems |
| ACCT6623 | Fair Value Accounting and Measurement |
| ACCT6626 | Taxes & Management Decisions |
| ACCT6634 | Ethics & Professionalism in Accounting** |
| ACCT6635 | Forensic Accounting |
| ACCT6640 | Dive, Dissect & Decide w/ Big Business Data (Spring) |
**Please note: Massachusetts is no longer accepting this course as one of the required 10 accounting classes. Please check with the state where you plan to practice to see if this course will count towards your required Accounting credits.
Accounting for Finance and Consulting Concentration
Building on the CSOM core curriculum, this concentration is designed to teach users of financial statements (rather than preparers of financial statements) how accounting information, shaped by regulation, has advantages and limitations in assessing the economics of an underlying business. Provides critical skills for a wide variety of careers in business, including financial analysis, investment banking, consulting, marketing, and management training programs.
Curriculum
4 courses
1
Required Course
| Course # | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ACCT3321 | Intermediate Accounting for Finance & Consulting* |
1
Course from this list
| Course # | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ACCT3307 | Managerial Cost Analysis |
| ACCT3351 | Financial Statement Analysis |
2
Courses from this list
| Course # | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ACCT3307 OR ACCT3351 | Managerial Cost Analysis OR Financial Statement Analysis*** |
| ACCT3309 | Audit & Other Assurance Services |
| ACCT4405 | Federal Taxation |
| ACCT6601 | Financial Accounting Standards and Theory III |
| ACCT6615 | Advanced Federal Taxation |
| ACCT6618 | Accounting Information Systems |
| ACCT6623 | Fair Value Accounting and Measurement |
| ACCT6626 | Taxes & Management Decisions |
| ACCT6635 | Forensic Accounting |
| ACCT6640 | Dive, Dissect & Decide w/ Big Business Data (Spring) |
| BZAN3375 | Operations Strategy & Consulting |
| BZAN3384 | Predictive Analytics |
| BZAN6606 | Forecasting Techniques |
| ECON2228 | Econometric Methods |
| MFIN2235 | Investment Banking (fulfills Finance ‘Bucket’ elective) |
| MFIN6616 | Intro to the Investment Banking Industry (fulfills Finance ‘Other’ elective) |
*Students wanting to switch from the Accounting concentration after taking ACCT3301 (FAST I) have two options. You may take a one credit independent study which, together with ACCT3301, will satisfy the ACCT3321 requirement. Alternatively, you may take ACCT3302 as one of your electives. Both courses together will satisfy the ACCT3321 requirement.
** A maximum of one elective can count towards the requirements of two different concentrations.
***Both classes may be taken, and the second one will count as an elective.
- Expand and deepen your knowledge of external financial reporting and choices that managers make in preparing information for SEC filings. This knowledge is critical for both those who plan to use financial statements to analyze or value companies and those whose jobs require an understanding of how business decisions affect financial statements.
- Provide an understanding of the accounting data and information managers use for internal decision-making. For students interested in marketing or consulting, this knowledge enables you to accurately assess the true costs of producing a product or service and to identify the relevant information for make-versus-buy decisions. You will develop skills needed to accurately forecast revenues, expenses and product demand. You will also understand how to set important organizational controls.
- Provide students with the financial tools and accounting savvy needed to converse with upper level management about the operations of the firm.
Accounting and Information Systems Concentration
Employers continually emphasize the value of graduates who understand both business and the information system (IS) that supports it. While IS professionals develop competence in the design and implementation of business information systems, accountants have a broad understanding of the business process and controls, and how the systems are used to generate information for decision making.
Curriculum
5 courses
4
Required Courses
| Course # | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ACCT3301 | Financial Accounting Standards and Theory I |
| ACCT/ISYS6618 | Accounting Information Systems |
| ISYS3257 | Database Systems and Applications (OR CSCI2257)** |
| ISYS4258 |
Systems Analysis and Design |
**Beginning with the class of 2024, ISYS3350 - Data Management for Analytics and Applications will be required in place of ISYS3257 or CSCI2257.
1
Course from this list
| Course # | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ACCT3302 | Financial Accounting Standards and Theory II |
| ACCT3307 | Managerial Cost & Strategic Analysis |
| ACCT3309 | Audit & Other Assurance Services |
| ACCT3351 | Financial Statement Analysis |
| ACCT6640 | Dive, Dissect & Decide with Big Business Data (Spring) |
Accounting for CPAs Minor
Designed for those who are interested in working in public accounting, the accounting curriculum sequence is designed to prepare a student for a professional career in public accounting, industry, financial institutions, government, information systems, law, or not-for-profit organizations.
Curriculum
6 courses
6
Required Courses
| Course # | Course Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT1021 | Financial Accounting | Prereq for all acct courses |
| ACCT3301 | Financial Accounting Standards and Theory I | |
| ACCT3302 | Financial Accounting Standards and Theory II | Prereq: ACCT3301 |
| ACCT3307 | Managerial Cost & Strategic Analysis | |
| ACCT3309 | Auditing & Other Assurance Services* | |
| ACCT4405 | Federal Taxation |
*Auditing is a requirement to sit for the CPA exam in all states and a requirement for admission to the Boston College Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) Program.
After taking ACCT3301, students desiring to switch to the Accounting for Finance and Consulting minor may do so by supplementing ACCT3301 with a one credit independent study that together will satisfy the ACCT3321 requirement for that minor.
Most states require between eight and eleven accounting classes (24 to 33 accounting credit hours) in order to be qualified as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Because the accounting concentration requires only six accounting classes (18 credit hours), in addition to ACCT1021 Financial Accounting (3 credit hours) included in the CSOM core, a student must take additional accounting classes. The department offers a number of accounting electives that students can take to satisfy their CPA requirements.
| Course # | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ACCT3309 | Audit & Other Assurance Services |
| ACCT3351 | Financial Statement Analysis |
| ACCT3399 | Directed Readings and Research |
| ACCT4409 | Advanced Auditing (Spring) |
| ACCT6601 | Financial Accounting Standards and Theory III |
| ACCT6615 | Advanced Federal Taxation |
| ACCT6618 | Accounting Information Systems |
| ACCT6623 | Fair Value Accounting and Measurement |
| ACCT6626 | Taxes & Management Decisions |
| ACCT6634 | Ethics & Professionalism in Accounting** |
| ACCT6635 | Forensic Accounting |
| ACCT6640 | Dive, Dissect & Decide w/ Big Business Data (Spring) |
**Please note: Massachusetts is no longer accepting this course as one of the required 10 accounting classes. Please check with the state where you plan to practice to see if this course will count towards your required Accounting credits.
Accounting for Finance and Consulting Minor
The Accounting for Finance and Consulting minor leverages the critical thinking and communication skills developed in the MCAS curriculum, providing students with key skills that distinguish them from other new hires in financial services or consulting. It also provides students with an advantage in graduate business programs.
Curriculum
6 courses
2
Required Courses
| Course # | Course Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT1021 | Financial Accounting | Prereq for all Accounting courses |
| ACCT3321 | Intermediate Accounting for Finance & Consulting* |
Then, students must choose either the consulting or finance track.
Consulting:
| Course # | Course Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT1022 | Managerial Accounting | |
| ACCT3307 | Managerial Cost Analysis | Prereq: ACCT1022 |
or
Finance:
| Course # | Course Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MFIN1021 | Fundamentals of Finance | Prereq: ACCT1021 |
| ACCT3351 | Financial Statement Analysis | Prereq: MFIN1021 |
All students must choose two electives (check prerequisites for each course)**:
2
Electives from this list
| Course # | Course Name |
|---|---|
| ACCT1022 AND ACCT3307 | Managerial Accounting AND Managerial Cost Analysis |
| ACCT3309 | Audit & Other Assurance Services |
| ACCT4405 | Federal Tax |
| ACCT6601 | Financial Accounting Standards and Theory III |
| ACCT6615 | Advanced Federal Taxation |
| ACCT6618 | Accounting Information Systems |
| ACCT6623 | Fair Value Accounting and Measurement |
| ACCT6626 | Taxes & Management Decisions |
| ACCT6635 | Forensic Accounting |
| ACCT6640 | Dive, Dissect & Decide w/ Big Business Data (Spring) |
| BZAN3375 | Operations Strategy & Consulting |
| BZAN3384 | Predictive Analytics |
| BZAN6606 | Forecasting Techniques |
| ECON2228 | Econometric Methods |
| MFIN1021 AND ACCT3351 | Fundamentals of Finance AND Financial Statement Analysis |
| MFIN2235 | Investment Banking |
| MFIN6616 | Intro to the Investment Banking Industry |
*ACCT3301 FAST I will be accepted as a substitute for ACCT3321 upon completion of a one credit independent study.
**Electives may also include both courses from the other track (both will count together, but not separately). A maximum of one elective can count towards the requirements of two different minors/concentrations.
The objectives of the Accounting for Finance and Consulting minor are:
- Develop your knowledge of external financial reporting and choices that managers make in preparing information for SEC filings. This knowledge is critical for both those who plan to use financial statements to analyze or value companies and those whose jobs require an understanding of how business decisions affect financial statements.
- Provide an understanding of the accounting data and information managers use for internal decision-making. For students interested in consulting, this knowledge enables you to accurately assess the true costs of producing a product or service and to identify the relevant information for make-versus-buy decisions. You will develop skills needed to accurately forecast revenues, expenses and product demand. You will also understand how to set important organizational controls.
- Provide students with the financial tools and accounting savvy needed to converse with upper level management about the operations of the firm.
Full-Time Faculty
Our Students
Careers
BC accounting graduates are among the best in the world, as evidenced not only by their superior job placements and CPA exam pass rates, but also their solid grounding in a liberal arts core that is infused with the Jesuit tradition of service and high ethical standards.
163,000
Job openings in the accounting field each year
U.S. Department of Labor
Sample List of Employers
Deloitte
Binder Dijker Otte
Ernst and Young (EY)
EisnerAmper LLP
FORVIS
Goldman Sachs
JP Morgan Chase
KPMG
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Study Abroad
Immerse yourself in a different culture, discover aspects of your discipline and yourself, gain new perspective, and cultivate important contacts.
Given the international scope of the profession, Accounting concentrators or minors are encouraged to study abroad. The Accounting Department will endeavor to recognize elective courses for transfer to BC when appropriate. Prior approval is required in every case. All Accounting concentrators or minors should meet with the department assistant or department chair to plan their study abroad programs and to obtain definitive course approvals.