For a strong career outlook within today’s thriving business sector, students should choose one of the many accounting bachelor degrees in Arizona. These degrees give students access to a profession that, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, is growing slightly faster than average at least through the end of the decade. Accounting has traditionally grown at a fast rate in other decades, as well, representing one of the most stable business professions in the country over the past half-century or so. Each of these Arizona programs gives students access to an array of important skills in the field, as well as important on-campus organizations, internship opportunities in the local community, and key networking events that introduce them to the Arizona business sector as they emerge into the skilled workforce in the state.
Arizona State University
W. P. Carey School of Business
Arizona State University is the flagship public institution in Arizona, and has long been among the most prestigious state universities in the country. The accounting program at ASU is part of the W. P. Carey School of Business, which holds prestigious accreditation from the AACSB. As a result, professors typically hold doctoral degrees and are heavily involved in business-related research designed to move the corporate sector forward. Students benefit directly from on-campus research throughout all of their business and accounting courses, and they get access to one of the most widely recognized degrees in the country after graduation. To help them build their resume for post-graduation employment, ASU offers an internship matching program to business school students and regularly offers both networking events and a speaker series on-campus where students can meet local industry leaders.
Bachelor of Science in Accountancy
All students begin their accounting degree at Arizona State University by taking the school’s foundational accounting course. Known as LEAP, the course’s acronym stands for Leadership, Ethics, Accountability and Professionalism. As its name might suggest, this course is primarily concerned with teaching students the legal and ethical considerations of accounting, as well as basic GAAP principles for making sound reporting decisions and correctly offering information to stakeholders and the public. After passing this course, students progress into financial accounting and financial reporting classes. They’ll then advance through upper-level courses, including those in auditing, tax preparation, cost accounting, managerial accounting, intermediate accounting, and business law. A basic business core is required of all students, which includes several credits in marketing, management, finance, economics, and communication, as well.
Contact
Arizona State University
W. P. Carey School of Business
1151 South Forest Ave.
Tempe, AZ 85044
Phone: (480) 965-2100
Email: wpcareyacc@asu.edu
Website
University of Arizona
Eller College of Management
The University of Arizona might be the chief rival to ASU in terms of prestige and national rankings. The school is typically ranked among the best national universities by U.S. News and World Report, and has a top-ranked business school that offers some of the most prestigious bachelor degrees and MBA concentrations anywhere in Arizona. As a result of the school’s commitment to excellent education and national recognition, students are treated to innovative teaching styles that encourage hands-on experiences in accounting and financial analysis, and they learn from professors who typically hold doctoral degrees as well as local accounting positions in Arizona firms. Eller graduates hold prestigious business degrees and can tap into one of the largest alumni networks in the southwestern part of the country as a result.
Undergraduate Program in Accounting
Eller students who choose an accounting major will take a series of courses that teach them not only the fundamentals of the accounting profession, but also good information and financial management skills that can help them work efficiently within a larger company. The program emphasizes good financial reporting and statement preparation at the beginning, and then guides students toward upper-level courses in tax preparation, managerial accounting services, corporate budgeting and cost documentation, auditing of accounting procedures, and the basics of forensic accounting. Students will take courses in accounting ethics and business law as well, which will guide them toward sound decisions within state and federal guidelines.
Contact
University of Arizona
Eller College of Management
McClelland Hall 301
1130 E. Helen St.
P.O. Box 210108
Tucson, AZ 85721
Phone: 520.621.2620
Email: accounting@eller.arizona.edu
Website
Northern Arizona University
W. A. Franke College of Business
Northern Arizona is ranked by Carnegie has being a “high research activity” school, and that’s something directly beneficial to accounting students in the classroom. Professors are actively looking into developments in business management, corporate and public accounting, and much more. Their findings enrich the classroom experience and help students understand how the profession is changing even as they learn the basics of accounting procedures and ethics. Northern Arizona’s Franke College of Business is top-ranked in the southwest, and offers lower in-state tuition rates to students of all southwestern states. Professors encourage students to seek local internships and typically help them locate an opportunity that lines up with their student status and industry interests during the second half of their time in the program.
Bachelor of Science in Accountancy
Northern Arizona students are primarily guided toward courses that will help them satisfy CPA examination eligibility requirements. For this reason, all 30 upper-level accounting courses have been specifically designed to meet the CPA exam’s guidelines for content and instruction. As part of this program, students will take classes in costing accounting, financial and managerial accounting, intermediate accounting, and current topics in the profession. They will also focus on tax services for businesses and professionals, business law, accounting ethics, accounting research, and forensics. Students can opt to pursue an internship and request that it be used as one of their electives, though this will not satisfy upper-level credit hour requirements for the CPA exam after graduation. Typically, the internship will be counted as a lower-level elective for this reason.
Contact
Northern Arizona University
W. A. Franke College of Business
S. San Francisco St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
Phone: (928) 523-9011
Website
Consider One of These Great Accounting Programs in Arizona
With a stable growth rate through the end of the decade and the assistance of a strong business sector, few fields are more attractive to today’s undergraduate students than accounting. In order to get a strong start in this profession, students should choose an excellent program in Arizona that is both rigorous and full of off-campus opportunities Each of the accounting bachelor degrees in Arizona mentioned here pair excellent classroom instruction with a number of internship and networking opportunities that enable lifelong success in the accounting industry.
For more information on obtaining your degree, please see The 20 Most Affordable Colleges with High Four-year Graduation Rates.
