Several institutions of higher learning offer accounting bachelor degrees in Arkansas, and the state features a long history of academic excellence at the college level. Many colleges were established in the state in the 19th century, so there are several universities today with histories stretching back more than a century into Arkansas’ past. The need for experts in business is at an all-time high and students who have accounting knowledge or who have decided to become a Certified Public Accountant will find their skills greatly desired by a variety of employers in the business world. After graduation, students may pursue a healthy market for accountants in Arkansas, or they may choose to enter business in any state in the country as accounting skills are desired nationwide.
Arkansas State University
College of Business
As a public university and flagship campus of the state university system, ASU has around 13,500 students enrolled for classes and is located in Jonesboro. Established in 1909, the university’s motto is “Educate, Enhance, Enrich,” and the school has long provided students with graduate and doctoral opportunities in addition to its undergraduate programs. The university counts over 70,000 students as alumni and has undergone several decades of significant growth in the past few decades. The university was originally an architectural school and started to offer two-year degrees in 1918. By 1930, the school was offering bachelor’s degrees to students, and it became Arkansas State College in 1933.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Accounting
Students who want a future as an accountant, cost analyst, controller, or tax accountant will want to investigate the accounting program at Arkansas State University. Anyone with an interest in taxes, the IRS, banking, and auditing will find the curriculum an interesting and challenging program. Some of the careers open to graduates include those as auditors, bank examiners, and budget analysts. The university says that many factors influence the starting salary for a new accountant, but that accounting offers the potential for financial success and steady employment after graduation. Students who are interested in taking the CPA will need 150 hours of accounting education to sit for the exam. ASU’s program features 126 hours, so students need to plan their electives accordingly so as to arrive at graduation with enough accounting credits. The program is also accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International and students may obtain certification with a number of different groups after graduation.
Contact
Arkansas State University
College of Business
P.O. Box 550
State University, AR 72467
Phone: 870.972.3038
admissions@astate.edu
Website
Graduation Rate: 40%
Arkansas Tech University
College of Business
Established over a hundred years ago in 1909, today Arkansas Tech University offers degrees in many fields and is located in Russellville. The school also features a satellite campus in Ozark that offers two-year degrees for certificate and associate’s programs. The school was originally known as the Second District Agricultural School and went through several name changes until it became Arkansas Tech University in 1976. The school suggests in its mission statement that faculty is dedicated to nurturing scholastic development as a state-supported university. The school also offers students a beautifully historic campus with several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Accounting Major
The accounting program at Arkansas Tech University was developed in 1959 and has been a popular major at the university for several decades. After successfully completing the bachelor’s degree program, students may choose to receive their CPA certification. The accounting program offers one of the best ways for students to enter the business world, and financial experts and accounting majors are welcome within many areas of the modern business world. Accounting degrees may lead students to work as tax attorneys, military officers, university professors, and various legislative or government positions. Arkansas Tech University considers its accounting program to be one of the strongest in the state and provides students with an exceptional curriculum as preparation for the CPA exam. The school also suggests that its students receive competitive salaries and enjoy success in the job market. All faculty in accounting at ATU have advanced degrees and are also Certified Public Accountants.
Contact
Arkansas Tech University
Young Building East End
203 West O Street
Russellville, AR 72801
Phone: 479.968.0233
abell@atu.edu
Website
Graduation Rate: 41%
Harding University
Paul R. Carter College of Business
Established in 1924, Harding University was developed as a liberal arts, Christian university. Located in Searcy, the school is about 50 miles outside of Little Rock and has about 6,200 students attending. The school is associated with the Churches of Christ. The school offers students additional campuses to study at satellite campuses in Memphis, Tennessee, Little Rock, Paragould, and Bentonville. In addition, the school provides study-abroad opportunities with campuses in Australia, Chile, and England. The university has been undergoing some major expansion in the past several years and has had record numbers of enrollment each fall for almost three decades as of 2013 enrollment numbers.
Accounting Major
As a liberal arts school, students must take several courses in general subjects like English, psychology, math, and history in addition to business and accounting classes. Students must complete 53 credits of the liberal arts curriculum, as well as 41 hours of business courses. There are also 30 credits of accounting classes required. Some of the business classes students must take include Marketing, Business Statistics, and Managerial Finance. Accounting classes include Tax, Cost, Auditing, and Intermediate Accounting. Since the school is affiliated with a church, students must also complete some classes related to the Bible. The business school at Harding University is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs for several degrees. The major is appropriate for students who wish to head in almost any direction for work after school. Some of the areas where students may end up after getting a degree include finance, economics, accounting, and management.
Contact
Harding University
915 E. Market Ave.
Searcy, AR 72143
Phone: 501.279.4407
admissions@harding.edu
Website
Graduation Rate: 61%
Hendrix College
Department of Economics and Business
Although Hendrix College is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the curriculum for majors is of a secular design. The college is a private liberal arts college located in Conway and has around 1,400 students taking classes. The college is a member of the Associated Colleges of the South. The school was originally designed as a male-only institution, but a little over a decade after the college’s founding the school started enrolling female students. The campus has three buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been under much construction over the past few decades as the school has expanded.
Bachelor of Arts in Accounting
Hendrix College offers students a broad selection of accounting courses in the curriculum. Some of the basic classes students will take include Intermediate Accounting, Federal Tax Accounting, and Auditing. In addition, students must take business classes like Principles of Macroeconomics and Functions and Models. All accounting majors must complete the Senior Capstone Experience, which is completion of a research course, completion of a business strategy course, and a successful written examination. In addition, students must complete an economic research project and enter it into the Baker Prize in Economics. Students in the accounting program receive comprehensive instruction on the concepts of business and how accounting may be applied in a practical fashion to the complexities of the business world. Students may also choose to move on to a master’s program for a fifth year of study to receive a Master of Arts in Accounting. Each degree path prepares students well for the working world.
Contact
Hendrix College
1600 Washington Ave
Conway, AR 72032
Phone: 501.329.6811
adm@hendrix.edu
Website
Graduation Rate: 72%
John Brown University
Donald G. Soderquist College of Business
Founded in 1919, John Brown University was constructed as a private, interdenominational university. Around 2,200 students attend classes and the school was recently ranked highly in a “U.S. News & World Report” article on regional baccalaureate colleges in the south. The founder of the school, John Brown, had to start working when he was only 11 years old. His hard upbringing eventually inspired him to build a school that focused on education alongside “life training.” He focused his efforts on making sure the college experience was available to needy students who might not otherwise have the financial ability to attend school for a degree.
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with major in Accounting
According to the university, accountants are much more than number crunchers and have a significant impact upon businesses today. The school strives to provide students with small classrooms for peak learning opportunities, as well as a curriculum that focuses upon life in the working world, rather than in a theoretical setting. Courses students take include those in accounting, as well as classes in government and non-profit accounting, and cost accounting. In addition, students must participate in an internship that allows students to experience how it would feel to work at an accounting firm. Students are given the tools they need to act as an asset to their company and impact positive change within the organization. The traditional bachelor’s degree program takes four years and requires students to take a variety of important core classes in areas like English and Physical Science, as well as many business and accounting courses before graduation.
Contact
John Brown University
2000 West University Street
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
Phone: 877.528.4636
kshaffer@jbu.edu
Website
Graduation Rate: 68%
Lyon College
Business and Economics
Affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, Lyon College was established in 1872 and is the oldest independent college in Arkansas. The school initially featured educational opportunities for grammar school students, but by the time the 1880s came, those classrooms were phased out of the school. The first subjects offered to students for study included classical languages, mathematics, and religious instruction. In 1876, three women were the first women in the state to receive bachelor’s degrees. Today, around 600 students attend the small college, and students who graduate and wish to go on to medical or law school enjoy a very high rate of acceptance to their chosen school.
The Accounting Major
Lyon College defines the role of an accountant as someone who has special skills in communicating on important topics in business. Upon graduation, students may seek work in a variety of roles in government, business, and non-profit organizations. The program requires students to take a variety of accounting courses, as well as several business courses so as to gain a full understanding of the business world and how accounting impacts the health of a business. Some of the jobs students are suited for include financial management and work as a certified management accountant. Students who wish to continue on to a master’s program will also find that Lyon’s curriculum has prepared them well to meet the challenges of advanced degree programs. Students may apply to a master’s program in accounting or they may want to consider graduate study in business, such as in an MBA program where future positions at the executive level and management become available.
Contact
Lyon College
P.O. Box 2317
2300 Highland Road
Batesville, AR 72501
Phone: 870.307.7250
admissions@lyon.edu
Website
Graduation Rate: 48%
Ouachita Baptist University
Hickingbotham School of Business
Established in 1886, Ouachita Baptist University is a private school in Arkadelphia. The school’s name comes from a nearby river that runs near the university’s eastern border. There are 64 different programs for students to explore at the university and students enjoy a relatively low student to faculty ratio of 13 to 1. The school has received high rankings and accolades from publications like “U.S. News & World Report.” There are also opportunities at the school for military training with an active Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) program at the school. About 1,600 students attend classes at Ouachita Baptist University each year.
Accounting
The accounting major at Ouachita features several expected classes in areas like accounting and business, in addition to a number of core classes in the liberal arts tradition. Some of the accounting courses students will take include Federal Income Tax and Institutional Accounting. Business courses in the major include Organizational Behavior & Management and Legal Environment of Business. Admission to the school requires a standard application, test scores from the ACT or SAT, and a transcript from high school. The university also encourages students to visit the campus to see if the school would be a good fit for a student seeking a degree. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a scale of 4.0 to gain admittance to the university, as well as a minimum score of 20 on the ACT. Students who decide to attend Ouachita will be joining a swiftly growing university as the college has been graduating record numbers of students in recent years.
Contact
Ouachita Baptist University
410 Ouachita St.
Arkadelphia, AR 71998
Phone: 870.245.5000
admissions@obu.edu
Graduation Rate: 59%
University of Arkansas
Sam M. Walton College of Business
Established in 1871, the University of Arkansas is a large university with around 25,000 students in attendance. The campus is considered the flagship of the University of Arkansas system. There are five other campuses under the university system. At the University of Arkansas, students may choose from 188 different undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs. The Carnegie Foundation suggests that the university engages in a heavy amount of research and the university is known for its programs in agriculture and architecture. The school recently conducted a very successful fundraising campaign which resulted in over a billion dollars being raised for programs at the campus.
B.S.B.A. Accounting (ACCT)
Students receive a broad education in accounting when they choose to enroll in the University of Arkansas program in accounting. Students take several classes on basic business principles, as well as many accounting classes. Students will be able to enter the accounting profession at the entry level when they graduate or they may decide to go on to graduate level study after receiving a degree. Some students may even decide to enter the master’s program at the University of Arkansas while still enrolled in the bachelor’s degree program under a special five-year, integrated approach to the degree. Some of the classes students must take include Fundamentals of Taxation, Audit and Assurance Services, and Introduction to Information Systems. Students will also participate in an accounting internship and may also study abroad through a Walton College Study Abroad Course. Students who wish to sit for the CPA exam will want to converse with an advisor about choosing the appropriate electives.
Contact
University of Arkansas
345 Garland Ave
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone: 479.575.5346
admissions@uark.edu
Website
Graduation Rate: 60%
University of Central Arkansas
College of Business
The University of Central Arkansas is the fourth largest school in the state with around 14,000 students attending classes in the city of Conway. The school was initially created as the Arkansas State Normal School in 1907. The school’s original purpose was to train students to become teachers and create a standardized set of instruction for future teachers in the state of Arkansas. When the school first opened its doors it had seven faculty members and 107 students. Over the years, the school underwent a few name changes and eventually became its modern incarnation in the late 1960s when it was expanded from its beginnings as a teachers college to become the State College of Arkansas.
Bachelor of Business Administration with a Major in Accounting
The University of Central Arkansas describes its accounting major as a challenging and rewarding degree program. Students have many opportunities ahead of them when they receive a degree in accounting from the university. Students must complete 120 hours to receive their degree in a variety of classes in general education, business, and accounting, in addition to a selection of electives. The school helps students during and after enrollment by helping students get internships, providing information on scholarships and offering advice on getting a job after graduation. Some of the classes students may expect to take include Principles of Accounting, Advanced Cost Accounting, and Individual Taxation. In addition, students take several business courses like Business Communications, Principles of Macroeconomics, and Principles of Marketing. Students graduate with a degree that ensures students are able to function in any business environment as leaders with valuable technical knowledge and critical thinking skills which help advance their careers.
Contact
University of Central Arkansas
Accounting Department
201 Donaghey Ave. COB 204
Conway, AR 72035
Phone: 501.450.3108
admissions@uca.edu
Website
Graduation Rate: 41%
The importance of accountants in business today is evident in the statistics supplied by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). They suggest that there will be a need for 166,700 more accountants over the course of 2012 to 2022, which means that getting an accounting degree offers a valuable opportunity to enter a growing profession. The financial operations within a company are extraordinarily important to the overall success of any organization. Students will have a bright future ahead of them when they choose to seek accounting bachelor degrees in Arkansas.
For more information on getting your degree, please see The 20 Most Affordable Colleges with High Four-year Graduation Rates.
