Online
Complete in 2 semesters
Boost Your Career Expertise with an Accounting Foundations Certificate
Looking to develop foundational accounting knowledge and skill? Boost your knowledge and confidence in the accounting and business with a Graduate Certificate in Accounting Foundations from Michigan State University.
We understand that professionals like you are balancing work and life. That’s why our Accounting Foundations graduate certificate is offered completely online. Whether you’re looking to enhance your skills in the business and accounting sectors or seeking a career change, our Accounting Foundations certificate will fit your busy lifestyle.
9 credits
Flexible
Asynchronous
Created for Professionals Like You Seeking Accounting Skills
Our Accounting Foundations certificate equips students with the essential tools and skills to understand accounting principles in a convenient format. The certificate can serve as professional development or as a stepping stone to accounting graduate programs or graduate certificates.
Mastering accounting principles will equip you with the tools and experience you need to enhance your career or prepare you for an advanced accounting degree.
Curriculum for the Online Accounting Foundations Certificate (9 credits)
With a world-class reputation, coursework that translates to real-world applications and the flexibility to take courses around your schedule, our Accounting Foundations program offers everything you need to boost your professional expertise. Your coursework is designed to prepare you with basic accounting knowledge and provide essential tools and skills to understand accounting principles.
Students are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 in all courses in the certificate and a minimum 2.0 grade-point average in each course for the course to count toward the certificate program.
Students are required to take ACC 870, ACC 872, and one of the remaining courses.
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ACC 870 Principle of Financial and Managerial Accounting (Required)
3 Credits
You’ll learn to understand and interpret corporate financial statements in this foundational course of our accounting curriculum. Deepen your knowledge of basic principles and the concepts and types of data analysis, including managerial accounting concepts, job order costing, cost-volume-profit analysis, budgeting and variance analysis.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
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ACC 871 Accounting Database Systems (Optional)
3 Credits
Gain a better understanding of accounting information systems. Topics covered in this course include storage and retrieval of information, workflow systems, integration of decision support and policy-level systems with economic event processing systems, and business and information technology risks and controls.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
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ACC 872 Financial Reporting and Data Analysis (Required)
3 Credits
As part of the data analytics curriculum, you’ll develop the skills to analyze and use financial statements, including understanding the measurement, valuation and reporting concepts used in determining the asset, liability, revenue and expense values contained in the statements.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
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ACC 873 Principles of Federal Income Tax Accounting (Optional)
3 Credits
Get a comprehensive introduction to the U.S. federal income tax system in this online accounting course. Concepts covered include gross income, deductions and tax computations for corporations and individuals, with an emphasis on tax planning and decision making.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
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ACC 874 Performance Measurement and Control Systems (Optional)
3 Credits
Learn how to prepare and use accounting information for planning and control purposes. As a key course in our accounting curriculum, you’ll master the essential tools and skills, including different types of data analytics, to make business decisions using accounting information.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
Admissions
To be eligible for our graduate-level Accounting Foundations certificate, you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0.
How to apply
While applications for our accounting foundations graduate certificate are accepted at any time, they should be completed no later than two months before your desired starting semester.
How to apply
Applications are accepted at any time but should be completed no later than two months prior to the desired starting semester.
Tuition
Tuition for the Accounting Foundations Graduate Certificate is billed at $817.25 per credit hour, whether you are an in-state or out-of-state student. Additional course-related expenses for reading materials or software licenses may be incurred.
Why Earn an Accounting Foundations Graduate Certificate at MSU?
MSU is known for its world-class programs, which guide and support students with in-demand, high-quality learning experiences.
Our Accounting Foundations program is administered through our AACSB-accredited Department of Accounting and Information Systems, where you’ll find faculty who take pride in innovative, globally oriented programs and comprehensive research endeavors.
Let’s Get Started
For additional details about MSU’s Accounting Foundations Certificate, please complete our brief request form. We look forward to connecting with you.
Contact Information
- Accounting Foundations Graduate Certificate
- Lynne Zelenski
- North Business Building
- 632 Bogue St Rm N270
- East Lansing, MI 48824
- msada@broad.msu.edu
- Phone: (517) 355-7486
- View Profile