Join one of the nation’s top accounting programs.
For more than 50 years, Broad’s Department of Accounting and Information Systems has been the state’s largest provider of certified public accountants (CPAs). Broad is among an elite group of target recruiting schools for each of the “Big Four” public accounting firms, as well as for other national and regional firms.
What can I do with this degree?
Certified public accountant | Financial advisor or analyst | Actuary | Corporate controller
Business Core Curriculum and Degree Requirements
To build a solid business foundation, there are common degree requirements for all Broad majors.
B.A. in Accounting Requirements
Major Field Requirements: 2.0 Minimum GPA
Required Courses
Because good accountants need to be good business people first, our curriculum is built around a careful balance of business, general education and accounting courses. Our proven education model will provide you with a comprehensive skill set to help you compete and be a leader in today’s marketplace.
Ongoing curriculum evaluation by faculty and input from our External Advisory Board (leaders in the field representing the largest CPA firms and other top companies and organizations) continually improve the quality of our program.
- ACC 250 Preparing for an Accounting Career (P-N)
1 Credit
Changing environment and career management in professional accounting. Change management, ethics, professional certification, improving writing and speaking skills, globalization and technology.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
- ACC 300 Intermediate Financial Accounting I
3 Credits
U.S. and international concepts and procedures for preparing financial statements. Revenue recognition. Accounting for receivables, inventory, plant assets, intangibles and current liabilities.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
- ACC 301 Intermediate Financial Accounting II (Tier II)
3 Credits
U.S. and international concepts and procedures in accounting for various financial statement elements. Accounting for investments, bonds, leases, pensions, taxes, owners’ equity, earnings per share and comprehensive income.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
- ACC 321 Accounting Information Systems
3 Credits
Conceptual modeling and implementation of accounting transaction processing systems. Enterprise value chains, documentation of workflow processing and control requirements, and modeling of accounting interoperability requirements.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
- ACC 331: Federal Income Tax Accounting (Tier II)
3 Credits
Federal income taxation of businesses and individuals. Gross income, deductions and tax computations for corporations and individuals.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
- ACC 341: Cost and Managerial Accounting
3 Credits
Identification of relevant accounting information for management decision making, planning and control. Evaluation of cost accounting system design choices for decision usefulness and effectiveness of performance measurement.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
- ACC 411: Auditing
3 Credits
The audit process and the role of financial statement audits in organizations and financial markets. Development of the attitude, knowledge and skills required to meet ethical and auditing standards. Plan and perform audits. Communicate audit results.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
Optional Courses
- ACC 308 Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting*
1 Credit
Financial reporting, budgeting and auditing issues in nonprofit entities. Government-wide and fund financial statements for state and local governments, generally accepted accounting principles for nonprofit entities, generally accepted government auditing standards and budgeting.
*This course is required to sit for the CPA Examination in Michigan.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
- GBL 451 Law of Commercial Transactions
1 Credit
Law of contracts and sales, commercial paper, secured transactions, consumer credit and debtor-creditor relationships.
View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
It all adds up.
For more than 50 years, the Department of Accounting and Information Systems has been attracting bright, ambitious students and has been the state’s largest provider of certified public accountants (CPAs). Our undergraduate and graduate accounting degree programs are consistently ranked highly by the Public Accounting Report, one of the lead trade publications for the accounting profession. Broad’s world-class accounting faculty is renowned for its teaching, research and service. Faculty members are national and international leaders in their field who will provide you with the depth and breadth of accounting research and knowledge needed in today’s marketplace.
Our award-winning faculty provide a rigorous and challenging experience to prepare a diverse community of scholars for leadership positions in the field of accounting. There are numerous reasons to study accounting at MSU:
- An industry-connected curriculum
- Accounting majors are in demand, and starting salaries are among the highest offered to business majors
- Students can earn both a B.A. and M.S. in five years, satisfying the State of Michigan requirement for 150 credit hours for CPA certification
- The Broad College is among an elite group of target recruiting schools for each of the “Big Four” public accounting firms as well as for other national and regional firms
- Each year hundreds of interviews are conducted for accounting majors right on campus
- We work closely with employers to generate internship opportunities and approximately 200 students participate in accounting internships each year
Student Organizations
The Accounting Student Association (ASA) is organized by students for the purpose of providing those with an interest in accounting the opportunity to learn more about the profession.
Learn MoreThe Institute of Internal Auditors MSU Student Chapter exists to help the MSU student body learn about different career opportunities within internal audit, network with professionals and get involved in the community.
Learn MoreThe mission of the MSU Institute of Management Accountants Student Chapter (MSU IMASC) is to provide Michigan State University students with interactive opportunities to develop professional skills within the realm of management accounting and financial management and to promote CMA certification and enhance understanding of ethical practices through affiliation with the national Institute of Management Accountants (IMA).
Learn MoreThe goal of MSU Leaders in IT is to create well-rounded IT professionals. Network by learning about companies hiring in IT and engage with recruiters to learn more about internship and full-time opportunities. Connect with other students interested in IT and share experiences regarding work opportunities and course work. Continue to develop IT skills through interactive workshops hosted by MSU faculty.
Learn MoreThe National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) of MSU is an undergraduate professional student organization representing a diverse group of students in the Broad College of Business and related majors.
NABA offers opportunities to those who participate through bi-weekly meetings. NABA is not only a local organization at MSU, but is also a national organization. NABA hosts social events, facilitates tutoring and organizes activities such as corporate site visits.
Learn MoreVITA is a nonprofit volunteer organization that provides income tax return assistance and preparation at no cost to taxpayers. VITA is sponsored by the Internal Revenue Service and is organized by professionals and students across the United States.
At Michigan State University, dedicated Spartan volunteers help low-income individuals and families in the Greater Lansing area complete federal, state, local and/or foreign tax forms, providing students with valuable career-related experience as well as outstanding volunteer experience that provides relief to the Greater Lansing community. The MSU VITA training program produces high-quality tax preparers and allows volunteers to gain client service experience by engaging with clients in a friendly and professional manner.
Learn MoreProfessional Licensure and Certification
Federal regulations require MSU to publicly disclose, for each educational program designed to meet the educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification required for employment in an occupation (or advertised as meeting those requirements), information about whether program completion would meet those requirements in a state. These public disclosure requirements apply to all programs, regardless of their modality (i.e., on-ground, online, and hybrid programs). MSU discloses the required information for its Bachelor of Arts with a major in Accounting and Master of Science in Accounting on page 17 of this table at the Office of the Registrar website.
All current and prospective students are encouraged to contact the applicable professional licensure/certification boards in their respective states for additional information regarding professional licensure/certification requirements, including, without limitation, information regarding any non-educational requirements (such as work experience, background clearance, or examination by outside entities, such as the CPA examination).
The information in the table should not be construed as guaranteeing that any particular professional licensure/certification authority will approve a student’s application; nor should the information in the table be read to imply that other requirements for professional licensure/certification do not exist or that other requirements for professional licensure/certification have been determined to have been met by MSU’s program/course, or that any necessary approvals for clinical or other experiential learning placements are secured by virtue of a student’s enrollment at MSU.
State professional licensure/certification requirements are subject to change at any time.
For licensing board contact information, please see www.thiswaytocpa.com/licensure/state-requirements.
If you need assistance or have any questions, please contact your academic advisor.
We know accounting isn’t just about numbers. What’s more important are relationships. That’s what makes our accounting department so successful: the personal connections among accounting students, alumni, faculty and employers.
