About the B.A. in Accounting
Preparation for careers in business, industry and not-for-profits
Banking, government, insurance, advertising, sales, healthcare, manufacturing, service, every organization needs qualified employees in order to operate smoothly and effectively. Business Administration is a comprehensive major that can lead to rewarding careers in small, medium or large for-profit or not-for-profit organizations.
Arcadia’s School of Global Business courses are designed to:
- Provide the student with an understanding of external forces, including the technological, legal, political, cultural and economic conditions that influence organizations and managerial decision making.
- Expose the student to each of the major internal functions (accounting and finance, marketing and operations) that organizations must perform to succeed.
- Develop the student’s interpersonal, communication, team-management, quantitative and writing skills.
- Encourage the student to develop an organizational point of view and integrate what he or she has learned.
- Offer the student an international perspective through both coursework and travel opportunities.
Simulations: Courses such as Principles of Marketing and senior-level Business Policy provide students opportunities to compete against each other as they run their own simulated companies. These simulations actively involve students in decision-making processes that managers go through daily, as well as those that require the formulation, implementation and evaluation of long-term strategies.
Case Studies and Experiential Exercises:
Case studies and experiential exercises are used in many classes to engage the learner in active problem-solving situations in business environments. These activities expose students to different situations facing industries, firms and individuals.
Student Consulting Group: Students may choose to participate in consulting opportunities. Businesses and organizations contact the School of Global Business seeking assistance with their business issues. A group of undergraduate students works directly with the organizations to develop their marketing, management and business development skills.
Internships: The internship experience provides the opportunity to apply knowledge as well as to learn from the experience itself. Students have a number of options, including an internship abroad, to complete the requirements for the internship depending upon their education and career goals.
Presentations: To provide students with opportunities to develop presentation skills, most courses require written, oral and visual presentations. Recognizing that organizational decisions are not always based on individual analyses, much of the business coursework involves group projects.
Study Abroad: A particularly attractive option within the School of Global Business is the opportunity to spend a semester or even a year studying abroad. In most cases, it is even possible to do the internship abroad. The University also offers one-week, two-week, short-term and summer study abroad opportunities.
Senior Capstone Experience: All majors at Arcadia University complete a senior Capstone experience that involves integrating prior knowledge learned through the program with preparing written documents, and making a public presentation. For majors in Accounting and Business Administration, this Capstone requirement is satisfied by successful completion of BA 470 or BA 471 International Internship in Business Administration and BA 495 Policy Formulation and Administration , both of which are required courses for these majors.
Graduate School Preparation: Arcadia’s Business programs are designed to prepare students to pursue further study at the graduate level. Arcadia offers a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) with a Global Perspective. The program, which couples academic coursework with leading industry technology, includes two international experiences. It is recommended that students have two years of work experience to take part in the program. Students with exceptional undergraduate records with less work experience may be considered. Arcadia alumni are invited to enter this degree program once they have gained experience in the field. (See Graduate Catalog.)
Minors: The School of Global Business provides the opportunity to complete a minor. Minors in Accounting and Business Administration are for students from outside the School of Global Business and are not open to students majoring in the School of Global Business. The minors in Healthcare Administration and Economics are available to Accounting and Business Administration majors as well as majors from other disciplines.
Bachelor of Arts in Accounting
The B.A. and the B.S. degrees in Accounting provide detailed insight into accounting principles, theory and specialties such as tax, cost and auditing. Students are prepared for positions in business, government and other organizations. These degrees provide all the courses required for students to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination in Pennsylvania and some other states, as well as the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) examination. In order to sit for the CPA examination in Pennsylvania, students must hold a bachelor’s degree with at least 24 credits in accounting-related courses. CPA candidates in Pennsylvania are permitted to sit for the CPA exam with less than 150 credit hours, but will be required to complete all 150 credit hours and satisfy the work experience requirement prior to CPA licensure
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