The undergraduate accounting curriculum option provides strong pre-professional training in the theory and practice of accounting, within the context of a sound general education which exposes the student both to the liberal and to the management arts. The program serves students interested in careers in public and corporate accounting, as well as students who intend to pursue advanced studies in various graduate and professional schools.
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants provides a very useful website concerning careers in both public and private accounting. Accounting graduates from Binghamton generally start their careers in public accounting, but many move to the corporate environment or continue on to graduate programs in accounting, finance or law within a few years. The AICPA website details the various career options available to accounting graduates, shows recent salary ranges for various accounting jobs and offers tips on resume writing and interviewing. The site is http://www.aicpa.org/default.aspx.
The School of Management offers interested students an option to obtain both the BS and either the MS in Accounting or an MBA in a five year period. Students who complete our BS in Accounting program and are admitted to the Graduate School are guaranteed a one year masters program. Either program will satisfy the AICPA requirement for a five year degree which went into effect in 2000. Students graduating after August 2009, who wish to be licensed as CPA's in NYS will be required to have a degree consisting of a minimum of 150 credit hours. The BS/MS program will satisfy this requirement.
There are three major requirements for licensure as a certified public accountant in New York State: education, examination and experience. The age requirement is 21 years old until August 2009; the education requirement can be fulfilled by completion of the BS in Accounting curriculum in the SOM, or by a B.S. in Management with additional coursework to meet CPA requirements. After August 2009, 150 credit hours will be required. A student must have an overall GPA of 2.0 or better to qualify for the exam. There are different divisions of the exam, and they may be passed separately, but there are time constraints that must be adhered to. Information about the exam and necessary forms can be obtained by calling 1-800-CPA-EXAM.
