Accounting

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Professors Tom Cooper (Chair) and Zahi Haddad;

Associate Professors Nancy Lumpkin, Scott Takacs, and Daniel Vazzana;

Assistant Professors Cathy Buckman, and Deborah B. Madden

Adjunct Instructor Glenn Williams

Contact the Department

Business Administration & Economics Department
Georgetown College
400 East College Street
Georgetown, KY 40324

Department Site

Email

The BUA department strives to prepare students to take their places in society and to thrive in whatever roles they choose. The successful student who completes the program will:

  • be able to analyze problems and formulate appropriate solutions;
  • be able to communicate ideas effectively;
  • demonstrate knowledge of the basic content of the functional areas of business: accounting, economics, finance, international business, management, and marketing.

The Department is committed to providing a broadly oriented professional education to prepare students for careers in business, government, and not-for-profit organizations. Our major in Accounting contains a large number of required core courses that provide our students the basic skills in the quantitative and qualitative aspects of Business Administration. In addition to this broad introduction to the primary functional areas of business, the accounting courses in the major provide a solid preparation for students who seek careers in accounting or related fields. A student majoring in a departmental program will be required to maintain a minor in an area of interest outside the department. If a student wishes to have more than one departmental major, there must be three courses or nine semester hours in each departmental major that are not counted in any other major.

Please note: Additional tuition charges are waived for students taking greater than 18 hours when:

  • The student is required to take credit hours in excess of what is needed for graduation in order to meet professional certification requirements (ex: CPA exam).
  • The student is a senior.
  • The student meets the standard academic requirements for overload approval.
  • The academic dean approves.

Major

(B.S. degree) Sixty-three hours required. Fifty-one hours in Business Administration and Economics including BUA 210, 211, 300, 310, 311, 318, 326, 330, 335, 336, 348, 353, 413, 415, 450; ECO 221 and 223; plus twelve additional allied hours consisting of MAT 109 and 111; COMM 115; and PHI 325.

Fifth-Year Program in Accounting (for students seeking to become Certified Public Accountants) Option 1: B.S. in Accounting from Georgetown College and a MS in Accounting or MBA from a public university (agreement in place with University of Kentucky). Option 2: B.S. in Accounting plus additional 30 hours from Georgetown College. Interested students should consult an accounting advisor to select the best courses under this option.

For course descriptions, please see Business Administration.

Click to See Career Options

The Accounting major provides a solid educational base for students seeking to obtain CPA certification and allows students to compete more effectively for careers in private and public accounting practices.

Additionally, it prepares students to establish private accounting practices or to pursue graduate study in the fields of accounting or business administration. Possible careers in Accounting include:

  • Accounting Manager
  • Internal Auditor
  • Cost Accountant
  • Investment Analyst
  • Cost Analyst
  • Investment Broker
  • Budget Strategist
  • Loan Officer
  • Credit Analyst
  • Public Accounting
  • Credit Manager
  • Service Agent
  • Financial Officer
  • Systems Analyst Internal Revenue

Career Ideas for an Accounting Major

Download a pdf version of this guide (Accounting.pdf)

AREA

EMPLOYERS

STRATEGIES

PUBLIC ACCOUNTING

  • Auditing/Assurance Services
  • Tax
  • Environmental Accounting
  • Forensic/Investigative
  • Accountant
  • Information Technology Services
  • International Accountant
  • Personal Financial Planning
  • Large/multinational, Regional, or Local Public accounting firms
  • Sole practitioners
Public accounting firms hire candidates who meet the educational requirements for sitting for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam: 150 hours of education including 24 hours of accounting, i.e. the equivalent of an undergraduate degree in accounting. State laws govern the practice of accountancy and specify the requirements to be eligible to sit for the CPA exam. In most states, the State Board of Accountancy has a website that outlines those requirements.

CORPORATE ACCOUNTING

  • Financial Management
  • Financial Reporting
  • Internal Auditing
  • Cost Accountant
  • Tax Planning
  • Budget Analysis
  • Companies of all sizes, in all industries
Many managers in corporate settings obtain an MBA degree after several years of work experience.

GOVERNMENT

  • Auditing
  • Financial Reporting
  • Financial Management
  • Budget Analysis
  • Research
  • Federal agencies and departments including: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, General Accounting Office, Office of Management and Budget, Securities Exchange Commission, and State and local agencies.
Become familiar with the government application process.

EDUCATION

  • Teaching
  • Research
  • Consulting
  • Universities and colleges
A Ph.D. in Accounting or a DBA, Doctorate in Business Administration, in accounting is generally required. Maintain a high GPA and secure strong faculty recommendations for admittance into graduate school.

NON-PROFIT

  • Accountant
  • Internal Audit
  • Financial Planning
  • Budgeting
  • Money Handling
  • Record Keeping
  • Social service agencies and organizations
  • Hospitals
  • Public school systems
  • Universities and colleges
  • Religious organizations
  • Libraries and museums
  • Political parties
  • Labor unions
Volunteer at non-profit organizations and build a network of contacts in the non-profit sector.

Strategies for Placement in Accounting

  • Earn good grades. Grades are an indicator of technical competence in accounting and of a person’s work ethic.
  • Actively participate in student organizations to develop leadership skills.
  • Develop excellent computer skills.
  • Learn to work well within in a team.
  • Develop strong communication skills.
  • Gain work experience and information about careers through internships.
  • Join Beta Alpha Psi, the honorary fraternity for accounting and finance information professionals, to gain knowledge about the accounting profession.
  • Certifications available through the Institute of Internal Auditors or the Institute of Management Accountants may increase job marketability in some areas of accounting.
  • Accounting students should develop their analytical, critical-thinking and problem solving skills. Develop high ethical standards.
  • Accuracy and attention to detail are important traits for accountants.
  • Accounting is a versatile degree. Students who graduate with a major in accounting may find jobs in many areas of business including: sales, production management, client management, product development, procurement, general management, banking and financial planning.

Helpful Links

Download a pdf version of this guide

Prepared by the Career Planning staff of Career Services at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
(2005) UTK is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA /ADEA Employer