Accounting

In 2023, the Accounting curriculum was totally revised to prepare students for the CPA Exam Evolution, corporate and organizational accounting such as internal audit, accounting (data) analytics and forensic accounting and fraud examination. Accounting majors learn skills vital for every organization, from multi-national public accounting firms to corporations, government agencies and nonprofits. We provide the critical foundations you need to enter, thrive in and lead the profession.

Our undergraduate program offers specialized tracks in the following areas:

• The CPA Exam grounded in the new CPA Evolution (offering three tracks that correspond to the specialized areas of the new CPA exam: BAR, ICS, Tax)
• Corporate and organizational accounting with ties to the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Certified Financial Management (CMA) exams.
• Financial and non-financial data analytics and big data
• Forensic accounting and fraud examination with ties to the Certified Fraud Examiners exam

Undergraduate students can mix and match accounting careers tracks to set their career on a path to success.

At the undergraduate / masters level, we offer two “3+1” programs where advanced placement students earn both an undergraduate degree and either a Master of Accountancy (MAcc) or Masters for Forensic and Fraud Examination in approximately four years.

Points of pride for the WVU Accounting Undergraduate Programs:

1. Jobs, jobs, jobs! Followed by promotions, promotions, promotions (Spring 2022 91% placement for UGs)
2. Big data and data analytics are operationalized in accounting decision-making and included in virtually every accounting class
3. CPA exam pass rates – at WVU: MAcc = 75%; undergraduate options beyond the CPA include Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
4. Tracks: Three CPA Exam (BAR, ICS, TPC); Organizational / Corporate Accounting; Data Analytics; Forensic Accounting
5. Faculty in accounting have superior pedigrees and specialization like: 

• Dr. John Treu, tax professor, has his law degree from NYU.
• Professor Gary LeDonne has 30 years of tax experience with EY
• Four accounting faculty author textbooks used by other universities (Professors Nigrini, Riley, Dull, and Holderness)

3+1 undergraduate degree, plus masters options:

• Masters of Accounting (MAcc)
• Masters in Forensic and Fraud Examination (MS-FFE)
• Certificate in Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination (FAFE)

5 DEGREE PROGRAMS

Want a career leading through expert knowledge of financial performance? Look no further. With five accounting degrees across our undergraduate and graduate programs, and full knowledge of the business, you’re sure to find your place within our College and graduate with the skills you need to excel on examinations and in real-world accounting. 

• Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) with a major in Accounting
• Master of Accountancy (MAcc)
• Master of Science in Forensic and Fraud Examination (MS-FFE) - ONLINE
• 4-Year Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Ph.D.) with a concentration in accounting
• 3-Year Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Ph.D.) with a concentration in accounting - ONLINE

The undergraduate Accounting degree program builds upon a traditional university curriculum to provide students with foundational academic knowledge in Business and Accounting. The program is designed to integrate business knowledge with a professional orientation, to form a foundation for future learning in the profession and industry. The Accounting program and courses are subject to periodic review by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) for timeliness, professional requirements and relevance in a global marketplace.

Advanced courses and tracks in the program provide both specialized knowledge in accounting and financial reporting, leveraging non-financial information and an integrated perspective of the economic activities of a business entity. These courses provide students the educational foundation required for a variety of entry-level positions in public accounting, business, government, and not-for-profit organizations. Accounting graduates have the knowledge to become controllers, financial officers, certified public accountants, managerial accountants, budget analysts, internal auditors, tax accountants, public administration officers, financial fraud investigators, and other executives.

In 2023, the accounting major is redesigned to give students the educational foundation necessary to prepare for the professional examinations that may be required of them in their careers. These examinations include the CPA, Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). The requirements to sit for the uniform CPA Examination vary by state. Students are encouraged to become familiar with the requirements of the states where they plan to get their certification. Many states, including West Virginia, require 128 credit hours to sit for the exam and 150 credit hours of college credit to be fully certified.

The accounting programs at WVU have been separately accredited by AACSB International since 1997.

3+1 FOR ACCOUNTING STUDENTS WHO PURSUE A MACC

Students who have completed college credit prior to admission to WVU and major in accounting can finish their BSBA in three years. They can then begin the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) and complete it in only one year.

Students who complete their BSBA in three years will be admitted into the MAcc with a minimum 3.2 cumulative GPA and 3.2 major GPA. The GMAT score is not required. Those who wish to start in August of their fourth year must apply during their third year between January 1 and June 30. Students planning to start in January must apply after completion of the third spring semester (May) and prior to December 1st. To start in the summer following the third year, students must apply during their third year between January 1 and February 28.

3+1 FOR ACCOUNTING STUDENTS WHO PURSUE A MS-FFE

Our 3+1 Masters of Forensic and Fraud Examination option is an accelerated bachelor’s-to-master’s (ABM) program that allows you to take 12 hours of graduate coursework while completing your undergraduate degree, leaving only 18 credit hours in order for you to achieve a master’s degree. Rather than 150 hours being needed for a bachelor’s and a master’s, this option allows you to finish with 138 hours.

Requirements for the Accounting to FFE ABM:

• Have a cumulative 3.0 after the fall semester of your sophomore year,
• Have completed 24 undergraduate credits in residence,
• Indicate your interest in the program by March of your sophomore year and be approved for program admission by the beginning of your junior year, and
• Follow the plan of study.

Related Minors

• Business Cybersecurity
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• Finance