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Accounting

Accounting majors learn skills vital for every organization, from multi-national companies to government agencies and nonprofits. We provide the foundation you’ll need to enter the profession.

Ranked
14

Accountants rank No.14 in Best Business Jobs (U.S. News & World Report, 2023).

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. 

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.
IIAEP

BSBA Corporate Accounting Track

WVU has been recognized as an IAEP school for the internal audit program. The program recognizes that WVU has a curriculum that has been approved by the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Learn more about IAEP

Careers

Wondering what you can do with a degree from WVU's Accounting major? Check out these ideas from WVU Career Services and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). A median salary is the midpoint of what people typically earn—half of those surveyed earned above the median salary, and half earned below.

  • Bright Outlook
  • Green Occupation
  • Requires a Graduate Degree
  • Accountants

    Analyze financial information and prepare financial reports to determine or maintain record of assets, liabilities, profit and loss, tax liability, or other financial activities within an organization. Possible job titles for this career include: Accountant.

    $68,150 Median Salary

    Learn More

  • Auditors

    Examine and analyze accounting records to determine financial status of establishment and prepare financial reports concerning operating procedures. Possible job titles for this career include: Audit Manager.

    $68,150 Median Salary

    Learn More

  • Budget Analysts

      Examine budget estimates for completeness, accuracy, and conformance with procedures and regulations. Analyze budgeting and accounting reports. Possible job titles for this career include: Analyst.

      $73,840 Median Salary

      Learn More

    • Credit Authorizers

        Authorize credit charges against customers' accounts. Possible job titles for this career include: Business Manager.

        $36,930 Median Salary

        Learn More

      • Financial Managers, Branch or Department

        Direct and coordinate financial activities of workers in a branch, office, or department of an establishment, such as branch bank, brokerage firm, risk and insurance department, or credit department. Possible job titles for this career include: Banking Center Manager (BCM).

        $121,750 Median Salary

        Learn More

      • Tax Examiners and Collectors and Revenue Agents

          Determine tax liability or collect taxes from individuals or business firms according to prescribed laws and regulations. Possible job titles for this career include: Revenue Agent.

          $52,060 Median Salary

          Learn More

        This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.

        Employers of WVU Accounting Graduates

        Big 4

        • Deloitte
        • EY
        • KPMG
        • PwC

        Mid-Sized

        • A&M
        • Aronson
        • Baker Tilly
        • BDO
        • BNY Mellow
        • Brown Edwards
        • CliftonLarsonAllen LLP
        • CohnReznick LLP
        • DHG (Dixon Hughes Goodman LLP)
        • GRF CPAs & Advisors
        • Grossman Yanak & Ford LLP
        • McGregor and Company, LLP
        • RMA Associates
        • Ryan, LLC
        • SEK CPAs & Advisors
        • Suttle & Stalnaker, PLLC
        • YHB (Yount, Hyde & Barbour, P.C)

        Corporate

        • Highmark Health
        • Leidos
        • Oshkosh Corporation
        • PNC Financial Services
        • Rocket Companies
        • University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC)
        • UPMC
        • Walgreens
        • WESCO Anixter

        Government Agencies

        • Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
        • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
        • U.S Department of Defense – Office of Inspector General

        State Agencies

        • WV Department of Highways
        • WV Department of Transportation
        • WV State Auditor

        Related Minors

        • Business Cybersecurity
        • Business Data Analytics
        • Finance

        By the Number$

        88.5%
        Spring 2021 placement rate for Undergrads
        5

        DEGREE PROGRAMS

        75%
        CPA exam pass rate for WVU MAcc Program 
        3 + 1
        4 Undergraduate degree plus masters options

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