Accounting

A dynamic, rewarding, and highly respected profession, accountancy operates at the heart of financial information services.  In addition to providing services in the traditional areas of preparation and analysis of financial statements, auditing, and tax planning and compliance, accountants serve as valuable members of management teams, as highly respected consultants to top management, and as trusted advisers to professionals, business owners, and government leaders.  For a person who wants to have a successful career in business, a degree in accounting is an excellent choice.

The mission of the accountancy program at Eastern Illinois University is to prepare students for successful careers in accountancy and related business fields by providing them with an affordable, high-quality education. 

Students who seek to major in accounting must satisfy the requirements for admission to the School of Business. Students with the GPA of 2.75 or higher at the time of admission to the School of Business will be admitted to the accounting program.

Admission by Exception: A student with a GPA lower than 2.75 at the time of admission to the School of Business may apply for admission to the accounting major by exception. A committee of faculty will review the student’s academic records and other relevant information submitted by the student. The committee may also interview the student.  The committee may approve the student’s application subject to certain performance standards, as prescribed by the committee.  The committee will communicate its decision to the Associate Chair, School of Business, and will monitor the student’s progress in meeting the performance standards.  If the student fails to meet the performance standards, the student will be dismissed from the accounting program.

Important Notice: Candidates who wish to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Examination in Illinois are required to have earned 150 hours of college credit, including an undergraduate degree.  Of the 150 hours, at least 24 hours must be in accounting.  Courses that are in progress cannot be counted to meet the 150-hour requirement.

The BSB in Accounting comprises

1. 46 hours in general  education;
2. 33-hours in the business core;
3. 27 hours in major courses (ACC 3200, 3250, 3300, 3900, 4400, 4550 or 4700; MGT 3470; plus 2 of ACC 4300, 4500, 4750, 4800); and
4. 14 elective hours, 11 of them in non-business courses.

A suggested four-year plan of study for the accounting major follows.  Courses designated with an arrow (->) must be completed with a grade of C or better before admission to upper division standing in the School of Business. Accountancy majors must complete courses designated with a ‡ with a grade of C or better.

* Based on ACT math scores, some students are exempt from MAT 1271. Those students should complete MAT 2120G during the fall semester and MAT 2110G in the spring semester of their first year and a non-business elective in the fall semester of their second year.

Calculation of the major GPA is based on courses taken at EIU with the prefix BUS and ACC and MGT 3470.