Accounting

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants calls accounting “a career without limits” for good reason.

Accounting is more than bookkeeping or number-crunching. You’ll learn the skills needed to become a strategic business adviser who can anticipate organizational challenges. You’ll also be encouraged to develop your talents as a critical thinker and creative problem-solver.

In addition to preparing you for the traditional roles of CPA, cost accountant, government accountant or internal auditor, the Accounting degree program can be a solid foundation for your career in underwriting or actuarial science, financial services, forensic investigation, or law. There isn’t an industry or sector of the economy that doesn’t employ accountants, which gives you a wide range of career options—our B.S. in Accounting graduates have started their careers as budget analysts, trade specialists, underwriters, business management analysts, assurance associates, financial institution examiners, and internal auditors. Accounting alumni with more experience hold positions that include chief accounting officer, tax senior manager, partner, and special agent for the IRS’s criminal investigation unit.

Why the Black School of Business at Penn State Behrend?

The Black School of Business integrates training in accounting with a solid foundation in core business functions like management information systems and finance. You’ll be taught by faculty who have real-world experience and who are encouraged to involve students in their research efforts. These undergraduate research experiences often result in publications and presentations at professional meetings and at Penn State Behrend’s annual Sigma Xi Undergraduate Research and Creative Accomplishment Conference.

If obtaining the certified public accountant designation is one of your goals, Penn State Behrend makes it easy for you to obtain the 150 classroom hours needed for CPA licensure. We offer a master’s degree in Professional Accounting (M.P.Acc.) that can be completed in one year following your graduation from our undergraduate degree program; you’ll have the academic prerequisites for the CPA exam and enter the workforce holding a graduate degree.

Accreditation Matters

The Black School of Business is accredited by AACSB International, the highest standard of achievement and a designation earned by less than 5 percent of business schools worldwide.