Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Accounting

Byrum’s accounting program will prepare you for leadership with a career in managerial, public or governmental accounting. While the majority of services offered by accounting in public practice consists of auditing services, the recent growth of fields include tax and business consulting, business valuations, litigation support, forensic accounting, and fraud examination. Our program offers students exceptional career outcomes, has a moniker for distinction and allows students a pathway to earn 150 credit hours to sit for their CPA exam within four years.

What makes us ​distinctive?

• Internship program: 100% of our accounting majors complete an internship. Our program offers you flexibility as you can complete your internship as a ​3 credit hour course or during a semester earning up to 12 credit hours. Either way, you’ll walk away with great experience, new networks, and often, will lead to your first job offer!
• Faculty advising: Receive one-on-one advising from an accounting faculty ​member who will create a customized academic plan for you and help support your success.
• The Walker Center for Applied Ethics: Students can take advantage of partnerships, research, cases, and programming designed to advance ethical practices and its impact.
• Experiential Learning ​​opportunities are part of the course work in all of our accounting courses. Opportunities can range from preparing tax returns using industry recognized tax software, to presenting with your peers on accounting cases in our accounting program capstone course, to gaining experience by completing an internship with a public accounting firm – you will learn by doing!
• Professional Mentors: Our alumni care deeply about your success. Connect with your mentor and discover more about the profession of accounting. And when you launch your successful career, you will be able to serve as a mentor for the next generation of talent at Marian University.
• Becker CPA Exam Review is part of Marian’s accounting curriculum and is available at no additional cost to you. With focused content, integrated tools, and three study formats (live, live online, and self-study), Becker will help you succeed as a future CPA.
• Professional Accounting Organizations: As a student, you will have the opportunity to join the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Indiana CPA Society (INCPAS) which will launch your new professional networks.

What will you study?

Accounting is the bedrock upon which business is built. Accountants analyze relationships between business decisions, operations, and bottom-line profitability. They provide answers to financial questions about when to expand a company, when to downsize, or when to invest more capital. They also know how to manage risk, maximize efficiency, and ensure compliance with state and federal laws. 

To earn the 128-credit Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree at Marian, you’ll complete at least 72 credits of business courses including 39 credits of business core courses and 33 credits of required accounting and finance courses. 

If you want to complete the 150-hour accounting program, you will have a variety of options for completing the additional credits. You’ll work closely with your academic advisor to develop a personal plan of study. Among the required courses you’ll complete are:

• FIN 111:  Personal Finance
• ACC 250: Intro to Financial and Managerial Accounting
• ACC 310: Advanced Managerial Accounting
• FIN 311: Advanced Managerial Finance
• ACC 320: Intermediate Financial Accounting I
• MIS 320: Business Decision Support Systems
• ACC 321: Intermediate Financial Accounting II
• ACC 430: Tax Accounting
• ACC 431: Advanced Tax Accounting
• ACC 440: Auditing
• ACC 455: Cases and Problems in Accounting and Finance          

For more details, review our Undergraduate Course Catalog or download these sample four-year plan of study and course checklist.

Sample four-year plan and checklist

The CPA Exam

While licensure requirements vary by state, most boards of accountancy require first-time exam candidates to have at least 150 credit hours from an accredited college or university before completing the CPA Exam through the American Institute of CPAs. Marian University’s accounting credits are accepted by the Indiana Board of Accountancy for its Uniform Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam and the Institute of Management Accountants for its Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exam.

What is your career outlook?

According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the job outlook for accountants is expected to grow by 10 percent through 2026.