Accounting

What is Accounting?

Financial accounting records, classifies, summarizes, interprets, and communicates financial information for investors, managers, lenders, and tax authorities for the purpose of decision making. This information is presented in the form of four primary financial statements: the balance sheet, income statement, cash flow statement, and the statement of stockholders equity. Publicly traded companies are required to have their financial statements audited by Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) to verify they are prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). The field of managerial accounting deals with extracting relevant information from the details of the accounting system and supplementing that with estimates of the future and non-financial information to make decisions that create value for the firm.

Curriculum

The accounting program at the University of Cincinnati is designed to prepare students for careers in public and corporate accounting through a rigorous course of study. This includes general education requirements, basic courses in all business disciplines, accounting courses, and career exploration/development courses. Most states require 30 semester hours of accounting and a total of 150 semester hours of college credit in order to become a CPA. But each state has different requirements on which courses and other requirements to become a CPA. More information is available from the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy.

Review the program outline or contact the Lindner College of Business Undergraduate Office at 513-556-7030 for more information.

Real-World Experience

Many Accounting majors intern or co-op. The most common professional experience is working for a large, mid-sized or small public accounting firm. Professional experiences in public accounting firms are often in the auditing or taxation service lines. Experiences in public accounting firms typically open the door for numerous career paths. Accounting majors not seeking public accounting opportunities often intern or co-op in the accounting department of a company or organization.

Career Possibilities

Graduates of the UC program can find career opportunities in public and/or corporate accounting. Employers include national/international public accounting firms (Big 4), regional/local public accounting firms, financial services firms, manufacturing firms, and retailers, in addition to others. Examples of jobs include CPA's in public auditing, tax or consulting, managerial/cost accountants, internal revenue agents, tax consultants, internal auditors, financial executives, and accounting professional in governmental and/or non-profit organizations. Companies who have hired Accounting students and grads include Clark Schaefer Hackett, Anthem, Barnes Dennig, Cincinnati Bell, Deloitte, EY, Great American Insurance Group, Phillips Edison, and PwC.

Contact us

Headshot of Maureen Bruns, CPA, MBA

Maureen Bruns, CPA, MBA

Undergraduate Accounting Major Program Director and Associate Professor-Educator, Department of Accounting

2408 Carl H. Lindner Hall

513-556-7064