Accounting - Undergraduate Programs
Overview of Degree Programs
To support its mission, the Department of Accounting offers two undergraduate degree programs: the Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in accounting and the Bachelor of Science in Accounting. Both degree programs provide accounting and business knowledge sufficient to enable the pursuit of professional opportunities in government, industry, and public practice. The Bachelor of Business Administration degree is intended for those individuals who seek a broader education while the Bachelor of Science degree is appropriate for individuals who wish to complete significant course work in accounting.
The Department of Accounting also offers a Fast Track in Accounting and a Professional Program in Accounting for students who wish to pursue both a bachelor's and master's degree in accounting. Students accepted into either program complete fewer courses to earn both, Bachelors and Masters, degrees than non-participants.
Objective
The objective of the Bachelor in Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Accounting is to prepare students for graduate study and/or for professional careers in the public, private, government and non-for profit sector as internal auditors, management accountants, government auditors and other accounting related functions. As a part of this objective, these programs are designed to provide the educational background to become a Certified Management Accountant, Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Fraud Examiner or to attain other professional certifications.
Students of accounting learn to use and control information technology systems, prepare and analyze financial reports, structure business transactions, and develop effective business plans. Individuals who like being challenged by a variety of situations and technologies and who enjoy identifying, analyzing, and solving problems are well-suited to majoring in accounting.
Accreditation
The accounting program in the Department of Accounting is fully accredited by the AACSB International.
Transfer Credit
Acceptance of transfer credit for accounting courses will generally be limited to those courses taught in the freshman and sophomore years in the Department of Accounting at UT Arlington. Junior and senior level accounting courses taught at UT Arlington, but completed at another institution, must be validated if they are to be used to fulfill degree requirements for an undergraduate degree in accounting. Courses are ordinarily validated from an examination of course materials and acceptable performance on a validation examination. Students must earn a grade of C or higher on the validation examination for transfer credit. Information about the validation examination can be obtained from the undergraduate advisor.
Entrance Examination for ACCT 3311 (Financial Accounting I)
A student's performance in ACCT 3311 (Financial Accounting I) is often viewed as an important indicator of aptitude for success in the accounting profession. To help ensure that each student enrolling in ACCT 3311 has the preparation to succeed, students must pass an entrance examination prior to enrolling in ACCT 3311 FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING I. Students who score in the top one-third of a UT-Arlington ACCT 2301 comprehensive exam (with no less than a B on that exam), and earn a B or better in the UT-Arlington ACCT 2301 are exempt from the ACCT 3311 entrance examination. Details regarding this entrance examination may be obtained on the departmental website.
Degree Progress and Major Dismissal
Students who have been admitted to an accounting degree program must maintain satisfactory progress in their field of study. Declared accounting majors are subject to dismissal from accounting degree programs and will not be permitted to continue to enroll in accounting courses at UT Arlington if they:
- Receive a grade of D or F in more than two upper level accounting courses, or
- Receive a combination of grades of D or F on two attempts of the same accounting course.
Graduation Requirements
In addition to requirements imposed by the University and College of Business, students must earn a grade of C or higher in each accounting course presented to satisfy the requirements for a degree with a major in accounting.
Fast Track Master's Degree in Accounting
This program emphasizes preparation for a career as a professional accountant, including preparation for the Certified Public Accountant designation. Most states, including Texas, require completion of at least 150 semester hours of college study of which at least 30 semester hours must be in upper level accounting courses in order for an individual to be licensed as a Certified Public Accountant. The Fast Track Program in Accounting is designed to fulfill these requirements and enable outstanding senior undergraduate Accounting students to satisfy degree requirements leading to a Master's of Science in Accounting or a Master's of Science in Taxation while completing their undergraduate studies and thereby completing fewer courses to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting.
An undergraduate Accounting student will apply:
- within 30 hours of completing a bachelor's degree
- upon completion of at least 30 hours at UTA, achieving an overall UTA GPA of 3.3 or better
- with an overall GPA of 3.3 or better in all college courses (at all schools), and
- with a UTA Business GPA of 3.3 or better.
Additionally, a candidate must have completed 12 hours of specified undergraduate Fast Track foundation courses with a minimum GPA of 3.5 in these courses. These courses are mandatory and must be completed at UT Arlington. The foundation courses required for admission to the various Fast Track programs are:
ACCT 3311 | FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING I | 3 |
ACCT 3312 | FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING II | 3 |
FINA 3313 | BUSINESS FINANCE | 3 |
BSTAT 3321 | INTERMEDIATE STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS ANALYTICS (whichever is taken first at UTA) | 3 |
or BSTAT 3322 | ADVANCED STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS ANALYTICS | |
Total Hours | 12 |
Once admitted, a student will be allowed to take select graduate courses that may be used to satisfy both bachelor's and master's degree requirements. These students will be allowed to enroll in Auditing, Effective Business Communication, and an Accounting elective at the graduate level and these courses should not be completed as an undergraduate.
An undergraduate student who successfully completes the Fast Track graduate coursework with grades of B or better will graduate with the undergraduate degree and will be automatically admitted to the Graduate School at that time. The student will not be required to take the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), will not have to complete the normal Graduate School application for admission, and will not have to pay the related application fee.
For more details about this program, please consult the graduate accounting advisor (graduate.accounting.advisor@uta.edu).
Professional Program in Accounting (PPIA)
This program emphasizes preparation for a career as a professional accountant, including preparation for the Certified Public Accountant designation. Most states, including Texas, require completion of at least 150 semester hours of college study, of which at least 30 semester hours must be in upper level accounting courses for an individual to be licensed as a Certified Public Accountant. The Professional Program in Accounting (PPIA) is designed to fulfill these requirements and allow the simultaneous granting of a bachelor's degree and a master's degree. Students accepted into the PPIA program generally complete fewer courses to earn both degrees than non-participants.
After completing ACCT 3311 with a B or better, interested persons should consult with the undergraduate accounting advisor to review eligibility requirements and the application process. Students admitted to the program will complete a plan of study that results in the fulfillment of requirements for the bachelor's degree (excluding BCOM 3360 and the undergraduate Advanced Accounting Elective, which are waived and completed at the graduate level) and sufficient additional graduate course work to fulfill the requirements for the Master of Science in Accounting degree or the Master of Science in Taxation degree.
Applications for admission to PPIA are reviewed individually with consideration given to the following criteria:
- Undergraduate grade point average (GPA)
- Accounting grade point average (GPA)
- GMAT score
- Professional work experience
- Personal accomplishments
- Personal Statement and Letters of Reference
For details about the application process and deadlines consult the Department of Accounting Graduate Program section of the University Catalog or the Department of Accounting website.