University Catalog

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 3311FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING I3
ACCT 3312FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING II3
FINA 3313BUSINESS FINANCE3
BSTAT 3321INTERMEDIATE STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS ANALYTICS (whichever is taken first at UTA)3
or BSTAT 3322 ADVANCED STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS ANALYTICS
Total Hours12

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.

Requirements for a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Accounting

Students must meet all lower division requirements before enrolling for upper division courses. Specified prerequisites are designated for certain courses.

Pre-Professional Course Requirements - Fulfill the University General Core Requirements (42 hours and 3 elective hours)
General Core Requirements 42
Communication (minimum 6 hours required)6
RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION I
RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION II
Mathematics (minimum 6 hours required)6
COLLEGE ALGEBRA FOR ECONOMICS & BUSINESS ANALYSIS
MATHEMATICS FOR ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS ANALYSIS
Life and Physical Sciences (minimum 6 hours required)6
From Approved University General Core Requirement List
Language, Philosophy & Culture (minimum 3 hours required)3
From Approved University General Core Requirement List
Creative Arts (minimum 3 hours required)3
From Approved University General Core Requirement List
US History (minimum 6 hours required)6
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TO 1865
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, 1865 TO PRESENT
Government/Political Science (minimum 6 hours required)6
GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Social & Behavioral Sciences (minimum 3 hours required)
Satisfied by completion of ECON 2305 in the Business Core.
Foundational Component Area (minimum 3 hours required)
Satisfied by completion of ECON 2306 in the Business Core.
Elective/UNIV 1101 or UNIV 1131 ELECTIVE MAY BE TAKEN IN PLACE OF UNIV-BU 11013
Professional Course Requirements - Business Core (39 hours)
MANA 1301BUSINESS IN A GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT3
ACCT 2301PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING I3
ACCT 2302PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING II3
BSTAT 2305INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS ANALYTICS3
ECON 2305 satisfies the Social & Behavioral Science
ECON 2306 satisfies the Foundational Component
INSY 2303INTRODUCTION TO M.I.S. AND DATA PROCESSING3
BCOM 3360EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION3
BLAW 3310LEGAL AND ETHICAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS3
BSTAT 3321INTERMEDIATE STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS ANALYTICS3
FINA 3313BUSINESS FINANCE3
MANA 3318MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR3
MANA 4322STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT3
MARK 3321PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING3
OPMA 3306OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT3
Professional Course Requirements - Advanced Accounting (21 hours)
ACCT 3303INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING INFORMATION SYSTEMS3
ACCT 3311FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING I3
ACCT 3312FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING II3
ACCT 3315PRINCIPLES OF FEDERAL INCOME TAX3
ACCT 4302COST ANALYSIS AND DECISION MAKING3
ACCT 4318AUDITING3
ACCT 4304MANAGEMENT PLANNING AND CONTROL3
or ACCT 4325 GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING
Advanced Business Courses and Electives (15 hours)
Advanced business, economics, finance, information systems, management, marketing, operations and supply chain management, or real estate. No ACCT. All electives must be selected with the approval of the accounting advisor. See recommended elective tracks below.12
Advanced Economics Elective (ECON 33xx or 43xx)3
Total Hours120

Double Majors

Two Double Major options for the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Accounting are available. Accounting undergraduates who pursue one of the following Double Major programs will not have the option of participating in the Fast Track Program in Business. The option of participating in the Fast Track Program in Accounting is still available.

Completion of the Double Major is attained by including all of the following courses in the BBA Accounting plan and completing with grades of C or better in each of the double major courses listed below:

BBA IN ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE

INVESTMENTS
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND MARKETS
ADVANCED BUSINESS FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
FINA 33xx or 43xx
MONEY AND BANKING
MICROECONOMICS

BBA IN ACCOUNTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMMING
COMPUTER NETWORKS AND DISTRIBUTED COMPUTING
DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
INFORMATION SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
ADVANCED APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT
INSY 33xx or 43xx

Suggested Course Sequence

First Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
ENGL 13013ENGL 13023
MATH 13153MATH 13163
HIST 13013HIST 13023
ECON 23053ECON 23063
MANA 13013Creative Arts3
UNIV-BU 1131Freshmen Only1 
 16 15
Second Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
ACCT 23013ACCT 23023
INSY 23033BSTAT 23053
POLS 23113POLS 23123
Life & Physical Science3Life & Physical Science3
Language, Philosophy & Culture3Elective(2 Hours for Freshmen/3 Hours for Transfers)2
 15 14
Third Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
ACCT 33113ACCT 33033
BLAW 33103ACCT 33123
FINA 33133BSTAT 33213
MANA 33183MARK 33213
Advanced Economics Elective3Advanced Business Elective3
 15 15
Fourth Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
ACCT 33153ACCT 4304 or 43253
ACCT 43023ACCT 43183
OPMA 33063BCOM 33603
Advanced Business Elective3MANA 43223
Advanced Business Elective3Advanced Business Electives3
 15 15
Total Hours: 120

Requirements for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting

Students must meet all lower division requirements before enrolling for upper division courses. Specified prerequisites are designated for certain courses.

Pre-Professional Course Requirements - Fulfill the University General Core Requirements (42 hours and 3 elective hours)
General Core Requirements 42
Communication (minimum 6 hours required)6
RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION I
RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION II
Mathematics (minimum 6 hours required)6
COLLEGE ALGEBRA FOR ECONOMICS & BUSINESS ANALYSIS
MATHEMATICS FOR ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS ANALYSIS
Life and Physical Sciences (minimum 6 hours required)6
From Approved University General Core Requirement List
Language, Philosophy & Culture (minimum 3 hours required)3
From Approved University General Core Requirement List
Creative Arts (minimum 3 hours required)3
From Approved University General Core Requirement List
US History (minimum 6 hours required)6
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES TO 1865
HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES, 1865 TO PRESENT
Government/Political Science (minimum 6 hours required)6
GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES
STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Social & Behavioral Science (minimum 3 hours required)
Satisfied by completion of ECON 2305 in the Business Core.
Foundational Component Area (minimum 3 hours required)
Satisfied by completion of ECON 2306 in the Business Core.
Elective/UNIV 1101 or UNIV 1131 ELECTIVE MAY BE TAKEN IN PLACE OF UNIV-BU 11013
Professional Course Requirements - Business Core (30 hours)
MANA 1301BUSINESS IN A GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT3
ACCT 2301PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING I3
ACCT 2302PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING II3
BSTAT 2305INTRODUCTORY STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS ANALYTICS3
ECON 2305 satisfies the Social & Behavioral Science
ECON 2306 satisfies the Foundational Component
INSY 2303INTRODUCTION TO M.I.S. AND DATA PROCESSING3
BCOM 3360EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION3
BLAW 3310LEGAL AND ETHICAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS3
BSTAT 3321INTERMEDIATE STATISTICS FOR BUSINESS ANALYTICS3
FINA 3313BUSINESS FINANCE3
MARK 3321PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING3
Professional Course Requirements - Accounting (33-36 hours)
ACCT 3303INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING INFORMATION SYSTEMS3
ACCT 3311FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING I3
ACCT 3312FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING II3
ACCT 3315PRINCIPLES OF FEDERAL INCOME TAX3
ACCT 3316DATA ANALYTICS FOR ACCOUNTING3
ACCT 4302COST ANALYSIS AND DECISION MAKING3
ACCT 4318AUDITING3
Advanced Accounting Electives (Choose 4 courses: ACCT 4304, ACCT 4319, ACCT 4325, ACCT 4340, or ACCT 4380)12
Advanced Business Courses and Electives (12-15 hours)
BLAW 4332BUSINESS LAW FOR ACCOUNTANTS3
Advanced Economics Elective (ECON 33xx or 43xx)3
Advanced business, business analytics, economics, finance, information systems, management, marketing, operations and supply chain management, or real estate. No ACCT.3
Advanced accounting, business, business analytics, economics, finance, information systems, management, marketing, operations and supply chain management, or real estate. May take ACCT 4304, ACCT 4319, ACCT 4325, ACCT 4340, ACCT 4380 or ACCT 4393.3
Total Hours120

Suggested Course Sequence

First Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
ENGL 13013ENGL 13023
MATH 13153MATH 13163
HIST 13013HIST 13023
ECON 23053ECON 23063
MANA 13013Creative Arts3
UNIV-BU 1131Freshmen Only1 
 16 15
Second Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
ACCT 23013ACCT 23023
INSY 23033BSTAT 23053
POLS 23113POLS 23123
Life & Physical Science3Life & Physical Science Elective3
Language, Philosophy & Culture3Elective (2 Hours for Freshmen/3 Hours for Transfers)2
 15 14
Third Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
ACCT 33033ACCT 33123
ACCT 33113ACCT 33153
BLAW 33103ACCT 33163
FINA 33133BSTAT 33213
Advanced Economics Elective3MARK 33213
 15 15
Fourth Year
First SemesterHoursSecond SemesterHours
ACCT 43023ACCT 43183
BLAW 43323BCOM 33603
Advanced Accounting Elective3Advanced Accounting Elective3
Advanced Accounting Elective3Advanced Accounting Elective3
Advanced Business or Accounting Elective3Advanced Business Elective3
 15 15
Total Hours: 120

Recommended Advanced Business Elective Tracks for Accounting Majors

Finance Industry Track

In addition to the Core Business Requirement of FINA 3313, Business Finance.

MONEY AND BANKING
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND MARKETS
MONEY AND CAPITAL MARKETS
ADVANCED BUSINESS FINANCIAL ANALYSIS
FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES

Information Systems Track

In addition to the Business Core Requirement of INSY 2303, Introduction to MIS and Data Processing.

COMPUTER NETWORKS AND DISTRIBUTED COMPUTING
INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS ANALYTICS
INTRODUCTION TO CYBERSECURITY

Sales and Marketing Track

In addition to the Business Core Requirements of BCOM 3360, Effective Business Communication, and MARK 3321, Principles of Marketing.

PROFESSIONAL SELLING
INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION / ADVERTISING
MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP OF THE SALES FORCE
NEGOTIATIONS AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Students will receive a Sales Certificate if all courses are completed and the student has applied for the certificate.

Minor in Accounting

The College of Business:

  • Requires half of the course work for a minor in business be completed in residence at UT Arlington. For an 18-hour minor requirement, this would require a minimum of 9 hours of business course work at UT Arlington.
  • Requires a grade of C or better in all minor requirement courses.
  • Will not use vocational and technical courses (including WECM courses) toward any business minor.

Accounting

ACCT 2301PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING I3
ACCT 2302PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING II 13
ACCT 3311FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING I 13
ACCT 33xx or 43xx 13
ACCT 33xx or 43xx 13
ACCT 33xx or 43xx 13
Total Hours18

Students must complete at least 9 hours of upper level accounting coursework at UT Arlington.

The following ACCT prefix courses may not be used to satisfy the minor requirements:

ACCOUNTING FOR MANAGERS

A minimum accounting GPA of 2.0 must be maintained for accounting classes completed at UT Arlington.  ACCT 3309 will NOT be included in the accounting GPA calculation.

1

Mandatory Prerequisites: Prerequisites MUST be met before enrollment in the course. A student should consider these when selecting courses to satisfy the minor requirement and when registering. For a complete list of prerequisites see the Undergraduate Catalog or the Business Undergraduate Advising Office.