Accounting Minor

The accounting minor is beneficial for anyone who wants to be involved in management, leadership, or administration in a meaningful way. The understanding of accounting assists them in fulfilling their organizational objectives, whatever those objectives may be. The emphasis of this minor is on the use of financial information rather than preparation of financial information. Students should speak with the minor coordinator about how this minor can satisfy some of the educational requirements to sit for the CPA Exam.

Rationale. It is often said that accounting is the language of business. As such, a minor in accounting is beneficial for anyone who wants to be involved in business in a meaningful way. It also helps those involved in public management or the management of large non-profit organizations. The minor also provides students the opportunity to improve their career prospects by developing practical skills and provides learning outcomes valued in business, government and non-profit organizations.

Learning Outcomes. Student will:

• Apply critical thinking skills: identify critical elements of an accounting issue, analyze financial information using an appropriate framework, distinguish between relevant and irrelevant financial information and derive conclusions about the accounting or management problem.
• Demonstrate oral communication skills: communicate effectively with management professionals, deliver an organized accounting or management presentation, and speak in an organized manner on an accounting or management topic.
• Demonstrate written communication skills: Organize relevant financial information for an accounting or management report, and use appropriate writing formats.
• Analyze ethical issues: identify ethical issues in an accounting/management context, critically apply ethical reasoning to an accounting/management situation, choose an appropriate course of action based on professional ethical standards, and evaluate multiple stakeholders’ perspectives in the accounting/management situation.
• Utilize technology skills: Identify uses of spreadsheets in accounting applications, develop spreadsheets for accounting applications, identify uses of data bases for accounting information systems.

Minor coordinator. Professor David Shapiro, Department of Public Management (212.393.6882, [e-mail])

Advisor. Ms. Yvonne Purdie, Department of Public Management (212.237.8554, [e-mail])

Requirements. Students who earn a BS in Fraud Examination and Financial Forensics or in Economics, Specialization C cannot earn this minor. A maximum of two courses can overlap with a student’s major, other minors or programs.

Required Courses

Courses

ACC 250	Introduction to Accounting	3
ACC 251	Introduction to Managerial Accounting	3
ACC 270	Intermediate Accounting I	3
ACC 271	Intermediate Accounting II	3
ACC 307	Fraud Examination and Financial Forensics I	3
ACC 308	Auditing	3

Total Credit Hours: 18