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Accounting

  • Bachelor of Science
  • Minor

As evidenced by the strong demand in recent years for SVC accounting graduates, the marketplace has clearly seen the value of an accounting degree. An undergraduate major in accounting offers a student not only the specific skills needed to begin a career in accounting, but also provides a broad overview of all areas of a business enterprise.

Undergraduate Programs

What Can I Do With a Degree in Accounting?

The McKenna School undergraduate curriculum in accounting offers a student not only the specific skills needed to begin a career in accounting, but also provides a broad overview of all areas of a business enterprise. Our accounting majors have the unique ability to enter the public accounting profession after completing their undergraduate studies.

  • Curriculum strengths include auditing, taxes, not-for-profit accounting, cost accounting, accounting information systems with SAPinfusion and international accounting.
  • The McKenna School offers SAP Business One certification. SAP’s comprehensive business software suite is utilized by thousands of prominent world class companies such as Kennametal Inc., Heinz Corporation, KPMG, Latrobe Specialty Steel Co. and Siemens.

Curriculum Requirements

  • Requirements for a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting

    All Accounting majors must take College and Business Core Classes.

    Business Core (44 credits)
    BA 100 Financial Accounting I (freshman year) - 3 credits
    BA 170 Organizational Behavior (freshman year) - 3 credits
    BA 220 Principles of Marketing (2nd semester freshman year) - 3 credits
    BA 265 Management Information Systems (sophomore year) - 3 credits
    BA 305 Business Ethics (junior year preferred) - 3 credits
    BA 320 Corporate Finance I (sophomore year) - 3 credits
    BA 340 Business Law (junior year) - 3 credits
    BA 350 Statistics I and BA 350A Excel Lab (sophomore year) - 4 credits
    BA 351 Statistics II and BA 351A Excel Lab (sophomore year) - 4 credits or
    EC 360 Econometrics (sophomore year) - 3 credits
    BA 495 Business Policy and Strategy (senior year) - 3 credits
    EC 101 Principles of Microeconomics (freshman year) - 3 credits
    EC 102 Principles of Macroeconomics (freshman year) - 3 credits
    PS 100 Principles of American Politics - 3 credits
    MA 109/111 Calculus I (freshman year) - 4 credits
    BA 00P ePortfolio Requirement (semester of graduation--pass/fail)

    Accounting Major Requirements (27 credits)**
    BA 101 Financial Accounting II (freshman year) - 3 credits
    BA 200 Intermediate Accounting I - 3 credits
    BA 201 Intermediate Accounting II - 3 credits
    BA 300 Cost Accounting I - 3 credits
    BA 310 Taxes I - 3 credits
    BA 405 Auditing - 3 credits
    BA 470 International Accounting - 3 credits

    Choose two courses from the following:
    BA 301 Cost Accounting II - 3 credits
    BA 311 Taxes II - 3 credits
    BA 325 Analysis of Financial Statements - 3 credits
    BA 400 Advanced Accounting - 3 credits
    BA 406 Forensics Auditing - 3 credits
    BA 420 Accounting Information Systems - 3 credits
    BA 440 Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting - 3 credits

    Additional courses
    BA 304 SAP Financial and Accounting Applications - 2 credits
    BA 312 Tax Lab - 1 credit

    **Total credits required for the business administration accounting major is 70 credits. After completing this major and the college core, you will have 6 credits for electives.

  • Requirements for a Minor in Accounting

    Accounting Minor: Required Courses 
    BA 100 Financial Accounting I - 3 credits 
    BA 101 Financial Accounting II - 3 credits
    BA 200 Intermediate Accounting I - 3 credits 
    BA 201 Intermediate Accounting II - 3 credits 

    In addition to the above, choose any two of the following:
    BA 150 Managerial Accounting - 3 credits or BA 300 Cost Accounting I - 3 credits
    BA 301 Cost Accounting II - 3 credits 
    BA 310 Taxes I - 3 credits 
    BA 311 Taxes II - 3 credits
    BA 325 Analysis of Financial Statements (Corporate Finance majors may not count this course) - 3 credits 
    BA 400 Advanced Accounting - 3 credits 
    BA 405 Auditing - 3 credits 
    BA 406 Forensics Auditing - 3 credits 
    BA 420 Accounting Information Systems - 3 credits 
    BA 440 Government and Not-For-Profit Accounting - 3 credits
    BA 470 International Accounting - 3 credits

Program Highlights

Results

Distinctive features of the McKenna School Accounting Major
  • The newly released 2017 University Edition of the NASBA Report ranks universities according to the first time pass rate on the CPA exam. For institutions (281 universities) with 21 to 60 reported candidates, the Saint Vincent College ranked 24th in the nation. The report also lists results for “First-Time Testing Events within 1-Year of Graduation.” Fourteen recent McKenna School graduates took the CPA exam with an 84% pass rate, which places SVC #2 in Pennsylvania—Lehigh University beat us with an 84.5% pass rate. Okay, but we beat Lehigh in 2016. In this category, our pass rate surpassed every university New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and West Virginia. In addition only one university in each state beat us in New York, Ohio, California, and Massachusetts. I want to personally congratulate our accounting graduates and the McKenna School accounting professors: Dr. Robert DePasquale, Dr. Charles Fazzi, Professor Thomas Holowaty, Adjunct Professor Jeff Anzovino, Adjunct Professor Eva Kunkel, Adjunct Professor Anthony Mucha, Adjunct Professor Richard Williams, and Adjunct Professor Thurman Wingrove.
  • Our accounting job placements are exceptional. From the Class of 2017, 29 out of 29 (100%) are working in their field.
  • Students can complete the 150 credit hour requirement for the CPA in four years.
  • Students may join Women in Business, the Accounting Club, Pizza and Politics Club, the Finance Club, the OE Club and Delta Mu Delta (the national Greek honor society for business majors).
  • Attributable to our ACBSP accreditation, students receive in depth knowledge in 12 business core competency areas: Accounting, Management, Business Ethics, Marketing, Information Systems, Business Finance, the Legal Environment of Business, Statistics, Business Policies, Economics, Quantitative Skills and Global Dimensions in Business. 

Business Portfolio

A Business Portfolio Must Be Completed Before Graduation 

Work to be included:

  • Business Ethics Paper written in BA 170 (First Year)
  • Updated Business Ethics Paper written in BA 305
  • Resume (Completed first year and updated each year)
  • Experiential Project defined by major -- at least one
  • Information Systems Analysis Project
  • Oral Presentation from 300 level business class or above
  • Term paper written in 300 level business class or above
  • Optional: Professional Thesis

Accreditations and Affiliations

  • The McKenna School of Business has seven undergraduate programs and one graduate program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP). They are: Accounting, Business Education Information Technology, Business Economics, Finance, International Business, Management, Marketing and the Master of Science in Management: Operational Excellence graduate program. The Economics, Politics and Criminal Justice programs are not accredited through the ACBSP; however, all programs in the McKenna School have regional accreditation through the Middle States Association. The ACBSP is one of the two premier accrediting agencies for business schools worldwide. With a requirement for faculty professional development (e.g., publications and research) and courses primarily taught by faculty holding doctorates, the ACBSP is the leading business accreditation program devoted to teaching excellence and service to students.
  • The McKenna School is also a member of the Middle Atlantic Association of Colleges of Business Administration.

Internships and Careers in Accounting

  • Outstanding Job Placement

    • Bayer Corporation
    • Beard Miller Company
    • Bechtel Binkley Kanavy Group, LLC
    • BNY Mellon
    • Bombardier Transportation
    • Bononi & Company
    • Calibre CPA Group
    • Carpenters Combined Funds
    • Deloitte and Touche
    • Enterprise Bank
    • Ernst & Young
    • GNC Grossman, Yanak and Ford I
    • Internal Revenue Service
    • Kennametal Inc.
    • KPMG
    • Maher Puessel
    • Malin Berguist and Company
    • Matson, Criscoll and Damico
    • Pioneer SAB B1
    • PNC Bank
    • Price Waterhouse Coopers
    • S.R. Snodgrass
    • SAP America
    • Schneider Downs CPA
    • Sisterson and Co.
    • U.S. Department of Defense
    • U.S. Steel
    • Yount Hydes & Barbour

  • Job Position Include

    • Accounting & Reporting Specialist
    • Accounting Executive
    • Accounts Payable Specialist
    • Business Sales Specialist
    • Cost Analyst
    • Derivatives Operations Specialist
    • Financial Analyst
    • Investment Fund Accountant
    • SAP Integration Specialist
    • Staff Accounting
    • Staff Auditor
    • Tax Accontant
    • Tax Associate

  • Superior Internships Include

    • Arauolo in Spain, SAP B1
    • Bayer Corporations
    • BDO Pittsburgh CPA Firm
    • Binkley Kanavy Group, LLC
    • Blissman & Co. 
    • BNY Mellon
    • Deluzio & Co. 
    • Ernst & Young
    • First Commonwealth Bank
    • Grossman, Yanak and Ford
    • Hamill Manufacturing 
    • Kennametal Inc. 
    • Latrobe Specialty Steel
    • Malin Bergquist & Co. 
    • McCory & McDowell
    • Mylan Pharmaceuticals
    • MWA in Arizona, SPA B1
    • PA State Attorney General's Office 
    • Westinghouse Electric Company

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Students will be able to accurately create financial statements according to GAAP.
  • Students will be able to interpret financial statements in making business decisions within organizations.
  • Students will be able to prepare tax returns.
  • Students will be able to utilize auditing principles and techniques.
  • Students will have the necessary knowledge to pass the CPA exam.

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