Business Management - Accounting (Three Year BAS)

The Bachelor of Applied Science in Accounting builds on foundational Ensign College accounting and other certificate skills to prepare students for the complexities of modern financial management and strategic decision-making. Through a hands-on, immersive curriculum, students learn to analyze and record financial transactions, prepare financial statements, develop budgets, and apply tax and audit principles. The program emphasizes the preparation, interpretation and application of financial data to support business decisions, while integrating tools such as data analytics and accounting software to ensure graduates are proficient in current technologies and practices.

The program helps prepare students for professional licensures such as Certified Management Accountants (CMA) and Certified Public Accountants (CPA). Students gain a broad understanding of how accounting informs organizational decision making, performance and strategy. The applied approach prepares graduates to immediately enter the workforce or pursue a master’s degree, with the skills needed to adapt to the rapid changes in the accounting profession and contribute effectively across industries.

With a degree in accounting, students may pursue a career in public and/or private industry, as well as government agencies. Careers include a broad range of accounting functions and services, financial services, tax services, and many others.

Certified Management Accountant (CMA) certification requirements are set by the Institution of Management Accountants. While the CMA is not a professional license, it is a globally recognized credential. The Bachelor's of Applied Science degree in Business with the Accounting Area of Emphasis (120 credit hours) is designed to meet the educational CMA requirements and will allow students to sit for the exam. However, additional Professional CMA requirements must be completed in order to receive the certification

Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensure requirements are set state by state, but all states require a minimum total 150 credit hours.  The Bachelor's of Applied Science degree in Business with the Accounting Area of Emphasis (120 credit hours) will not, by itself, meet the CPA education requirements of any state. Because the educational requirements for each state to sit for the CPA exam differ greatly, can be extremely complex and detailed, and can change frequently, it is imperative that students investigate the requirements of the state(s) from which they wish to seek a CPA license.  Each state has a board of accountancy that can provide this information.