This undergraduate degree provides a solid foundation for students planning to pursue a variety of accounting careers in industry, government, or public accounting. Students completing this academic plan may apply for the competitive MBA-ACC program, one of several avenues for a student to complete the 150 units needed for the CPA exam.
This program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Accounting is recognized as one of the world's leading professions, offering many opportunities for a rewarding career. By enrolling in the Professional Program in Accounting (PPA), you will be ideally poised to take advantage of the growing market demand for accounting graduates and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) candidates. You will also join a comprehensive, quality accounting program that is cost-efficient. You'll study in The W. A. Franke College of Business building on the spacious, forested south campus. This complete learning environment includes classrooms, study areas, computer facilities, faculty offices, and a student lounge.
The goal of our program is to prepare our graduates for their first position in the field of accounting and to give them the skills to continue to progress throughout their career. We actively promote and enhance employment opportunities for our graduates.
To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the general studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.
The full policy can be viewed here.
In addition to University Requirements:
Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 120 |
| Major GPA | 2.0 |
| Highest Mathematics Required | MAT 121 |
| Additional Admission Requirements | Required |
| University Honors Program | Optional |
| Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan | Optional |
| AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-B | Recommended |
| Progression Plan Link | View Progression Plan |
| Licensure | This program may lead to licensure. |
Purpose Statement
The goal of our program is to prepare our graduates for their first position in the field of accounting and to give them the skills to continue to progress throughout their careers.
In pursuit of this goal, the Accounting Area seeks to continuously improve the curriculum to ensure that our graduates possess those core competencies which are most closely aligned with the value contributed by accounting professionals. Accordingly, the NAU Accounting Program follows the recommendations contained in the American Institute of CPAs' (AICPA) Core Competency Framework and the American Accounting Association's (AAA) Accounting Education Change Commission (AECC) Assessment for the New Curriculum: A Guide for Professional Accounting Programs. These competencies support the concept of learning as a continuum that begins in an academic setting and continues with life-long professional education and experience. This core competency framework focuses on skills and is not necessarily structured around traditional subject areas. While knowledge requirements will change with time, these core competencies have long-term value and will support a variety of career opportunities. Further, by basing curriculum guidance on professional expectations, the Program Objective aims to ease transition from student to professional.
Student Learning Outcomes
Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
Admission to Northern Arizona University qualifies you for admission into the preprofessional program in The W. A. Franke College of Business. You must meet the following requirements to enter our professional programs:
This major requires 73 units distributed as follows:
Business Core (43 units)
Accountancy-specific Major Requirements, with a minimum GPA of 2.0 (24 units)
*ACC 405 counts toward your degree. It does not count toward CPA licensure requirements (30 units of upper-division accounting).
Other Major Requirements (6 units)
This program is available as an Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan wherein a student may start a master's degree while simultaneously completing their bachelor's degree.
Students enrolled at the Flagstaff campus for both undergraduate and graduate programs are eligible to complete the Bachelor of Science in Accountancy and Master of Business Administration - Accounting Concentration at NAU.
A total of 3 units will be shared between the plans selected from:
Students accepted into the Accelerated Program should complete the following requirements:
Major Requirements
This major requires 73 units distributed as follows:
Take the following 73 units:
Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.
You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or General Studies Requirements.
We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.
Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.