Concentration in Accounting

IMA Endorsement Seal. IMA's® (Institute of Management Accountants) Higher Education Endorsement initiative recognizes programs that meet high educational standards, preparing students to enter into the profession of management accounting.

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a Concentration in Accounting is designed to provide students with a general understanding of multiple areas of accounting and the knowledge and skills needed to prepare them for entry-level accounting positions that require only an undergraduate degree, and for graduate business and accounting programs. Accounting courses will help students learn the “language of business" and translate the daily activities of a business into useful financial information to facilitate decision making.

The bachelor's degree program with accounting concentration is based on the UMass Lowell general education courses that consist of 56 credits in areas outside of the Manning School of Business. In addition, the Manning School of Business foundation and core curriculum include 67 hours of courses from all the business disciplines including 24 hours of courses from accounting.

Courses include: Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Intermediate Accounting I & II, Auditing, Cost Accounting, Accounting Information Systems, Taxation and Advanced Accounting. 

Read more about the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Accounting curricula span numerous branches:

  • Financial: How to record and report transactions and account balances
  • Managerial: How to promote and measure operational performance
  • Information Systems: How to manage financial data and information
  • Taxation: How to calculate and record tax obligations
  • Auditing: How to test accounting systems and reports for accuracy

One of the great things about the field of accounting is that there is a job for every education level. Each degree level and program offers its own curriculum so it is important to understand what courses and skills will be covered in a specific program before beginning your educational journey.

Accounting is your choice if you seek:

  • a career as a certified public accountant (CPA) — a highly respected professional providing audit, tax and consulting services.
  • a position in industry, government or a not-for-profit organization with a career path to controller, CFO, CEO, revenue agent (IRS) or special agent (FBI).
  • a career as a financial analyst, forensic accountant, tax expert or entrepreneur.

For more information on career preparedness visit Career Services.

Undergraduate Accounting Certificate

Students who have already earned their Bachelor's degree in another discipline can pursue an undergraduate Accounting Certificate, allowing them an opportunity to begin a future in accounting. In addition to preparing students to take on entry-level accounting positions like bookkeeping and accounting clerks, this Certificate provides the required undergraduate-level courses in Accounting that one needs before they can apply to most graduate-level programs in Accounting.

For more information on the program, please visit our Accounting Certificate page.

Application information can be found on the UMass Lowell Division of Graduate, Online and Professional Studies website.