Accounting: The UDC Edge

The accounting program at UDC is comparable to those at other universities, but is available at a fraction of the cost. Our active student organizations, such as the UDC chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants and the UDC Accounting Club, provide you with a career advantage through networking and conference opportunities.

In line with UDC’s mission of service to the community, you can gain real-world accounting experience by helping District residents with their taxes through UDC’s IRS-authorized tax clinic.

Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Accounting – (B.B.A Accounting)

The Accounting program provides students with the knowledge and skills required by the twenty-first century accounting industry.

Recognizing the importance of broad understanding and perspective in problem solving and innovation, the School will eliminate its individual Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programs in Marketing, Finance, and Management Information Systems. The material covered in these programs will be brought together under a single generic BBA in Business Management program and students will be able to concentrate within the program on specific areas such as finance, marketing and management information systems. To focus its investments in high-demand programs, the School will eliminate its Bachelor of Arts in Economics program. These changes will ensure that the School offers programs that are relevant and strike a balance between comprehensiveness and focus.

Student Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

  1. Students will know how to prepare, communicate and explain financial statements for profit and for non-profit enterprises.
  2. Students will demonstrate the ability to use accounting information to assist management in planning, controlling and decision making.
  3. Students will demonstrate the ability to use accounting data and statements to assure shareholders and other stakeholders that an organization’s financial data is accurate, ethical and presented in such a manner as to preclude fraud and/or misrepresentation.
  4. Students will understand and compute federal income taxes for individuals and other entities.

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Curriculum and Requirements in the UDC Accounting Program

The BBA Accounting Program is fully accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Program (ACBSP). Students attend courses, seminars and gain hands-on experiences with current applicable accounting software that will acquaint them with the latest concepts in accounting. Students majoring in Accounting are required to complete 126 credit hours for graduation, of which 33 credits in major requirements, 56 credit hours are ancillary requirements, including the Business Core, 34 credits are in general education courses, and 3 credits in elective courses. Students who already have a bachelor’s degree in accounting and want to sit for the uniform certified public accountant (CPA) examination may structure their course work in order to sit for the examination and receive the M.B.A. degree.

Completion of the UDC accounting program meets most of the requirements to sit for the uniform certified public accountant (CPA) examination.  Certification requires 150 semester hours, including in Maryland an additional 3 hours of business ethics.  Additional accounting electives are recommended for content as well as academic credit.

Program of Study – BBA Accounting

Student Organizations and Activities in the Accounting Program

H2: Student Organizations and Activities in the UDC Accounting Program

To gain real-world accounting experience, you can enroll in the internship/practicum class or participate in the UDC Tax Clinic (an IRS-authorized Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site) where District residents come to receive help with their taxes.

Faculty Spotlight: UDC Accounting Program

Most UDC accounting faculty are certified public accountants (CPA).

Career Pathways and Prospects

A bachelor’s degree in accounting from UDC prepares you for entry-level professional positions as staff accountants, internal auditors and junior accountants in public accounting firms, government agencies or the private sector.  You are also well prepared to earn certified public accountant (CPA) certification, which will significantly boost your career prospects.

A 2005 UDC accounting graduate, Vanessa Fields, got a job after graduation with Grant Thornton LLP—the sixth-largest accounting organization in the U.S.—through her involvement with the UDC chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants. She went on to receive her M.S. in accounting from the University of Phoenix in 2009 and currently works as a senior tax analyst at Xerox.

Contact info:

E: sbpa@udc.edu | T: 202.274.7000 | F: 202.274.7105