Southeast Missouri State University 1873

Bachelor's Accounting Degree

students pursing an accounting degree at Southeast Missouri State University take an exam during class as accounting majors.
BSBA On-Campus Main Campus

DEGREE TYPE

Bachelor's Degree

PROGRAM TYPE

Undergraduate

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Fearlessly interpret the numbers. Boldly drive the impact.

Our Bachelor’s in Accounting program prepares you for success in a range of accounting fields. As an accounting major, you'll receive hands-on experience in financial reporting, auditing, tax planning, and more. This degree equips you with the expertise and practical skills needed to analyze financial information, solve problems, and provide valuable insights to businesses.

How You’ll Make Your Mark

As an accounting major, you'll take courses in varying subjects like financial and managerial accounting, business law, and auditing, while mastering tools and technology that drive modern accounting practices. You'll also have opportunities to apply your knowledge through internships, giving you real-world experience in corporate, nonprofit, and government settings.  

  • Engage with qualified, award-winning faculty in Robert A. Dempster Hall, a beautiful business building with the look and feel of a corporate environment. 
  • Chart your future toward any avenue of accounting, from tax examiner to auditor to financial analyst to certified public account (CPA). 
  • Explore the more than 30 study abroad programs offered around the globe — from Algeria to Uruguay and from Spain to South Korea.

What Can You Do with an Accounting Degree?

An accounting major opens doors to a wide range of careers. Graduates often become accountants, financial analysts, or auditors in industries like finance, healthcare, and government. Many also choose to pursue certifications like CPA or CMA, which can enhance your career prospects and lead to leadership positions. With this degree, you'll be prepared for a successful and rewarding future in accounting.

Leverage your accounting major to sit for and pass the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. Through a curriculum grounded in experiential learning, you will develop the skills and mindset needed to thrive in a dynamic career.  An advisory board of partners from St. Louis and the region provides curriculum guidance and industry insight. Many states, including Missouri, require 120 hours to sit for the CPA exam. However, all states require 150 credit hours to obtain CPA licensure 30 hours beyond what the accounting program requires. Southeast offers the MBA with an Accounting Option to complete the remaining hours needed for licensure. You can enroll in fifteen graduate hours in accounting en route to completing the MBA and while preparing for the CPA Exam.

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Accounting Degree Map

Explore the courses you'll need to complete your degree

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Accounting Majors Outcomes & Careers

  • $93k

    Accountant and Auditor 

    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for an accountant/auditor is $93,520.

  • $128k

    Financial Analyst and Advisor

    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for a financial analyst is $116,490.  


     

  • $94k

    Budget Analyst

    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for budget analysts is $93,920.  


     

  • $104k

    Financial Examiner

    According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for a financial examiner is $103,650.

Your Path. Your Impact.

As an accounting major, you’ll learn the rules and procedures of financial, cost, tax, and governmental accounting. You’ll complete a minimum of 120 credit hours to complete this degree, including the general education requirements and at least 39 senior division hours. 

Business Administration Core – 30 Hours Required

Required Courses:
  • AC221 Principles of Accounting I (3)
  • AC222 Principles of Accounting II (3)
  • BA101 The Business Universe (3)
  • BA490 Business Policy and Strategy (3)
  • BL255 Business Law (3)
  • FI361 Financial Management (3)
  • MG301 Principles of Management (3)
  • MI375 Management Information Systems (3)
  • MK301 Principles of Marketing (3)
Choose 3 hours:*
  • AC540 International Perspectives of Accounting (3)
  • BA560 Topics in International Business (3)
* International Course taken to meet Business Administration Core requirement may not be counted on a major.

Support Courses – 27 Hours Required

Some courses may fulfill General Education requirements. A grade of ‘C’ or better is required in each support course.

  • BA252 Business Communication (2)
  • BA452 Professionalism (1)
  • EC215 Principles of Microeconomics (3)
  • EC225 Principles of Macroeconomics (3)
  • EN140 Rhetoric and Critical Thinking (3)
  • MA116 Precalculus A OR MA123 Mathematical Reasoning and Modeling (3)
  • MI101 Introduction to Computer Applications (3)
  • SC105 Fundamentals of Oral Communication (3)

Accounting – 33 hours – No Minor Required

  • AC321 Financial Acct and Reporting I (3)
  • AC330 Accounting Analytics and Information Systems (3)
  • AC332 Financial Acct and Reporting II (3)
  • AC435 Taxation of Individuals (3)
  • AC437 Auditing and Assurance Services (3)
  • AC443 Financial Accounting and Reporting III (3)
  • MI001 Microsoft Excel Certification (0)
Choose 3 hours:
  • MA223 Elementary Probability & Statistics (3)
  • PY271 Psychological Research I (3)
  • SO242 Statistics for Social Scientists (3)
  • SW242 Statistics for Social Scientists (3)
Choose 6 Hours From:
  • AC534 Advanced Financial Accounting (3)
  • AC537 Advanced Auditing and Assurance Services (3)
  • AC545 Taxation of Business Entities (3)
  • AC548 Government and Not-For-Profit Accounting (3)
Choose 9 hours from:
  • AC331 Cost Accounting and Analysis (3)
  • AC333 Accounting and Data Analytics (3)
  • AC473 Internship in Accounting (3)
  • AC534 Advanced Financial Accounting (3)
  • AC537 Advanced Auditing and Assurance Services (3)
  • AC540 International Perspectives in Accounting (3)
  • AC545 Taxation of Business Entities (3)
  • AC548 Governmental and Not-For-Profit Accounting (3)
  • AC550 Fraud Examination and Forensic Accounting (3)
  • AC555 Forensic Accounting Analytics (3)

NOTE: Microsoft Excel certification is a graduation requirement for undergraduate Accounting majors.

“Critical Courses” are italicized and bolded. Data shows that students who have completed this course in the first two years and have earned the noted grade are most likely to complete this program of study.

Some requirements may be fulfilled by coursework in major program.

  • Social and Behavioral Sciences – 6 hours
  • Constitution Requirement – 3 hours
  • Written Communication – 6 hours
  • Oral Communication – 3 hours
  • Natural Sciences – 7 hours (from two disciplines, one to include a lab)
  • Mathematics – 3 hours
  • Humanities & Fine Arts – 9 hours (from at least two disciplines)
  • Additional requirements – 5 hours (to include UI100 for native students)
  • Civics examination

First Year  

Fall Semester (16 Hours)  
  • UI100 (1)  
  • EN100 (3)  
  • BA101 (3)  
  • MA116 or MA123 (3)  
  • MI101 (3)
  • General Education (3)   
Spring Semester (15 Hours)  
  • EN140 (3)  
  • SC105 (3)  
  • EC215 (3)  
  • General Education (3)  
  • General Education (3)  

Milestone: Achieve a minimum 2.25 overall GPA 

Summer courses are encouraged to avoid 18-hour semesters.

Second Year  

Fall Semester (17 Hours)  
  • AC221 (3)  
  • BA252 (2)  
  • EC225 (3)  
  • QM257 (3)  
  • General Education (3) 
  • General Education (3) 
Spring Semester (15 Hours)  
  • AC222 (3)  
  • AC321(3)  
  • BL255 (3)
  • QM258 (3)  
  • General Education (3) 

Milestone: Achieve a minimum 2.25 overall GPA 

Third Year  

Fall Semester (15 Hours)  
  • AC331 (3)
  • AC332 (3)
  • BA452 (1)  
  • FI361 (3)  
  • Accounting Elective (3)  
  • General Education (2)  
Spring Semester (15 Hours)  
  • AC330 (3)  
  • AC435 (3)  
  • MG301 (3)  
  • MI375 (3) 
  • MK301 (3) 

Milestone: Maintain a 2.25 overall GPA and 2.25 major GPA

Fourth Year  

Fall Semester (15 Hours)  
  • AC437 (3)  
  • Accounting Elective (3)  
  • International Course (3)  
  • General Education (3) 
  • General Education (3) 
Spring Semester (12 Hours)  
  • BA490 (3)  
  • Accounting Elective (3)  
  • Elective (3)  
  • Elective (3)

Milestone: Maintain a 2.25 overall GPA and 2.25 major GPA

A minimum 2.25 GPA in the major and overall are required to graduate with a BSBA degree.

A “Milestone” signifies a significant stage for a student in the completion of a degree.

“Critical Courses” are italicized and bolded. Data shows that students who have completed this course in the first two years and have earned the noted grade are most likely to complete this program of study.

 

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What will it cost?

Get Funding for Your Education

Missouri’s opened the door to a more educated workforce. We want to help you walk through it. If you’re an adult learner and a Missouri resident returning to college, learn about the Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant. It’s a statewide financial aid program that can be used to pursue a certificate, degree or industry-recognized credential in a high need area in Missouri. This major is eligible for the Fast Track grant.
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Getting the Job

Your education is just one piece to launching an extraordinary career. Once you’ve mastered the material, you still have to find the job you want, make the right connections, and sell your knowledge and experience—if all this is giving you anxiety, don’t panic. SEMO’s Career Services office is here to help you with the next step. Our boldly supportive faculty will provide the expertise and support you need, so you’re landing your dream job in no time.
Career Services

Accreditations

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Where Can Your Bachelor Degree in Accounting Take You? 

At Southeast Missouri State University, an accounting major goes beyond preparing you to pass the CPA exam. We have amazing success stories to prove it. Southeast alumni are tackling remote consulting internships, conducting audits for the Big Four accounting firms, and managing corporate accounts across the country. 

And while most accounting program graduates go into the field of accounting, the opportunities don’t end there. Typical jobs for accounting alumni include: 

  • Accountant 
  • Auditor 
  • Certified public accountant (CPA) 
  • Budget analyst 
  • Business consultant 
  • Financial analyst 
  • Finance manager 
  • Tax examiner 

Harrison College of Business & Computing

Explore all that we do here. You’re up for creating and innovating, digging deep into data and trends, applying skills to solve analytics problems, and for planning the next big thing. We believe in providing you with empowering opportunities to fine-tune your skill set needed in the global marketplace. If this sounds good to you, we should talk.
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Douglas C. Greene Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Come to campus with your fresh ideas and let’s chart a path to make them happen. At Southeast, our students gain access to one of the largest entrepreneurship programs in the Midwest, a place that fosters a culture of creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
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Beta Alpha Psi

Meet other students in your major and connect with those looking to chart a course toward an accounting career. The Thomas K. McCain Mu Xi chapter of Beta Alpha Psi at Southeast, a professional accounting and financial information fraternity based on academics, professionalism and service.
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Additional Resources

Office of Admissions
Cost
Scholarships
Student Organizations & Teams
Department of Accounting, Economics and Finance
Harrison College of Business & Computing

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Contact Us

Location

Office

Dempster Hall 205A

Mailing Address

One University Plaza, MS 5845
Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701
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