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Accounting

Accounting is the language of business.

The accountant of today is a communicator of what data means and how it can be used to make decisions for the business enterprise. This ACBSP-accredited program will prepare you for careers in accounting firms or corporate accounting functions.

Overview
Prepare to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)

Cal Lutheran’s program in accounting will prepare you not only for a career as a CPA, but also for employment in private industry, nonprofit organizations, higher education and government agencies. The curriculum provides a careful balance of practice and theory with a liberal arts core, helping you to succeed in passing the CPA exam and in graduate studies.

Gain real-world accounting skills

Your coursework and case studies will teach you to identify real-world problems and use critical thinking skills to solve them. You’ll learn how to collaborate and communicate with people at all levels of the business, both internally and externally. Because the accountant of today must be a “jack-of-all-trades” who can fit comfortably into any business setting, Cal Lutheran’s accounting majors receive extensive preparation in both general business and the liberal arts.

Create your personal schedule

From day one, you’ll be on track toward graduation with a yearly plan. You won’t have to worry about what classes to take — we’ll help you create the perfect schedule with an academic plan that suits your personal journey.

Steven Dorfman Scholarship
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Covering 75-100% of tuition, the Steven Dorfman Scholarship is awarded to selected admitted students for majors within the School of Management.


At a Glance

Degree Type

Bachelor of Science

Department

Accounting

School/College

School of Management

Next Steps

Interested in this major? Here's what you can do next:

The Curriculum

With challenging and relevant courses, outstanding faculty, small class sizes, and an emphasis on hands-on learning, the accounting program will position you to succeed in your chosen career.

Degree requirements

Find out what it takes to earn a degree in accounting and explore the courses.


Highlighted Courses

Get familiar with some of the courses you might take in this major.

BUS 352A: Intermediate Accounting

Includes detailed coverage of accounting theory and practice as applied to the corporate form of business. Topics include income statement, earnings per share, income tax allocation, compound interest, revenue recognition, price-level accounting, an introduction to fund accounting and a thorough treatment of balance sheet accounts.

See description
BUS 374: Business Law

The study of law as it relates to business. Topics include contracts, agencies, commercial paper, personal property, sales, real property and insurance.

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BUS 391: Principles of Finance

Introduces students to the field of finance through an applied conceptual framework using problem sets and computer software to analyze various financial dilemmas. Topics include security valuation, risk analysis, working capital management, financial budgeting and planning, time value of money concepts, financial ratio analysis and capital budgeting.

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BUS 453: Auditing

Covers the legal responsibilities, theory and procedures in the conduct of an audit and the making of an audit report.

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BUS 455: Ethics for the Accounting Professional

This course focuses on the role accountants and the accounting profession have in both business as well as in society as a whole. Students learn the history, legal, and ethical responsibilities of the accounting profession in addition to various legislation that has impacted it over recent years.

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BUS 462: Tax II

A study of tax laws and issues pertaining to business entities such as partnerships, C-corporations and S-corporations. Focuses on the taxation of estates and trusts and expands the study of personal taxation introduced in Tax I.

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View all required courses



4+1 Option: Fast Track Your Graduate Degree

Add further value to your degree by choosing the 4+1 Option, which gives you a head start on earning a related graduate degree. With 4+1, you’ll be able to take graduate-level courses as part of your undergraduate curriculum. After graduation, you’ll only need one additional year to complete your degree at Cal Lutheran — saving you both time and money.

View 4+1 Programs



Recommended Minors

Want to add even more value to your degree? Consider one of these minors to gain a unique combination of skills and perspectives.


The Experience

We offer hands-on opportunities that give you the freedom to explore your passion through real-world work and prepare for a fulfilling career.

  • Internships

    Many accounting internships lead to full-time employment after graduation. Our students have interned at prestigious firms, such as Amgen, Ernst&Young LLP and HCVT. These internships enable Cal Lutheran’s accounting students to gain relevant and hands-on professional work experience as they begin to narrow their focus to a particular career path. By sharpening your skills in the workplace, you’ll get practical experience and the opportunity to demonstrate what you can do.

  • Student Clubs

    Join the Cal Lutheran Accounting Association — a dedicated, student-run organization that will connect you with business leaders and fellow students. You’ll meet monthly with Certified Public Accountant (CPA) firms, corporate companies, graduate schools, and CPA review courses. Expand your network now, you’ll never know where that connection will lead you.

  • School of Management Events

    Throughout the year you can attend events that create opportunities to learn about new ideas and forge new relationships within a powerful and lively business community.

Student photo

The Accounting program has an ACBSP accreditation and is also a member of the AACSB. ACBSP accredited programs are structured to prepare students to be successful business professionals upon graduation, according to widely accepted business standards. So when the time came to apply for graduate schools, I fulfilled all of the pre-requisite requirements. Meeting all of the standard requirements, along with the exceeding effort I put in my courses, helped me stand out as an ideal candidate for a master’s degree in taxation.

Alondra Cuadra '20

Career Paths

Accountants perform an essential and highly-valued service for business and industry. The demand for accounting professionals continues to be strong, with employment opportunities expected to grow at a faster pace than most other professions.


Potential Careers

Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

Compute, classify, and record numerical data to keep financial records complete. Perform any combination of routine calculating, posting, and verifying duties to obtain primary financial data for use in maintaining accounting records. May also check the accuracy of figures, calculations, and postings pertaining to business transactions recorded by other workers.

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Actuaries

Analyze statistical data, such as mortality, accident, sickness, disability, and retirement rates and construct probability tables to forecast risk and liability for payment of future benefits. May ascertain insurance rates required and cash reserves necessary to ensure payment of future benefits.

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Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents

Determine tax liability or collect taxes from individuals or business firms according to prescribed laws and regulations.

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Accountants and Auditors

Examine, analyze, and interpret accounting records to prepare financial statements, give advice, or audit and evaluate statements prepared by others. Install or advise on systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data.

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Credit Analysts

Analyze credit data and financial statements of individuals or firms to determine the degree of risk involved in extending credit or lending money. Prepare reports with credit information for use in decisionmaking.

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Treasurers and Controllers

Direct financial activities, such as planning, procurement, and investments for all or part of an organization.

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Looking for more career paths? Search these related areas to discover more options.

Employers

Some of the organizations our graduates work for include:

  • Bank of America
  • CBIZ MHM, LLC
  • Deloitte
  • Ernst & Young LLP (EY)
  • HCVT
  • Internal Revenue Service
  • Montecito Bank & Trust
  • NBC
  • Patagonia
  • PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)
  • Sony Pictures Entertainment
  • The Walt Disney Company

Graduate Schools

Our alumni have pursued advanced degrees at:

  • Boston University
  • California State University, Northridge
  • California Lutheran University
  • Golden Gate University
  • Loyola Marymount University
  • New York University
  • Pepperdine University
  • University of Denver
  • University of Southern California
  • University of Washington
The Accounting program prepared me for my professional position as a tax accountant by providing me with the baseline knowledge I needed to enter my field. Accounting is not a simple subject and the area of tax definitely stays true to that. It can be a challenging career as it is so heavily based around rules and regulations, as well as understanding how to apply those laws to different clients. The combination of hard and soft skills, such as critical and analytical thinking, problem solving and effective workplace communication, I learned in the program are what I continuously use in the professional world.

Jacob Colson '20
Tax Staff Accountant, HCVT Westlake Village

This page includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Some occupations listed above may require a related graduate degree.

How We Prepare You for Success

We have 20,000+ employer contacts for jobs and internships, with over 200 listings posted each week.

Our excellent career counselors in the Career Services center will get in touch with you during your very first term on campus. They offer over 50 workshops each year on resume writing, interviewing, salary negotiations, applying to graduate schools, and other critical skills to help you begin your career successfully.

After you graduate from Cal Lutheran, you receive free access to Career Services for life, as a valued member of our alumni family.

Learn more about career outcomes

of Cal Lutheran graduates find a job or enroll in graduate school within nine months

Cost & Financial Aid

We work with students and families to make sure everyone who is admitted to Cal Lutheran can afford it.


Tuition & Fees

You and your family might have questions about how you’ll cover the costs of college. We can tell you this — it costs less than you think.

Read our financial aid guide

Scholarships & Grants

We offer a range of awards based on academic merit and financial need. This is money that does not need to be repaid.

View scholarships and grants

Financial Aid

If you're new to the financial aid process, you probably have a lot of questions. But don't worry — we're here to help guide you all the way.

Learn about financial aid

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