Jan. 21, 1997 — AOS Guidelines: Business, Management and Economics

Empire State College offers the opportunity to complete both traditional concentrations in accounting and individualized programs designed to meet the unique needs of Empire State College students. Because of the many career opportunities arising from accounting and accounting-related concentrations, the career exploration and research phase of educational planning is particularly important.

There are a variety of licensure and professional certification programs available based upon accounting concentrations. Similarly, there are many employment opportunities available in the public sector for which specific coursework is required. Accordingly, students are advised to review the current requirements for any professional designations that they are interested in pursuing before designing their programs. These professional designations include certified public accountant, certified management accountant and certified internal auditor.

Traditional Concentrations in Accounting

Students are advised that accounting concentrations have historically followed the requirements for professional licensure as a certified public accountant. Empire State College students are advised that if they intend to pursue a career path based on traditional accounting concentrations (whether or not they intend to pursue professional licensure), their college degree programs should include these traditional studies. Students also are advised that a broad liberal-arts background has been emphasized in such programs (a Bachelor of Professional Studies generally would not be acceptable for traditional accounting programs).

Accounting Programs Have Included:

Accounting Core

• Accounting Principles.
• Intermediate Accounting I and II.
• Cost Accounting I and II.
• Income Taxes.
• Advanced Accounting.
• Auditing.

Supporting Core of Studies

• Business Law I and II.
• Finance.
• Statistics.
• Computer Science and Information Systems.
• Economics (Macro, Micro).

Empire State College cannot guarantee admission to the certified public accountancy examination or satisfaction of the educational requirements for licensure. In order to meet the admissions requirements, students are advised that cross-enrollment with another college may be required and credit by evaluation may not be acceptable. Students also are advised that educational requirements often change and that they should not rely on the experience of other Empire State College graduates.

Managerial Accounting Concentrations

The employment experience that Empire State College students have prior to their matriculation at the college and their career goals often make degree programs that emphasize managerial accounting particularly desirable. In such instances, students may find the four areas emphasized by the certified management accounting program particularly helpful in the design of their degree programs. Programs with this career emphasis should include studies in:

•     Economics.
•     Finance and management.
•     Financial accounting and reporting.
•     Management reporting.
•     Analysis and behavioral issues.
•     Decision analysis and information systems.

Managerial accounting concentrations combine studies that are traditionally emphasized in accounting concentrations (discussed earlier) with studies in:

•     Information systems.
•     Managerial and organizational behavior.
•     Financial management.
•     Economic and quantitative analysis.

Often, studies in new costing techniques and/or their application to a particular industry are included, as well as studies in budgetary analysis, systems design, cost behavior patterns, and forms of information reporting. Because such concentrations may vary considerably depending upon individual student needs and interests, studies to be included in such concentrations will likewise vary.

Concentrations with other titles where the goal is preparation in managerial accounting should take these guidelines into account.

Concentrations in Financial Management, Nonprofit and Governmental Accounting, Industry and Business Sectors, Banking and Financial Services and/or Other Specialized Situations

It is possible to develop unique programs which combine selected traditional accounting studies with studies geared to students' individual career interests. Such studies might include:

•     Nonprofit and/or governmental finance or accounting.
•     Specialized studies geared to a particular business sector (such as construction, banking, automotive or financial services, etc.).
•     Specialized auditing (governmental, EDP, banking or internal).
•     Specialized studies in cost or management accounting.
•     Concentrations in financial planning which combine accounting studies with finance, or concentrations in taxation (i.e., personal, corporate, fiduciary, tax and estate planning or regulation).

As the globalization of business continues to evolve, studies with an international focus may also be appropriate.