Accounting

Faculty: Associate Professor Verreault, Chair; Professor Platau; Associate Professors Bostick, Pergola, Rentfro, Smith, Walters; Assistant Professors Butler, Keener, Robinson; Instructors Clark, Garcia.

Accounting is often called the language of business. Businesses plan, assess and report the results of operations, financial condition and cash position using accounting principles to prepare financial statements that express business operations to both internal and external users of financial information. External users assess creditability, performance, risk and investment potential while internal users assess the efficiency of resource allocation, performance and achievement of strategic objectives in the daily management of a business. All organizations, whether large or small, rely on accountants to record and report the activities of the business.

The Department of Accounting has established five primary goals for its majors that reflect the core competencies expected of an accounting major. Accounting students should:

• Be sensitive to ethical issues that arise in the practice of the accounting profession and capable of applying the professional standards applicable to specific ethical issues.
• Have an understanding of the legal and economic forces that impact accounting transparency and reporting.
• Be effective critical thinkers with respect to solving professional accounting and business problems.
• Be technically proficient such that they add value to their accounting professional activities.
• Learn modern professional accounting theories, techniques and methods or laws used by business entities.
• Be effective communicators of accounting information to users.

The curriculum is tailored to expose students to specific areas of accounting, including financial and managerial accounting, taxation, auditing and accounting information systems. Electives are offered in nonprofit or governmental accounting, advanced accounting, international accounting and corporate taxation.

Graduates of the accounting program consistently secure excellent positions or are accepted to top graduate school programs across the country. UT accounting graduates enjoy successful careers in a range of disciplines including public accounting, corporate accounting, government accounting, business taxation, forensic accounting and more. They secure positions in public and private corporate organizations.

Florida and more than 40 other states require a fifth year of education to qualify to sit for the CPA examination. Students can complete this requirement in the Master of Science in Accounting program. The M.S. in Accounting is a 32-credit degree program that prepares students for professional accounting careers and meets the accounting educational requirements for the state of Florida. A student not wishing to pursue the M.S. can satisfy the state’s fifth-year requirements by taking additional undergraduate courses while enrolled as a postbaccalaureate student. A post baccalaureate non-accounting business major wishing to complete the requirements for the M.S. program while gaining recognition may enroll to earn the certificate in accounting.