Major in Accounting: Bachelor of Science Degree Program in Accounting

With GMercyU's accredited Accounting Program, you will gain a solid background in accounting principles, taxes, auditing, finance, and business theory. If you want to build a career as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or put your accounting chops to work in the business world, consider our bachelor’s in accounting with a CPA track or our accelerated 4 + 1 MBA option.

Whatever your career goals, our program and dedicated faculty will help you achieve them. In fact, for the past several years, 100% of students in the CPA track have landed jobs after graduation.

Program Details

CPA Track
If you want to become a CPA, at GMercyU, you can complete your CPA education requirements along with your bachelor’s degree in four years. In addition to the accounting program’s standard 125 credits, you’ll earn another 25 credits to reach the 150 credits needed to be on the CPA track.

You’ll gain specialized knowledge in investments, operations, and international finance, and get real-world experience by completing a paid internship with a public accounting firm.

*Licensure: This program was designed to meet the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) education licensure requirements in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. While the exam is the same no matter where it's taken, each state has different education and experience requirements that must be met in order to become a licensed CPA. If you reside in a different state, you should carefully review your home state’s CPA licensure requirements prior to enrolling in this program. We will work with you to find out what your specific state requirements are. For more information, please visit our Program Licensure Requirement page.

4+1 MBA
Apply for this option during your junior year
Boost your employability and earning potential by earning your MBA. With GMercyU's unique 4 +1 MBA, students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher can earn both a bachelor of science degree in finance and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) in just five years.

Skip the grad school entrance exams by taking graduate credits during your senior year – as part of your undergraduate tuition – and then seamlessly complete your MBA the following year.

Joining one of the top accredited accounting major programs in the country means you’ll be on the right track to achieve your career goals.

For the past several years, 100% of students in the CPA track have landed jobs after graduation.

With a student-faculty ratio of 10:1, GMercyU provides all accounting majors with a personalized approach, offering the support you need to launch a successful college and professional career. Whatever your career goals, your faculty advisor will help tailor your education to those specific goals.

GMercyU accounting majors are offered a student membership to Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA). Students are also encouraged to join the Student Chapter of the North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA).

Student internships take your education beyond the classroom and are required for Accounting majors. You can earn real-world experience through paid internships at public accounting firms (here's one example), non-profits, and industry and government organizations.

In addition to learning the process of managing, recording, and analyzing financial business transactions, you will also develop key skills that employers want, such as communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.

In addition to general education requirements, our accounting program students will complete the following courses:

Prerequisites - 15 Credits

ACC 105	Principles of Accounting I
ACC 106	Principles of Accounting II
BUS 101	Business Theory
ECN 102	Microeconomics
ECN 103	Macroeconomics

Management Core - 24 credits

BUS 207	Principles of Marketing
BUS 230	Business Law
BUS 205	Principles of Management
BUS 214	Business Ethics
BUS 209	Business Statistics I
BUS 310	Principles of Finance
BUS 340	Business Statistics II
BUS 4000	Seminar: Business Policies & Strategies - Capstone

Accounting Core - 33 Credits

ACC 205	Intermediate Accounting I
ACC 206	Intermediate Accounting II
ACC 301	Managerial Accounting
ACC 305	Cost Accounting
ACC 315	Personal Taxes
ACC 316	Investment and Business Taxation
ACC 317	Accounting Information Systems
ACC 405	Advanced Accounting
ACC 406	Auditing / Fraud
ACC 440	Internship

CPA Track Option - 24 credits

Additional Required Accounting, Business, and Finance Courses
ACC 207	Intermediate Accounting III
ACC 408	Advanced Accounting II
ACC 441	Internship in Public Accounting
BUS 313	Investments
BUS 314	International Finance
BUS 318	Operations Management
BUS 212	International Business
BUS 376	Employee Benefits

Credit Requirements

A minimum of 120 credits is required for the bachelor’s degree in accounting (non-CPA track).

Undergraduate Minors

Increase the value of your accounting degree by adding an undergraduate minor. GMercyU offers a wide variety of minors so you can choose the one that best meets your personal and professional goals.

Wondering what your classes will look like as an accounting major? Here are just a few GMercyU Accounting program courses:

ACC 205 Intermediate Accounting
This course provides a study of generally accepted accounting principles and introducing international financial reporting standards, as they relate to financial reporting. The conceptual framework is established and accounting theory developed as the foundation for accounting principles, constraints and qualitative characteristics. Problems relating to income determination, classification and form and content of financial statements are stressed.

ACC 316 Investment and Business Taxation
A course designed to examine federal taxation of property transactions and the taxation of various forms of business organizations such as corporations, partnerships and S corporations.

ACC 405 Advanced Accounting
This course includes aseries of discrete topics not previously included in other courses plus topics considered in greater depth here than in previous courses. Included are GAAP accounting, business combinations, government accounting, foreign currency translation and derivatives.

For all Accounting course descriptions, please refer to the undergraduate catalog.

Luigi Corrado, Jr., CPA, MT
Position: Professor of Practice and Program Coordinator, Accounting
Did You Know? Professor Corrado spent nearly 20 years in the accounting industry as a financial statement auditor, corporate controller, and senior consultant with a variety of firms.
Read bio

Alan Harper, MBA, PhD
Position: Assistant Dean of the School of Business and Education; Associate Professor and Program Coordinator, Finance and Management programs
Did You Know? Dr. Harper has 20+ years of management experience and has published more than 15 peer-reviewed articles.
Read bio

Margaret Rakus, EdD
Position: Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator, Digital Communications and Marketing programs
Did You Know? Dr. Rakus has held industry positions in marketing and public relations. She holds certifications in Tableau, Hootsuite, Google Analytics, Google AdWords, and more.
Read bio

Melissa Dennis, DBA
Position: Assistant Professor, Marketing
Did You Know? Dr. Dennis spent 15 years working for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products in customer relationship and customer engagement, supporting Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Vacation Club, and the Disney Cruise line businesses.
Read bio

Maddie Herman, MsEd
Position: Instructor and Program Coordinator, Sport Management
Did You Know? Herman has worked for the Philadelphia 76er's and Wells Fargo Center, and ran GMercyU's Intramurals and Recreation program.
Read bio

Real-World Opportunities

The Griffin Edge is comprised of five touchpoints -- Excellence, Engagement, Experience, Empathy, and Encouragement -- that become the cornerstones of your Distinctive Mercy Experience as a full-time undergraduate student.

The Griffin Edge includes an e-portfolio for documenting your GMercyU educational and extracurricular experiences (no matter your major), reflecting on those experiences, and receiving feedback from faculty. It's designed to help you take ownership of your educational journey and chart the right career path for you. It will also help you learn how to talk about your college experiences in meaningful ways — and that can make all the difference in a job interview.

For example, a student might say in a job interview: "I conducted research at the undergraduate level."

A Griffin Edge student might say: "The opportunity to conduct my own research alongside expert faculty taught me the importance of being exact in my data collection and analysis. I was even able to present my findings at our annual research conference! I know this is the career for me."

Learn more about the Griffin Edge here.

To meet the graduation requirements for GMercyU’s accounting degree, you must complete at least one internship — the vast majority of which are paid. For example, this local accounting firm hires GMercyU accounting majors every January to April to help with tax preparation.

Working closely with industry professionals allows you to ask questions, seek feedback, and develop mentoring relationships that last beyond your time in school. Internships can also enhance your resume with relevant work experience and references.

GMercyU's relationships with area businesses can connect you to an internship. In the past, GMercyU accounting students have interned at companies such as:

Ascensius
Baum, Smith, Clemmens
Bee, Bergvall & Co
Clifton Larson Allen
Comcast
Forensic Business Solutions
Herbien + Company Inc.
KPMG
Mallie & CO
Marcum LLP
Physicians Endoscopy
Resnick Amsterdam Leshner, P.C.
Wouch Maloney, CPA

Whether your goal is to work for an established company or eventually have a private practice, a BS degree in accounting offers you opportunities in several career specialties with continued growth.

Top Jobs for Accounting Majors

CPA
Description: A CPA handles financial records, tax auditing, and general accounting. They often work with individuals, businesses, and other types of organizations.
Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science in Accounting (150 hours), plus CPA certification

Government Accountant
Description: Accountants that work in federal, state, and local governments can do all types of government accounting — preparing budgets, tax auditing of businesses and individuals. You can even work for the FBI.
Degree Requirement: Bachelor of Science in Accounting

Industry Accountant
Description: These types of accountants conduct cost accounting, internal auditing, statement preparation, financial analysis, and more.
Degree Requirement: Bachelor of Science in Accounting

Average Salary for Accountants: $78,000 per year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2022. Those with years of experience and/or CPAs can command six-figure salaries, depending on where you live.

As a top accounting college in the region, GMercyU strives to prepare our accounting majors with both the theoretical instruction and the hands-on experience they need to thrive as individuals and in the field of accounting.

Cameron Ostroff '22
Current Position: Commission Analyst at CoastalOne

As an Accounting major and student-athlete, Cameron opted to pursue the 4+1 MBA path because it offered a faster and more financially stable way to obtain his MBA, and the opportunity to play lacrosse for one last season.

"The professors have tons of outside business experience, which is great to get insight into real-life scenarios and situations that you will be faced with. They are also available outside of classroom hours and are very understanding of scheduling conflicts that may arise due to work."

Learn more about Cameron's GMercyU experience.

Stephanie Webb '21
Current Position: Associate, Audit and Deal Advisory, for KPMG US

As an Accounting major, Stephanie took advantage of many opportunities for personal and professional growth. She was a member of the Business Student Advisory Board and Sigma Beta Delta, the International Honor Society for Business, Management, and Administration. She competed in the annual IACBE Virtual Case Study Competition; her team earned second place. She attended multiple Accounting and Finance Career Fairs held at GMercyU and completed a tax internship at Herbein +Co, Inc. that GMercyU faculty helped her land.

"My favorite part about GMercyU is the relationships you build with your professors, which is possible because of the small class sizes. These relationships are key to understanding and applying the material outside of the classroom."

Learn more about Stephanie's GMercyU experience.

Meet more Accounting alumni and students.

GMercyU's business school offers an undergraduate CPA track accounting major that allows you to receive all 150 credits that you need to be able to sit for the CPA in your undergraduate studies. This is an extraordinary opportunity that is unique to GMercyU.

—Jerome McArdle '16, CPA, Ernst & Young

Next Steps

Have you already earned college-level credits at other institutions or accounting colleges? GMercyU makes it easy for you to transfer your credits. Learn how on our Transfer Credits page.

In addition, GMercyU offers dual admissions agreements with Bucks County Community College and Montgomery County Community College — as well as the following articulation agreements.

Delaware Community College
AAS Accounting to BS Accounting Non-CPA Track

Manor College
AS Accounting to BA Accounting Non-CPA Track

Have questions about GMercyU's admissions requirements?Our Admissions Staff is ready to walk you through the process of applying or transferring to GMercyU’s Accounting program.

Email: admissions@gmercyu.edu
Phone: 215-641-5510

Apply now

At GMercyU, we strive to make a quality education accessible to all through financial aid, scholarships, and grants. As a military-friendly university, we welcome service members and participate in all VA educational benefits programs.