Accountancy
Accountancy is the measurement, disclosure, or provision of assurance about financial information primarily used by managers, investors, tax authorities and decision makers to make resource allocation decisions within companies, organizations, and public agencies. Individuals with accounting backgrounds can find jobs in a variety of areas including financial accountancy, management accountancy, taxation, auditing, bookkeeping, and much more!
The "cool" benefits of the Accountancy Program at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC):
- According to surveys by U.S. News & World Report, The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Department of Accountancy has consistently ranked among the top accountancy departments in the United States
- The accountancy program ranked number two in both graduate and undergraduate programs in 2019
- The undergraduate program follows a unique curriculum, called Project Discovery, which is very different from traditional accountancy programs
- Emphasizes active learning through numerous problem-solving exercises such as cases, group work, projects, and simulations
- Consists of conceptually oriented core courses in accounting measurement and disclosure, accounting control systems, decision making, accounting institutions and regulation, and attestation and assurance
- Includes a unique professional development workshop to deliver essential skills to support other courses
- Greater emphasis on methods and skills of inquiry, analysis, judgment and decision-making
- Integration of research findings and related implications for practical accountancy
- A CPA (Certified Public Accountant) preparation course is offered for students planning to take the CPA Examination
- An internship program is offered to provide students with the opportunity to apply knowledge and skills gained from classes to a professional environment
Programs Offered at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
There are five degrees offered through this program:
- Bachelor of Science in Accountancy (BSA)
The BSA prepares students for entry into a variety of careers in non-public accountancy, including corporate accounting, controllership, governmental accounting, accounting information systems, as well as entry into other graduate programs such as law. The BSA does not qualify students to take the CPA examination. - Certificate in Accountancy
The Certificate in Accountancy is a non-degree, post-baccalaureate program that prepares students for careers in public accountancy, including the CPA examination, without graduate education. It is designed for UIUC accountancy students who do not wish to take the integrated bachelor/master program. - Bachelor/Master in Accountancy (BS/MS)
The BS/MS program allows students to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in five years. It prepares students for both non-public and public accountancy, including preparation for the CPA examination, with graduate education. - Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA)
The MSA is a 12-month graduate degree program for students seeking a career in accountancy. It is a traditional program structured for students who have a business-related undergraduate degree but little previous study in accounting. It prepares students to take the CPA examination, the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) examination, and the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) examination. - Master of Accounting Science (MAS)
The MAS is a one-year program for students with an undergraduate degree in accountancy. Designed for students interested in careers in all facets of accountancy, the program provides the opportunity to obtain a comprehensive foundation in accounting, and advanced knowledge in areas such as finance, taxation, control, internal and external reporting, and information systems.
Program Requirements:
For A Certificate in Accountancy:
- Applicants must have earned at least a 2.0 undergraduate grade point average for all courses taken at this University, and for courses taken in the major or field of concentration
- For students not majoring in accountancy, at least a 2.0 grade point average for courses taken in accountancy at this University.
For the BS/MS program:
- There are two stages of the admission and application process. Please visit www.business.illinois.edu/accountancy/programs/bsmas for more information.
For the MSA program:
- A business background and a bachelor's degree from an accredited university
- A minimum grade average of B in the last two years of undergraduate study.
- Two Principles of Accounting courses and one course in each of the following areas: statistics, microeconomics, macroeconomics, finance, marketing, and organizational behavior
- All international applicants are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- The GMAT is strongly recommended but not required
How to Apply?
For more information on how to apply for the accountancy programs at the University of Illinois, please contact:
Department of Accountancy
University of Illinois
360 Wohlers Hall, MC 706
1206 South Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
Phone: 217-333-0857
Fax: 217-244-0902
Email: accy@uiuc.edu
Some Other Schools Offering Accountancy Programs:
U.S.
- College of Business at illinois, Champaign, IL, https://business.illinois.edu/accountancy/programs/bs/
- The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, www.mccombs.utexas.edu/departments/accounting
- The University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), Philadelphia, PA, www.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/index.cfm
- The University of Michigan (Michigan Ross), Ann Arbor, MI, https://michiganross.umich.edu/programs/master-of-accounting
- James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, www.jmu.edu/accounting
- The University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, catalog.ufl.edu/UGRD/colleges-schools/UGACT/ACT_BSAC/
Canada 
- The University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, www.edwards.usask.ca/programs/mpacc/
- Cape Breton University, Sydney, NS, www.cbu.ca/academics/schools/shannon-school-of-business/
- The University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, http://accounting.uwaterloo.ca
- Athabasca University, Athabasca, AB, www.athabascau.ca/programs/ucacct/
- Concordia University, Montreal, QC, http://johnmolson.concordia.ca
International
- The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK, www.mbs.ac.uk/index.aspx
- Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia, www.westernsydney.edu.au/future/future_students_home/ug/business/bachelor_of_business/accounting