School of Accounting

Alexander L. Gabbin, Director
Phone: (540) 568-3071
Email: gabbinal@jmu.edu
Location: Zane Showker Hall, Room 3126
Website: http://www.jmu.edu/cob/accounting

Professors
C. Bailey, L. Betancourt, P. Copley, A. Gabbin, D. Hayes

Associate Professors
J. Briggs, A. Duxbury, J. Irving, R. Richardson, I. Scott

Assistant Professors
R. Moore, M. Reidenbach, N. Wright

Lecturers
M. Brown, E. Browning, H. Derstine, S. Ferguson, K. Foreman, L. Kratz, E. Shifflett

Mission

The School of Accounting is committed to preparing students to be active and engaged citizens who are able to apply accounting and business knowledge for the betterment of individuals and organizations. We value an environment of educational excellence in which:

Students develop both technical and interpersonal skills necessary for successful professional accounting careers;
Faculty create and disseminate meaningful intellectual contributions and actively participate in the academic and professional communities; and
Stakeholders, including alumni, recruiters and others, desire long-term and mutually beneficial relationships with the school.

Mission Statement

The mission of the undergraduate accounting program is to prepare students for entry into high-quality graduate programs and for positions in business that do not require postgraduate education. Since the B.B.A. degree is part of the College of Business , it reflects the distinctive competencies of the college. In addition, the program delivers foundation accounting courses to all students in the College of Business and to students in a variety of programs across the university.

The school also offers a Master of Science in accounting. Its mission is to prepare students for success in the accounting profession by strengthening the students’ technical expertise, enhancing their understanding of professional responsibility and improving their business skills necessary to compete in today’s complex and ever-changing business environment.

Goals

The accounting faculty has identified strategic and tactical goals in three major areas: learning objectives for students, intellectual contributions for faculty and service to our profession and the community.

Learning Environment Objectives

We engage in the scholarship of teaching to prepare students for professional accounting careers in public accounting, industry or the public sector. We provide a learning environment that encourages a commitment to lifelong learning and develops a diverse set of skills in students, including technical competence, information technology proficiency, critical thinking, teamwork and communication.

Intellectual Contributions Objectives

We engage in the scholarships of discovery, application of knowledge and instructional development to advance knowledge in the field of accounting, to improve business practice, to encourage and support innovative teaching methods and curricula and to foster the intellectual and professional growth of our faculty.

Service Objectives

We serve our school, college, university, accounting profession and business, and academic communities through active participation and leadership in academic, professional and business organizations.

Career Opportunities

The programs of study offered by the accounting program provide an educational experience intended to prepare students for a variety of careers in the accounting, financial, auditing, consulting and information systems fields. Some of the job titles held by graduates of our program include the following:

Audit Partner
Business Analyst
Business Consultant
Chief Financial Officer
Comptroller
Computer Systems Consultant
Controller
Cost Accountant
Cost Analyst
Division Controller
Forensic Accountant
Fraud Examiner
Information Systems Coordinator
Internal Auditor
Systems Consultant
Tax Adviser
Tax Partner

Our graduates find employment with all of the “Big Four” international public accounting firms, dozens of national, regional and local public accounting firms, government agencies and major international companies. Many of our graduates work for business consulting firms. The field of accounting has one of the highest demands for new graduates of any area in today’s market, and accounting graduates enjoy some of the highest starting salaries in the College of Business.

Co-curricular Activities and Organizations

The Financial Professionals Club (FPC) is an organization open to all aspiring or current JMU business majors. Through professional development, community service, and social events, the FPC provides opportunities for students to (i) learn about careers in the financial information professions, (ii) interact with prospective employers, and (iii) serve through leadership positions. The FPC hosts many joint events with the Beta Alpha Psi honor society.

Beta Alpha Psi is the honors organization for accounting, finance, quantitative finance and computer information systems majors.

Programs of Study

The School of Accounting offers both an undergraduate and graduate program. The undergraduate degree consists of the four-year major in accounting, leading to the Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) degree. During their junior year, students may choose to meet with their adviser to discuss applying for the Master of Science in Accounting program. For more information on the M.S.A. degree, please refer to the Graduate Catalog.

Students who choose to complete the four-year undergraduate program will have the requisite accounting, business and general education to pursue a variety of career opportunities in accounting and business including assurance, consulting, corporate accounting/finance, financial analysis/venture capital, financial planning, non-for-profit/government and tax consulting services.

Students are advised that 150 hours of college education are required to be licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in most states. The M.S.A. program is therefore recommended for those electing a career in public accounting. The M.S.A. program allows the student to concentrate in the areas of taxation or auditing; it also provides a well-rounded background in accounting and other related business disciplines. A student must be admitted to the M.S.A. program in order to enroll in graduate courses. Admission to the M.S.A. program is competitive. M.S.A. program admission requirements are included in the graduate catalog. Students may apply following their junior year and early application for admission is encouraged.

Accounting Major Progression Standards

Accounting majors are required to earn a “B-” or better in both COB 241 and COB 242 .

Students are required to earn a “C-” or better in ACTG 343. Corporate Financial Reporting I before continuing to ACTG 344. Corporate Financial Reporting II .

No required 300 or 400-leval accounting major course may be attempted more than two times. An “attempted course” is one in which a final letter grade, including “W”, “WP” and “WF,” is recorded on the student’s official JMU transcript.