BS in Accounting: Public Accounting Emphasis
journey today.
This Bachelor of Science in Accounting with an Emphasis in Public Accounting is designed to teach you how to interpret and communicate financial information, assist organizations in complying with government and industry financial regulations, serve as an ethical leader within organizations and collaborate in business decision-making processes within organizations.
Upon graduating, you may decide to gain hands-on work experience and/or apply to a master’s degree in accounting for the purpose of meeting state licensure requirements to become a certified public accountant (CPA).1 This bachelor’s degree is intended to provide a firm foundation for students seeking a graduate degree in accounting.
Accounting is about more than calculating numbers and preparing financial reports. Through quality accounting practices, you have the potential to generate key insights that will enable people and companies to make data-driven decisions. In short, accounting is a way to help clients meet their financial goals while monitoring their progress.
Our accounting students are immersed in a supportive learning environment. You will work through the curriculum under the guidance of dedicated faculty members, taking a close look at a breadth of topics, including organizational behavior, managerial best practices and professional ethics.
This bachelor’s degree in accounting teaches all five of GCU’s critical competencies:
Effective communication
Critical thinking
Christian worldview
Leadership and global awareness
Perspectives and ethics
Take Courses Geared Toward Becoming a Certified Public Accountant
As an on-campus student at GCU, you can benefit from face-to-face interactions with your peers and hearing from a diverse range of perspectives in classroom discussions. Get to know your instructors and ask for additional help during office hours as you take in all that our campus life has to offer. Located in the heart of Phoenix, our campus is home to a thriving community of Christian students, offering plenty of opportunities to get involved in clubs, sports and other activities.
As you work toward your degree, you will be taught by dedicated faculty members. As you approach completion of this degree, you will have the opportunity to apply the concepts and skills you’ve been taught during a writing-intensive capstone course. You will be expected to demonstrate proficiency with a variety of business competencies.
In your courses, you will explore necessary accounting subject matter, including:
The accounting cycle
Individual and entity taxation
Financial, managerial and cost accounting
Auditing
Macro and microeconomics
Business finance fundamentals
Accounting ethics
Intermediate accounting
Statistics for business
Examine Critical Skills for an Accounting Career
This BS in Accounting with an Emphasis in Public Accounting degree program teaches a strong foundation of skills intended to prepare graduates to tackle a range of challenges in the workplace.
These skills include:
GCU’s public accounting program is ideal for students who plan to pursue CPA licensure. It is expected that most students will go on to earn their master's degree in order to complete the academic eligibility requirement for CPA licensure that is mandated in most states and territories.1
With a solid framework of competencies in financial reporting, auditing and taxation, you may be prepared to pursue work as an accountant within the fields of public accounting, corporate accounting, financial analysis, tax preparation, auditing and consulting.
Median annual wage for accountants and auditors as of May 20232
GCU is proud to carry on our longstanding tradition of thoroughly preparing our graduates to elevate their communities, make positive contributions to their respective fields and tackle modern challenges with innovation and integrity.
As an institutionally accredited university, we prioritize the quality of our academics. The Higher Learning Commission has continually accredited GCU since 1968. The Colangelo College of Business shares the university’s commitment to upholding the principles and standards established by our accrediting bodies.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re interested in accounting and aspire to become a CPA, read through our frequently asked questions to learn more about this career path and what you can expect from a certified public accounting program.
An undergraduate accounting degree program is designed to challenge you in order to encourage professional growth. Specific university and program requirements may vary — it is highly recommended that you work with a university counselor to make sure you are setting yourself up for success in college.
All CPAs are accountants, but not all accountants are CPAs. An accountant is a professional who has typically earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting but has not passed the certification exam necessary to obtain the CPA credential. However, earning a bachelor’s degree is the first step toward pursuing CPA licensure. It’s common for aspiring CPAs to go on to earn a master’s degree in order to satisfy the education requirement to become a licensed CPA. As a CPA, you may enjoy enhanced job prospects, and you’ll be authorized to file financial reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).3
There are many different areas of specialization to choose from within the accounting field, including public and private accounting. Private accounting involves working within the accounting department of one company. The accountant prepares financial reports and handles other accounting tasks only for that company. In contrast, public accountants work for a range of clients, including individuals, companies and nonprofits.4
Public and private accounting both have unique challenges of their own. Because public accountants work with a more diverse set of clients than private accountants, their job can be fast-paced and require excellent communication skills.4 However, this career can also provide you with more exposure to different industries and the opportunity to network with a wide range of people.
In your accounting classes, you will likely have opportunities to practice using various software programs relevant to the accounting field. This emphasis at GCU includes a course dedicated to the fundamentals of technology use, which includes a look at data management, data privacy, hardware, software and computer networks.
Prepare to empower individuals and companies with financial insights.
- Arizona State Board of Accountancy. (n.d.). Examination. Retrieved Sept. 18, 2024.
- The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Accountants and Auditors, as of May 2023, retrieved Sept. 18, 2024. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 to 2023 may be atypical compared to prior years. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers nationwide with varying levels of education and experience. It does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as accountants and auditors, nor does it reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country or a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries. Your employability will be determined by numerous factors over which GCU has no control, such as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, the graduate’s experience level, individual characteristics, skills, etc., against a pool of candidates.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024, Aug. 29). How To Become an Accountant or Auditor. Occupational Outlook Handbook. Retrieved Sept. 18, 2024.
- Indeed Editorial Team. (2024, April 18). Public vs. Private Accounting: Definition and Key Differences. Indeed. Retrieved Sept. 18, 2024.