Program Description

The Accounting and Finance A.S. degree prepares graduates to continue their education in either accounting or finance at a four-year college or university.

Students learn accounting fundamentals including finding, extracting, and evaluating financial information to make sound decisions. Excel skills are reinforced throughout the curriculum. Accounting and finance electives allow students the flexibility to learn additional topics in accounting or finance such as QuickBooks, tax, analytics, financial statement analysis, and fundamentals of investments.

Students entering the workforce after completing a baccalaureate degree in accounting benefit from a strong demand for accountants. Employment opportunities include positions in public accounting firms, private and public companies, government, and not-for-profit agencies. Many will achieve the professional Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation and they may pursue graduate degrees. Students continuing in finance have opportunities in corporate finance, commercial banking, investment banking, and hedge funds.

Program Note

Students must complete at least three ACC and/or FIN courses at SUNY Westchester Community College, including  ACC 203 - Intermediate Accounting 1  within the previous five years. 

Program Requirements

63 credits are required for the degree:

• General Education - 30 credits
• Required Degree Courses - 33 credits

General Education Requirements - 30 Credits

• Communication - Written and Oral (3 credits): ENG 101 Writing and Research  
   
• Humanities (3 credits): ENG 102 Writing and Literature  
   
• Mathematics (and Quantitative Reasoning) (8 credits):   MATH 140 - Statistics  and MATH 131 - College Algebra  OR MATH 161 - Precalculus (Functions and Coordinate Geometry)  OR MATH 180 - Calculus for Business  OR MATH 181 - Calculus 1  
   
• Natural Sciences (and Scientific Reasoning) with Lab (4 credits): choose from this category of general education courses  
   
• Social Sciences (6 credits): ECON 101 - Macroeconomics  and ECON 102 - Microeconomics  
   
• The Arts OR World Languages (3 credits): choose from either category, The Arts  OR World Languages  
   
• US History and Civic Engagement OR World History and Global Awareness that are also Diversity: Equity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (3 credits): choose ONE from the following
  • ANTHR 120 - Native People of North America  
  • HIS 110 - U.S. History Colonial-1800  
  • HIS 111 - 19th Century U.S. History  
  • HIS 112 - 20th Century United States History  
  • HIS 133 - African American History to 1865  
  • HIS 134 - African American History from 1865 to Present  

Where specific courses are not listed within the categories above, courses must be selected from the list of all general education courses . 

Required Degree Courses - 34 credits

• Required (27 credits)
  • ACC 119 - Financial Accounting  
  • ACC 120 - Managerial Accounting  
  • ACC 203 - Intermediate Accounting 1  
  • COMM 109 - Speech Communication  
  • CIS 110 - Computer Information Systems  
  • FIN 203 - Managerial Finance  
  • MGT 101 - Business Organization and Management  
  • MKT 101 - Marketing  
     
• Accounting and Finance Electives (6 credits): select TWO of the following
  • ACC 200 - Computer Accounting with QuickBooks  
  • ACC 204 - Intermediate Accounting 2  
  • ACC 210 - Federal Income Tax  
  • ACC 220 - Introduction to Accounting Analytics  
  • FIN 210 - Fundamentals of Investments  
  • FIN 215 - Financial Statement Analysis  

Program Map

The program map is a recommended semester-by-semester schedule of courses based on degree requirements and serve as a general guideline to help students complete their program in two years. Although designed for full-time enrollment, these are easily adaptable for part-time study. For additional, individualized guidance, students should review Degree Works and consult an Academic Counselor or Faculty Advisor to ensure they are on track to complete their program.

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3

Semester 4

Minimum Total Credits: 63

Transfer Opportunities

Westchester Community College is committed to facilitating a smooth transfer process to ensure that graduates of the college are prepared to transfer with junior status, and are able to complete a bachelor’s degree within two years of full-time study upon transfer. View 4-year institutions’ transfer agreement information by program here.

Career Opportunities

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