Accounting Major

The major in accounting provides students with the general business and accounting knowledge necessary to succeed in professional accounting roles. Students will develop strong communication, technical, and interpersonal skills necessary to solve complex problems in dynamic, unstructured settings. Many Accounting majors enhance their education through extracurricular activities, internships, and involvement in organizations such as the University of Pittsburgh Accounting Association and Beta Alpha Psi, the national accounting honorary fraternity.

Students planning to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Pennsylvania must complete a BSBA with an accounting major (18 credits) and are strongly recommended to complete the Public Accounting Certificate (9 additional credits). This certificate is an add-on to the accounting major that provides additional courses to assist students in passing the Uniform CPA Exam after graduation. Passing the Uniform CPA Exam is critical for career advancement in public accounting. University of Pittsburgh accounting majors typically have among the highest pass rates in the state.

In Pennsylvania, students with a BSBA degree can become a Certified Public Accountant with two years of full-time work experience and passage of the Uniform CPA Exam. The work experience requirement can be reduced to one year for candidates who acquire a minimum of 150 credit hours of accredited college education. Speak with your advisor if you wish to pursue this pathway. For more information about licensure in Pennsylvania, visit the PICPA website.

For other states, see the national site maintained by the AICPA. It is vital that students are familiar with the CPA licensure requirements of the state in which they intend to practice. Requirements vary by state, and several states are currently in the process of changing their licensure requirements.

For Non-CPA Career Paths

For students who do not wish to become CPAs, the accounting major is an excellent complement to other business majors, enhancing the value of each major.

  • Earn a minimum of 120 Academic Credits and fulfill all BSBA degree requirements
    • Complete two BSBA core courses in accounting as well as six required accounting major courses (18 credits) as described below.
  • Fulfill All:
  • Cumulative GPA of 2.25 (C+) in all courses applied toward an Accounting major.
  • Grade of “C-” or better must be earned in each course applied toward an Accounting major

Pitt Business Core Courses

Each of these courses must be completed with a C or better to proceed with the accounting major.

Required Major Courses

Major Electives

Select four of the following courses:

  • BUSACC 1210 Financial Statement Analysis
  • BUSACC 1216 Advanced Financial Accounting
  • BUSACC 1221 Strategic Cost Management
  • BUSACC 1236 Accounting Information Systems
  • BUSACC 1238 Auditing
  • BUSACC 1242 Taxes and Decision Making
  • BUSACC 1252 Taxation for Entities
  • BUSACC 1270 Personal Tax Planning and Wealth Management

Accounting Electives not counted toward Accounting Major*

  • BUSACC 1245 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (permission required)
  • BUSACC 1296 Accounting Internship
  • BUSENV 1760 Business Law

*These courses may or may not count toward CPA Certification. Check your intended state’s CPA requirements for details

Recommended Public Accounting Certificate

This recommended add-on for accounting majors seeking to pursue CPA licensure can be declared by talking with your academic advisor.

Required Courses

  • BUSACC 1238 Auditing (prereq: BUSACC 1205; coreq: BUSACC 1236)
  • BUSACC 1252 Taxation for Entities (prereqs: BUSACC 1242)
  • BUSACC 1216 Advanced Financial Acct (prereq: BUSACC 1205)
  • BUSACC 1221 Strategic Cost Management (prereq: BUSACC 0030 and 0040)

Certificate Electives (pick 1)

  • BUSENV 1760 Business Law
  • BUSACC 1210 Financial Statement Analysis (coreq: BUSACC 1205)
  • BUSACC 1270 Personal Tax Planning and Wealth Management (prereq: BUSACC 0030)

Certificate Discussion

To acquire the Public Accounting Certificate, BUSACC 1236 Accounting Info Systems and BUSACC 1242 Taxes and Decision Making must always be taken as accounting major electives since they are a corequisite and prerequisite for certificate requirements BUSACC 1238 Auditing and BUSACC 1252 Taxation for Entities, respectively. The other two required certificate courses, BUSACC 1216 Advanced Financial Acct and BUSACC 1221 Strategic Cost Management, can be taken as the final two accounting major elective courses.

For a student doing the accounting major and the certificate their course line-up would look like this:

Required Core Courses:

BUSACC 0030 Financial Accounting

BUSACC 0040 Managerial Accounting

Required Accounting Major Courses:

BUSACC 1204 Intermediate Financial Reporting 1

BUSACC 1205 Intermediate Financial Reporting 2

Accounting Major Electives and Required CPA Certificate courses:

BUSACC 1236 Accounting Information Systems (prereqs: BUSACC 0030 and 0040)

BUSACC 1221 Strategic Cost Management (prereqs: BUSACC 0030 and 0040)

BUSACC 1242 Taxes and Decision Making (prereqs: BUSACC 0030 and 0040)

BUSACC 1216 Advanced Financial Acct (prereq: BUSACC 1205)

BUSACC 1238 Auditing (prereq: BUSACC 1205; coreq: BUSACC 1236)

BUSACC 1252 Taxation for Entities (prereq: BUSACC 1242)

CPA Certificate Elective (pick 1):

BUSENV 1760 Business Law

BUSACC 1210 Financial Statement Analysis (coreq: BUSACC 1205)

BUSACC 1270 Personal Tax Planning and Wealth Management (prereq: BUSACC 0030)

 

This results in up to 27 credits of upper-level accounting courses and up to 33 total credits of accounting courses.

Students graduating in spring 2026

Students graduating in spring 2026 who have been planning to do the University of Pittsburgh School of Business Graduate Program Master of Accounting and are still interested in going in that direction should contact Professor Josh Gunn to discuss possible options.

Skills Needed

  • Accuracy and attention to detail
  • Analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills
  • A high GPA is expected to be competitive in the market. Grades are an indicator of technical ability in accounting and of a person’s work ethic
  • Excellent communication skills are needed, in addition to working well in a team environment
  • Strong technical skills; many positions require using specialized accounting software

Types of Jobs

  • Budget Analysis
  • Financial
  • Management Accounting
  • Tax
  • Auditing

Types of Industries

  • Public Accounting
  • Corporate Accounting
  • Government
  • Education
  • Non-profit
  • Self-employed – CPA

In Pennsylvania and most other states, a CPA license will be granted only to individuals who have earned 150 or more university credits. The Master of Science in Accounting Program (MAcc) at the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business is the recommended way to earn the additional 30 credit hours after the BSBA and prepare for the CPA exam.

In general, students planning to take the CPA exam in a state other than PA will fulfill most licensing requirements by earning 150 total credits and following the approved plan of study as shown above. However, students planning to take the CPA exam in a state other than PA are responsible for contacting that state’s board of accountancy to be sure all necessary requirements have been fulfilled. This link lists all of the state boards of accountancy: https://www.thiswaytocpa.com/licensure/state-requirements/

The University of Pittsburgh has partnered with Becker Professional Education, the leading CPA exam review provider. Students benefit in the following ways:

  • Students can receive no-cost access to one section of the Becker review course material.
  • Purchase of the Becker review course material is available for all students at a discount.
  • Scholarships are available (application required).
  • Students have access to Becker representatives who can meet with students to discuss their questions/concerns regarding the CPA exam.

“Being able to get a head start on my college career even before setting foot on campus, like meeting with an Executive in Residence (Kathy Foody-Malus) was an amazing experience. Now that I’m here, I’m excited to continue this journey and grow both academically and professionally!”

Rahel Sitotaw

Accounting and Finance, Class of 2025

#12 Ranked Public Business Program in the United States!

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