Richard E. and Sandra J. Dauch College of Business and Economics
Dean
Derek Yonai
Associate Dean
Lance Kaltenbaugh, Associate Professor of Sport Management
Administrative Staff
Carrie Hartsel, Internship and Experiential Learning Coordinator, COBE Operations Manager
Tara Mowry, Administrative Assistant to the Dean
Tom Sudow, Director, Burton D. Morgan Center for Free Enterprise & Entrepreneurship
Faculty: Accounting/Management Information Systems
Chair: Tim Hinkel, Associate Professor of Accounting
J. David Lifer, Professor of Management Information Systems
Victoria L. Kaskey, Associate Professor of Accounting
B. Sue Mullen, Lecturer of Accounting
Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Description of Majors
Accounting
Accounting majors find jobs in public accounting firms as well as internal accounting departments of businesses and government agencies. Accounting is also an excellent background for those who desire leadership and executive positions. In addition to a focus on specialized knowledge, managerial thinking skills, and communication skills, the program highlights the following competencies that are relevant to success in the accounting field: maintaining high ethical and professional standards, teamwork, and pro-activity.
Accounting Program Mission: The mission of the accounting program is to help our students achieve CPA licensure, professional accounting certifications, and those competencies most prized by accounting firms and other organizations wishing to hire or promote individuals into position of increasing responsibility.
Students may choose to broaden their career options by pursuing one of the following professional certifications:
CPA – Certified Public Accountant
CMA – Certified Management Accountant
CIA – Certified Internal Auditor
CFE – Certified Fraud Examiner
Eligibility requirements for taking the examinations to earn these certifications include a baccalaureate degree in accounting with a prescribed core of additional business courses. The student who plans to take one of the professional certification exams should meet with his or her advisor for guidance in selecting the appropriate electives.
Ashland University’s Accounting program is intended to prepare students to take the CPA exam in the State of Ohio. AU’s program does NOT qualify students for licensure or certification in any other State or Territory. If a student’s permanent residence is in a state or territory other than Ohio, they can only enroll in the Accounting program if they agree that, upon graduation, they intend to seek employment in Ohio. Out-of-State Students states should meet with their advisors to sign a formal attestation form.
Those planning to take the CPA exam in the state of Ohio must complete at least 120 credit hours of undergraduate coursework to sit for the exam that includes 30 credit hours of accounting courses and 24 credit hours of non-accounting business courses. To obtain licensure, CPA candidates must either take an additional 30 semester hours of graduate coursework beyond the 120-hour requirement, or complete an extra year of experience beyond the 1-year requirement for those with a Master's degree.
Student Learning Outcomes for Accounting:
Students will demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the nature and use of various financial statements and how they should be analyzed.
Students will demonstrate their knowledge of taxation by calculating the tax liability for a C Corporation and its majority shareholder.
Students will identify auditor requirements and responsibilities both ethically and legally.
Management Information Systems
Management Information Systems (MIS) combines the fields of computers and information technology with business to prepare students for careers in systems analysis, systems design, or MIS. Our program focuses on managing technology and change, a very real challenge for those who work with computing and MIS.
In addition to a focus on specialized knowledge and communication skills, the MIS program focuses heavily on the key managerial thinking competencies of logical thinking, conceptualization, and the application of theories and concepts to the real world.
Student Learning Outcomes for Management Information Systems:
Students will examine the life cycle of an information system from initial business problem through systems development, implementation, and maintenance. Students will follow the development of various systems through the use of select business cases.
Students will present aspects of relational database theory including cardinality, normalization, and referential integrity. Students will then apply those theories to design and implement databases using a variety of database management systems.
Degree Requirements
Assessment – The assessment of student learning outcomes for all business majors includes both internal and external assessments in selected courses, culminating in the MGT 489 Senior Seminar - Business Capstone course and the MGT 499 Senior Assessment course.