Making an impact starts with
YOU

Major in Accounting (Bachelor's)

AT A GLANCE

Credit hours: 120

Full-time, part-time, most classes have online options

Start terms: fall, spring, summer

YOU are the next skilled leader in accounting

Dive into the diverse world of accounting at CU Denver, where your career possibilities span from public accounting to government and nonprofit sectors. This program prepares you to become a future accounting leader, building the knowledge and skills that support your path to the CPA exam and success in any accounting-related field. Whether you're interested in forensic accounting, corporate finance, or auditing, our curriculum gives you the knowledge and practical skills you need to succeed across industries.

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AACSB

Accounting
Accreditation

places us in the top 2% worldwide

60%

of all new first-year CU Denver
identify as students of color

Classes offered on-campus and online

Best public business school program in Colorado, #100 in US, U.S. News and World Report

Join CU Denver's Accounting Program and transform your passion for numbers into a successful career. Our program stands out with its unique blend of practical and theoretical approaches:

Experiential Learning: Engage in hands-on experiences through a mandatory experiential learning component that immerses you in real-world accounting practices.
Comprehensive Education: Start with foundational liberal arts courses to enhance your analytical skills, then progress to specialized accounting coursework that prepares you for professional challenges.
Industry Connections: Take advantage of our location in the heart of Denver's bustling business district, with easy access to a network of over 300 business partners and frequent interactions with industry leaders.
Career-Ready Skills: Benefit from flexible scheduling options to pursue internships and collaborative projects, ensuring you are workplace-ready upon graduation.

When you choose CU Denver, you turn your passion into the career you love. Any of the programs you join support that mission by incorporating applied coursework into your classes. Distinguishing features of our program include:

Learn by doing – a required experiential learning component as a part of your degree
Well-rounded education – build a foundation in liberal arts classes before honing in on your business education
Access to business leaders – proximity and close ties to businesses make it easy for executives to visit our classrooms and career events

You’ll be surrounded by people finding their passion and making something of themselves. You could also take advantage of the location and flexible schedule to complete internships and class projects in some of the hundreds of businesses nearby. With over 300 business partnerships tied to the Business School, you’ll graduate ready and confident to enter the workforce at your desired job.

Denver Built. Global Ready.

Business can be a powerful force for good. But the promise of business hasn’t been extended to enough people. We want to change that. At CU Denver Business School, we make the most of being deeply embedded in the heart of Denver and the nation’s fastest-growing economy to open doors and lower barriers to success. Through our programs and partnerships, we create more inclusive business networks and cultures. We can equip any future, locally and globally.

Information Systems Specialization

Recently new regulatory environments required companies to provide better documentation of their accounting and IT systems. Adding an information systems specialization to your degree with three additional classes gives you that added edge over other applicants. With this specialization, you’ll learn how to integrate and utilize technology as it relates to your accounting degree.

The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration curriculum consists of 120 hours, comprising business and liberal arts classes, to give you a well-rounded education.

CU Denver core (34 hours)

Hone your knowledge with coursework in English, math, behavioral and social science, humanities, international perspectives, and cultural diversity.

General non-business courses (12 hours)

These courses are taken outside the Business School but foster a stronger awareness of disciplines relevant to business studies. Course topics include:

Professional speaking
Microeconomics
Business writing
Experiential learning

Business core (36 hours)

Real-world experience

Making an impact looks like YOU! Apply your education directly to a problem facing businesses today. Choose from an internship, a project-based course, or study abroad for your experiential learning experience. Your business classes will take you through the hard and soft skills necessary to succeed in business. You will also gain an international business perspective through the required international course.

Your business classes will take you through the hard and soft skills necessary to succeed in business. You will also gain an international perspective of business through the required international course. Course topics include:

Career and professional development
Business statistics
Business problem solving
Managerial accounting
Business law and ethics
Operations management
Marketing
Business policy and strategy management
Managing of individuals and teams

Major classes

Launch your accounting career and explore different options. Take classes that will help you understand the different paths your accounting degree could take you. Course topics include:

Intermediate financial accounting
Cost accounting
Federal income tax
Auditing theory

Electives and/or foreign language proficiency

Foreign language courses may be satisfied if you’ve taken a certain number of classes in high school. These electives give you the freedom to dive deeper into topics or courses that interest you.

In just five years, you can earn your Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees. You’ll apply for the Master of Science (MS) program at the end of your third undergraduate year, and take two graduate courses in your final undergraduate year. Your timeline may look different as a transfer student, so speak with an undergraduate advisor early on. If you are interested in the BSBA/MS 4+1 program, you must meet with your undergraduate academic advisor about planning ahead for your Master of Science degree.

Accounting careers

Accounting jobs are found in nearly all corporate, public sector, and non-profit organizations. There are over 46,000 US public accounting firms. Key areas include audit, tax, and corporate accounting. A CPA designation is required for most public accounting firm jobs and will also help you maximize a career in corporate accounting. Accounting and auditing jobs in the Denver metro area average $85,980 in 2019 (bls.gov).

Accounting Job Titles

Audit/Assurance Associate
Tax Associate
Advisory Associate
Staff Accountant
Cost Accountant
Forensic Accountant
Compliance Accountant
Budget Analyst
Treasury Analyst
Internal Auditor
Bank Auditor
IRS Agent
Cost Estimator
Wealth and Trust Advisor

Visit our Careers page for more detailed information on the resources available.

Learning outcomes

Core Courses (November 13, 2019)

Value 1: Foundational Business Knowledge

Outcome: Explain foundational concepts associated with core business disciplines, including accounting, economics, finance, business statistics, operations management, business law, organizational behavior, marketing, information technology, and global strategy.

Value 2: Critical Thinking

Outcome: Analyze business problems using appropriate analytical and critical thinking skills.

Value 3: Ethical Practice

Outcome: Make ethical decisions, translating ethical principles into business practice.

Value 4: Effective Communication

Outcome: Effectively communicate a business message.

Value 5: International Perspectives

Outcome: Explain the impact of international perspectives on business strategy and operations.

Value 6: Business Technology

Outcome: Use appropriate business-related technologies to address business problems.

To demonstrate understanding of Business Concepts undergraduate business students take the ETS® Exam which contains 120 multiple-choice questions designed to measure a student’s subject knowledge in Accounting, Economics, Management, Quantitative Business Analysis, Information Systems, Finance, Marketing, Legal and Social Environment, and International Issues. More information.

Other objectives are assessed in individual courses using relevant projects, presentations or exam questions.

Tuition

The cost of tuition for the BS in business administration degree is different for in-state and out-of-state students.

Residents of Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) states may qualify for reduced tuition rates. The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) program requires students to maintain current residency of WICHE state until degree completion.

Learn more about the WUE program

Scholarships

If you’re worried about financing your education, the Business School offers scholarships for incoming students. Each scholarship looks at a number of different factors from academic performance to community involvement. You will automatically be considered for these scholarships when you submit your application.

Dean’s Transfer Student Scholarship

$2,000 scholarship ($1000/semester for the first 2 fall semesters) is open to incoming transfer students with at least 24 transfer credits and a 3.0 college GPA.

Dean’s Esteemed Student Scholarship

$4,000 scholarship ($1000/semester for 4 semesters) open to incoming freshmen who have demonstrated superior high school performance and community service. Minimum 3.5 HS GPA.

First Generation and Multicultural (FaM) Scholarship

Varying amounts and scholarships are available. Students in the FaM program can apply for these scholarships. A FaM application must be submitted before students can apply for the scholarships. More information on FaM can be found here.

We also offer additional scholarship opportunities for current students every semester. Scholarship opportunities are based on program and course enrollment.

Double Major

Many students utilize the flexibility of the degree to major in two separate disciplines. With careful planning, you may be able to add a double major without extending your graduation date. Major requirements could overlap depending on which majors you decide on.

Discover other BSBA majors that might interest you.

Certificates

You can add an undergraduate for-credit certificate to enhance your degree or explore a new area of interest to you.

Application Checklist

Online application
$50 domestic, $75 international application fee
SAT and ACT optional
High school transcript or GED score
College or community college transcript – transfer applicants only
English language proficiency —international applicants only

Apply Now

Admission Requirements

If you are an incoming freshman to CU Denver, you can apply through either the Common Application or the Milo Application. Transfer students and international students will need to submit the Milo Application.

Incoming first-year students

CU Denver requires that students complete the Colorado Higher Education Admission Requirements (HEAR). You will not have to meet all Minimum Academic Preparation Standards (MAPS) for admission, but you will need to be completed through CU Denver coursework by graduation.

Transfer Students

We have strong connections with other four-year and community colleges. If you have completed more than 24 hours of transferable coursework, you will be evaluated for admission on the basis of your college GPA without regard to your high school performance. If you have fewer than 24 hours, you will be evaluated based on both your high school and college GPAs. For more information and to plan your transfer, see transfer admissions in the admissions office.

Transfer Admissions Promise

If you are in your first or second semester at one of the participating Colorado community colleges and plan to transfer to CU Denver after earning your associate degree, CU Denver’s Admission Promise might be a great program for you. To qualify, you must meet the criteria including meeting regularly with your assigned CU academic advisor while you are attending community college. See the promise page for details and the link to the eligibility questionnaire.

International Students

You will need to begin your application through the Office of International Affairs. They will help you manage your application process.

Spring

Domestic Applications

January 1

International Applications

Priority: September 15
Final: October 15

Summer

Domestic Applications

May 15

International Applications

Priority: January 15
Final: March 15

Fall

Domestic Applications

August 1

International Applications

Priority: March 15
Final: May 15

See yourself at CU Denver

Major in Accounting student walking down stairs.

Follow your passion

No matter your background, you’ll have access to a career and professional development course as a Business School student. Through this course, you’ll be introduced to all of the resources available to you as a student including:

Career events
Student organizations
Resume and personal branding training
Career planning

Students who are majoring in accounting work on a group project.

Find your people

Our students bring their passions outside of the classroom. We offer a number of clubs that give you an opportunity to build your resume and relationships with your peers at the same time.

Beta Gamma Sigma
Business Student Ambassador Committee
Student Center for the Public Trust
Beta Alpha Psi

Students graduate with a major in Accounting.

See your future

“I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me, whether that be a CPA, small business owner, or working for a big corporate finance company. Regardless, I plan to be the best I can be in any position and give back to my community…I am proud to be a CU Denver business student and am grateful for the life lessons it has taught me.”

– Makayla Vincent, ‘23, BSBA, Accounting, Financial Management, and Finance

Major in what matters

A career team dedicated to you

In the heart of downtown Denver, you have easy access to hundreds of employers. Our career team has developed close relationships with quality employers and regularly brings them in for career fairs and panel events. It’s no surprise that employers have told us they prefer CU Denver students, because they know how motivated our students are to succeed.

Take the first step of many towards your future career. Our career team offers a number of services that help you:

Gain confidence to interview and network with employers
Find opportunities to land an internship or job of your dreams
Create your personal brand—online and in-person
Introduce you to business etiquette and corporate culture

Employers know we produce work-ready graduates

“CU Denver students have real-world experience and are ready to talk about their jobs. There’s a reason we keep coming back.” – S&P Global

“When I see a name tag with ‘CU Denver Business’ on it, I know that I’m talking to a high-quality candidate.” – TIAA

“Every single student has shown up excited about why we’re here. I’ve been really impressed with students’ knowledge, their preparedness, and what they are bringing to the table. It has upped the game tremendously for new hires.” – Marketo

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Breadcrumb

Major in Accounting (Bachelor's)

Denver Built. Global Ready.

CU Denver core (34 hours)

General non-business courses (12 hours)

Business core (36 hours)

Major classes

Electives and/or foreign language proficiency

Accounting careers

Accounting Job Titles

Value 1: Foundational Business Knowledge

Value 2: Critical Thinking

Value 3: Ethical Practice

Value 4: Effective Communication

Value 5: International Perspectives

Value 6: Business Technology

Tuition

Scholarships

Double Major

Certificates

Application Checklist

Admission Requirements

Incoming first-year students

Transfer Students

International Students

Spring

Domestic Applications

International Applications

Summer

Domestic Applications

International Applications

Fall

Domestic Applications

International Applications

Follow your passion

Find your people

See your future

Major in what matters

A career team dedicated to you

Employers know we produce work-ready graduates

Request More Information