Major Requirements

The School of Accounting offers both undergraduate (Bachlor of Science in Business Administration) & graduate (Master of Accounting) programs in accounting. Additionally, the School of Accounting offers a minor in Law and Business, available to all Drake students.

Undergraduate

Students in the undergraduate program have the option of pursuing an accounting major or a joint major in accounting and finance. You may also double major in accounting and another discipline on campus.

The accounting major is a 124 credit hour program that includes 30 credits in upper-level accounting. You will study financial and managerial accounting, accounting information systems, auditing, and taxation.

The joint major is also a 124 credit hour program, but includes only 18 credits in upper-level accounting, augmented by 18 credits in the finance major. Unlike a double major, a joint major is single major that combines coursework from the accounting and finance majors.

You can view the curriculum guides here. 

Minor in Law and Business

The School of Accounting offers a minor in Law and Business, available to students both in and outside of the Zimpleman College of Business. This 18 credit hour minor includes 9 credit hours in business law subjects, 3 credit hours in accounting or finance, and 6 credit hours in ethics. Students with an interest in law and the legal environment of business may find this minor particularly appealing.

You can view the curriculum guide for the minor here. 

Graduate

Almost all of the jurisdictions in the United States that confer the CPA certificate require 150 hours of collegiate study. Drake’s Master of Accounting degree provides the additional study in accounting, business law, and related subjects necessary to earn the C.P.A. designation those jurisdictions.

The Master of Accounting (M.Acc.) degree requires an additional 30 hours of graduate study beyond the undergraduate program and is typically completed in one year. However, with careful planning, both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees can be completed in as little as four-and-a-half years. Qualified students may apply for admission to the M.Acc. program as soon as the second semester of their junior year and enroll in graduate coursework while seniors.

You may choose to earn only the B.S.B.A. or both the B.S.B.A. and M.Acc. depending upon your career interests. The M.Acc. program is also open to students who completed their undergraduate degrees elsewhere, regardless of major.