Accounting is a great major for students seeking a challenging career with unlimited opportunities. Top skills looked at for promotion and success for accounting majors include communication and people skills, research skills, problem solving, technical knowledge, and critical thinking. A student should be a team player, exhibit time management, and demonstrate motivation, drive, and initiative. Accounting students should stay on top of the latest information, news, and trends. Ethics and professionalism are a must.
Admission and Retention Policies
Students are eligible for admission to Culverhouse School of Accountancy if they meet the admission criteria to the upper division of the College of Business. A student whose GPA falls below these standards may petition the Director of Undergraduate Student Services for admission to the upper division and to the Culverhouse School of Accountancy if the student’s GPA for the last 30 hours attempted at The University of Alabama is at least 2.5.
Students who have not been admitted to the School of Accountancy may enroll in upper-division accounting courses offered for non-majors, provided they have fulfilled the prerequisites for those courses. A student who has not been admitted to the School of Accountancy may also enroll in 300-level accounting courses offered for accounting majors, provided that the student has fulfilled the prerequisites for those courses and either meets the criteria for admission to the Culverhouse School of Accountancy or must take those courses as part of a major, minor, or concentration. Only students who have been admitted to the Culverhouse School of Accountancy may enroll in 400-level accounting courses without special permission from the director.
Accounting majors must complete all upper division accounting courses with grades of "C-" or higher. If an Accounting major attempts a major program course and earns below the required C-, the attempt will not count toward their degree. A student who enrolls in any of these courses three times and fails to make a grade of "C-" or higher will not be permitted to take additional accounting courses without special permission. See UA's Grading Policies for more details. Priority for enrollment in upper-division accounting courses is given to students who are not repeating the courses.
Students wishing to sit for the CPA examination through the state of Alabama must complete an undergraduate accounting degree and have at least 24 hours of upper-division accounting courses. To be licensed as a CPA in Alabama, an individual must also have earned 150 semester hours of college courses, with at least 33 hours of upper-division accounting courses. To meet this requirement, students in the Culverhouse School of Accountancy can be admitted to either the Master of Accountancy or Master of Tax Accounting programs. Students should apply for admission to one of the graduate programs during the first semester of their senior year. The Professional Accounting concentration is required for students entering the master's programs in accounting. Each state has their own education criteria for CPA examination eligibility and CPA licensing, the vast majority of which are met when students complete one of the master's programs. Students are encouraged to review other states' board of accountancy websites and / or speak to an advisor to determine the specific requirements.