The Bachelor of Science in Accounting prepares students for professional careers in the private and public sectors. The accounting major is designed to produce accounting professionals who can both generate and apply financial information to solve business problems. Our students learn principles of business and accounting as well as the specific skills and specialized technical knowledge necessary for success in the dynamic field of accounting. Our program emphasizes ethics, critical thinking, written and verbal communication, and effective use and understanding of technology. Our graduates are employed by the assurance, tax advisory, and consulting groups of the top accounting firms as well as Fortune 100 companies. Our proximity to the nation's capital provides unique opportunities for our graduates to work in government and in the federal practices of public accounting firms. The accounting degree program is separately accredited by AACSB International.
Students interested in CPA certification can apply to the Master of Science in Accounting degree to meet the 150 hour requirement for CPA certification in most states. The MSA allows students to meet the 150 hour requirement for CPA certification in most states in only nine months.
Policies
Academic Policies
Students should become familiar with the university's general academic policies in addition to those specific to each academic unit.
George Mason University uses only Mason e-mail accounts to communicate with enrolled students. Students should activate their Mason e-mail, use it to communicate with their school/department/program and other administrative units, and check it regularly for important information.
Study Elsewhere Policy
A student who has matriculated at Mason may transfer a limited number of hours (9 for undergraduates, 6 for graduates) of coursework in School of Business disciplines from another institution (not including registration through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area or coursework completed through the Center for Global Education). Students are permitted to take courses elsewhere under unusual circumstances—these circumstances do not include scheduling or commuting convenience, or financial (lower cost) reasons.
Special instructions for School of Business students: courses that are attempted at a two-year institution may not be used to fulfill upper-level requirements. Any course that a student wished to transfer to fulfill major or graduate-level course requirements in the School of Business must be attempted at an institution accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
For additional information, see AP.1.4.2 Permission to Study Elsewhere.
Undergraduate Internship Policy
The School of Business recognizes the importance of experiential education in both learning to apply theory to practice and positioning students for success in their careers. Because the School of Business is committed to supporting students' professional success, the School requires that all student internships for credit be registered with the School of Business as one of the following: ACCT 492, FNAN 492, MGMT 492, MIS 492, MKTG 492, or OSCM 492. Students may enroll in a maximum of 6 credits for these courses. Only three credits of an internship course may be taken at a time. For students in catalog years Fall 2016 and beyond, one internship course may apply to the major or concentration , and a second internship course would apply as general elective credit. For students in catalog years prior to Fall 2016, a maximum of 6 credits of internship may apply to general electives. See Internship for Academic Credit.
Termination from the Major
Students who do not earn a C or higher in three attempts of School of Business Foundations and Core courses will be terminated from the School of Business. Students terminated from the School of Business are prohibited from enrolling in any School of Business course and will not be eligible to receive a degree from the School of Business.
Courses required for School of Business Foundations: ACCT 203 Survey of Accounting, BUS 100 Business and Society (Mason Core), BUS 103 Develop Professional Skills I: Foundational Elements, BUS 200 Global Environment of Business (Mason Core), BUS 210 Business Analytics I, BUS 310 Business Analytics II, ECON 103 Contemporary Microeconomic Principles (Mason Core), ECON 104 Contemporary Macroeconomic Principles (Mason Core), and MATH 108 Introductory Calculus with Business Applications (Mason Core).
Courses required for School of Business Core: ACCT 303 Accounting for Decision Making or ACCT 330 Financial Accounting I, BULE 303 Legal Environment of Business, BUS 303 Develop Professional Skills II: Advanced Elements, FNAN 303 Financial Management, MGMT 303 Principles of Management, MKTG 303 Principles of Marketing, MIS 303 Introduction to Business Information Systems, and OSCM 303 Operations Management or OM 303 Operations Management.
Once a student has attempted a School of Business Foundations and/or Core course twice unsuccessfully, they must meet with an academic advisor in order to receive an override to register for the third attempt. Students who do not successfully complete these core courses and foundations courses within three attempts will be terminated from the School of Business and will not be eligible to receive a degree from the School of Business. Students terminated from the School of Business are prohibited from enrolling in any School of Business course.
Students terminated from the School of Business are permitted to declare the business minor only, and are not able to declare any other School of Business minors. For more information about this, see AP.5.2.4 Termination from the Major. The School of Business Termination Policy is separate from the University Repeat Policy AP.1.3.4.
All School of Business courses require a C or higher with the exception of FNAN 303 Financial Management for Finance majors or those with a Concentrations in Finance (B- or higher is required). No upper-level major required or elective course may be attempted for a C or higher more than three times. Once a third unsuccessful attempt is made in a School of Business major required or elective course the student will be unable to pursue that major/concentration and must work with an academic advisor to declare a new major/concentration in the School of Business.
University Consortium
Students should review university policies regarding the University Consortium under Special Registration Procedures in the Academic Policies section of this catalog. Students who have attempted or failed a course at Mason are not permitted to take the equivalent course through the consortium under any circumstance. All consortium registration requests must be submitted to the dean's office at least 3 weeks prior to the first day of classes for the relevant semester at Mason.
Any consortium course that a student wishes to register for to fulfill major or graduate-level course requirements in the School of Business must be attempted at an institution accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Non-Business School Student Credit Limitation
Enrolled undergraduate students who are not declared in a School of Business major are limited to 9 credits of upper-level business coursework within the School of Business. This policy applies to any student who is declared in another major or program at Mason. This policy does not apply to students who have declared a School of Business minor and are earning required credit toward that minor.
Undergraduate Course Overload Policy
The School of Business recommends that undergraduate students attempt no more than 18 credits in an academic semester and no more than 14 credits in a summer term. Students wishing to attempt more than 18 credits must submit a Permission to Overload form to their academic advisor.
To be eligible for a course overload, a student must fulfill all of the following criteria:
- At least a 3.0 cumulative GPA at Mason
- Have completed all courses successfully in his/her previous semester with no Fs or incompletes (IN)
- Complete the Permission to Overload form and obtain an academic advisor's signature
Freshmen and transfer students in their first semesters are not given permission for overloads as they have yet to establish an academic record at George Mason University.
If approved for an overload, the student is responsible for adding the additional class(es) and paying for the related tuition by the official university deadlines.
Transfer Credit Expiration Policy
Transfer credit is not awarded for any business (management, marketing, finance, accounting, management information systems, operations management, foundations, core, or any other School of Business course), courses completed more than ten years prior to Mason enrollment. This includes any older courses completed at RBC or the VCCS.
Laptop Policy
All School of Business Undergraduate Students must have access to a portable computing device that meets the following minimum standards.
Appeals Process
The School of Business strives to maintain policies and procedures that are consistent with those of the University, as well as in the best interest of our students. If you have any questions concerning a particular policy or procedure, contact the Office of Student Success & Academic Services, Room 008 of Enterprise Hall (703-993-1880) or visit the website.
Courses Excluded from any School of Business BS Degree
Transfer credit is not awarded for any School of Business courses completed more than ten years prior to Mason enrollment.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| SWE 401 | Internship Reflection | 1 |
| MUSI 394 | Ethnomusicology Internship | 1-4 |
| COMM 450 | Internship in Communication | 3 |
| FAVS 450 | Internship in Film and Video Studies | 3 |
| GOVT 480 | Internship | 3 |
| MUSI 496 | Internship | 2-6 |
| CONF 370 | Internship Field Experience | 1-9 |
| PHIL 306 | Philosophy Internship | 3 |
| RELI 426 | Religious Studies Internship | 3 |
| ARTH 393 | Art History Internships | 3-6 |
| GCH 498 | Global and Community Health Internship | 3,6 |
| GAME 491 | Internship | 3-4 |
| HAP 498 | Health Administration Internship (Mason Core) | 4 |
| HDFS 499 | Advanced Internship and Analysis in Human Development and Family Science | 3 |
| EVPP 494 | Internship | 1-3 |
| ENGH 459 | Internship | 1-3 |
| MUSI 395 | Teaching Internship | 1-4 |
| INTS 390 | International Internship | 1-6 |
| INTS 490 | Internship | 1-6 |
| ECON 498 | Internship | 3-6 |
| ASTR 409 | Astronomy Internship | 3 |
| SPMT 490 | Internship (Mason Core) | 12 |
| TOUR 490 | Hospitality, Tourism, and Events Management Internship (Mason Core) | 12 |
| CLIM 409 | Research Internship | 3 |
| CHIN 490 | Internship in Chinese Studies | 1-9 |
| CONS 498 | Internship | 1-3 |
| THR 455 | Theater Education Internship | 6-12 |
| AFAM 490 | Internship | 2-6 |
| KINE 490 | Kinesiology Internship III (Mason Core) | 12 |
| AMGT 489 | Internship in Arts Management | 1-4 |
| HDFS 498 | Internship and Analysis in Human Development and Family Science | 3 |
| ANTH 495 | Internship | 1-6 |
| PRLS 490 | Recreation Management Internship (Mason Core) | 12 |
| GGS 480 | GGS Internship | 1-3 |
| SPAN 490 | Internship in Spanish | 1-6 |
| AVT 489 | Internship in Art and Visual Technology | 1-6 |
| USST 490 | Internship | 3 |
| WMST 400 | Internship in Women and Gender Studies | 1-3 |
| CDS 491 | Internship | 1-3 |
| HHS 480 | Research Internship in Public Health | 3 |
| CRIM 480 | Internship | 6-12 |
| HIST 399 | Internship | 1-9 |
| RHBS 490 | RS: Clinical Research Internship | 3 |
| KINE 341 | Kinesiology Internship I | 3 |
| MUSI 495 | Internship in Music Education (Mason Core) | 6-12 |
| KINE 441 | Kinesiology Internship II | 3 |
| PHYS 409 | Physics Internship | 3 |
| HHS 492 | RS: Internship in Clinical Research | 3 |
| SOCI 416 | Internship in Sociology I (Mason Core) | 3-6 |
| FRLN 490 | Internship in Foreign Language Studies | 1-6 |
| ENGR 395 | Engineering Internship | 3 |
| GEOL 480 | Internship | 1-3 |
| AVT 453 | Professional Practices | 3 |
| CVPA 489 | Field Experience in the Arts | 3-6 |
| GLOA 495 | Global Experiential Learning | 1-18 |
| KINE 330 | Seminar in Kinesiology | 3 |
| ECED 490 | Internship in Early Childhood Education (Mason Core) | 3-6 |
| FRSC 406 | Forensic Internship | 3 |
Degree Requirements
Total credits: 120
School of Business students pursuing a BS degree must complete a minimum of 120 credits, including the Mason Core requirements, business foundations, business core and major requirements. In addition, the following requirements must be met:
- A minimum of 45 credits at the 300- or 400-level.
- A minimum of 30 credits of School of Business core and major courses at Mason.
- At least 9 credits required for the specific major and BUS 498 Capstone Course: Advanced Business Models (Mason Core) taken at Mason.
- A grade of C or higher earned in the business foundations, business core and major requirements.
Students should carefully examine prerequisites for School of Business courses. Students may be removed from a course if they enroll without having fulfilled the prerequisites.
Mason Core Requirements
Some Mason Core requirements may already be fulfilled by the major requirements listed below. Students are strongly encouraged to consult their advisors to ensure they fulfill all remaining Mason Core requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| School of Business Requirement | ||
| Foundation Requirements | ||
| Written Communication | 6 | |
| Oral Communication | 3 | |
| Core Requirements | ||
| Arts | 3 | |
| Literature | 3 | |
| Natural Science 1 | 7 | |
| Western Civilization/World History | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 25 | |
| 1 | School of Business students are required to complete 7 credits of natural science by completing one 4-credit laboratory sciences and one 3 credit non-lab science. |
Note:
Remaining Mason Core requirements are fulfilled with major course work.
Business Foundations
Those who do not successfully complete these courses within three attempts will be terminated from the School of Business and will not be eligible to receive a degree from the School of Business. Students terminated from the School of Business are prohibited from enrolling in any School of Business course. Students terminated from the School of Business are permitted to declare a business minor. For more information about this, see AP.5.2.4 Termination from the Major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 203 | Survey of Accounting | 3 |
| or ACCT 204 | Honors Survey of Accounting | |
| BUS 100 | Business and Society (Mason Core) | 3 |
| BUS 103 | Develop Professional Skills I: Foundational Elements | 3 |
| BUS 200 | Global Environment of Business (Mason Core) | 3 |
| BUS 210 | Business Analytics I | 3 |
| BUS 310 | Business Analytics II | 3 |
| ECON 103 | Contemporary Microeconomic Principles (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ECON 104 | Contemporary Macroeconomic Principles (Mason Core) | 3 |
| Select one of the following: 1 | 3-4 | |
| Introductory Calculus with Business Applications (Mason Core) | ||
| Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (Mason Core) | ||
| Analytic Geometry and Calculus II | ||
| Applied Calculus | ||
| Total Credits | 27-28 | |
| 1 | MATH 108 or MATH 113 satisfies the Mason Core Quantitative Reasoning requirement |
Business Core
Those who do not successfully complete these courses within three attempts will be terminated from the School of Business and will not be eligible to receive a degree from the School of Business. Students terminated from the School of Business are prohibited from enrolling in any School of Business course. Students terminated from the School of Business are permitted to declare a business minor. For more information about this, see AP.5.2.4 Termination from the Major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ACCT 303 | Accounting for Decision Making | 3 |
| or ACCT 330 | Financial Accounting I | |
| BULE 303 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| BUS 303 | Develop Professional Skills II: Advanced Elements | 3 |
| FNAN 303 | Financial Management | 3 |
| MGMT 303 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| MIS 303 | Introduction to Business Information Systems (Satisfies Mason Core Information Technology requirement) | 3 |
| MKTG 303 | Principles of Marketing | 3 |
| OSCM 303 | Operations Management | 3 |
| Total Credits | 24 | |
General Electives
General electives may be selected from any University or School of Business course, except courses designated for the Business minor (MBUS). Credits awarded as Associate Degree Elective Credit (ADEC) as part of a student's transfer evaluation are also excluded from general electives.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 19-20 credits of electives | 19-20 | |
| Total Credits | 19-20 | |
Major Requirements in Accounting
Those who do not successfully complete these courses within three attempts will be terminated from the School of Business and will not be eligible to receive a degree from the School of Business. Students terminated from the School of Business are prohibited from enrolling in any School of Business course. Students terminated from the School of Business are permitted to declare a business minor. For more information about this, see AP.5.2.4 Termination from the Major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses 1 | ||
| ACCT 311 | Managerial and Cost Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 331 | Intermediate Accounting I | 3 |
| ACCT 332 | Intermediate Accounting II | 3 |
| ACCT 351 | Taxation and Managerial Decision Making | 3 |
| ACCT 361 | Accounting Analytics | 3 |
| ACCT 461 | Assurance and Audit Services | 3 |
| Elective | ||
| Select one course from the following: 2 | 3 | |
| International Accounting | ||
| Financial Statement Analysis | ||
| Advanced Managerial Accounting | ||
| Advanced Financial Accounting | ||
| Advanced Federal Taxation | ||
| Honors Seminar in Accounting | ||
| Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting | ||
| Advanced Accounting Analytics | ||
| Seminar in Accounting | ||
| Internship in Accounting | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Advanced Issues in Managerial Accounting 3 | ||
| ACCT 630 | Advanced Financial Accounting 3 | |
| Advanced Issues in Financial Reporting 3 | ||
| Fraud Examination 3 | ||
| Advanced Issues in Taxation 3 | ||
| Advanced Accounting Analytics 3 | ||
| International Accounting 3 | ||
| Managing Data Quality and Integrity 3 | ||
| Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting 3 | ||
| Professional Accounting Colloquium 3 | ||
| Directed Studies in Accounting 3 | ||
| Special Topics in Accounting 3 | ||
| Commercial Law | ||
| Total Credits | 21 | |
| 1 | A grade of C or higher is required in each of the upper-level accounting major courses listed below. Students will not be permitted to make more than three attempts to achieve a C or higher in the following required Accounting courses: ACCT 311, ACCT 331, ACCT 332, ACCT 351, ACCT 361, and ACCT 461. Those who do not successfully complete these required courses within three attempts will not be eligible to receive a degree in Accounting from the School of Business. Students terminated from the BS Accounting program are prohibited from enrolling in any Accounting course. |
| 2 | Students who anticipate taking the CPA, CMA, CIA, or other professional exam should consult the applicable regulations and meet with their advisor. State regulations regarding professional examinations may dictate course selections. |
| 3 | Students in the MSAccel program and select high performing undergraduates may take graduate courses for undergraduate credit. Enrollment in a graduate level course in not guaranteed. Please contact an academic advisor for additional information. |
Capstone
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BUS 498 | Capstone Course: Advanced Business Models (Mason Core) 1 | 3 |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
| 1 | Students must successfully complete all Business Core courses to be eligible to enroll in BUS 498 |
Advanced Accelerated Accounting Pathway
The A++ program is designed for incoming freshman who have credit for MATH 108 Introductory Calculus with Business Applications (Mason Core), ECON 103 Contemporary Microeconomic Principles (Mason Core), and ENGH 101 Composition (Mason Core) prior to starting at Mason. This is an advanced pathway for high performing accounting majors interested in completing their Bachelor's and Master's in Accounting in four years. Students interested in this pathway should discuss requirements with a School of Business academic advisor.
Second Major in Accounting
Second Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 311 | Managerial and Cost Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 331 | Intermediate Accounting I | 3 |
| ACCT 332 | Intermediate Accounting II | 3 |
| ACCT 351 | Taxation and Managerial Decision Making | 3 |
| ACCT 361 | Accounting Analytics | 3 |
| ACCT 461 | Assurance and Audit Services | 3 |
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Honors in the Major
The School of Business Accounting Honors Program provides highly motivated students majoring in accounting with an enriched academic experience integrating curricular, co-curricular and extra-curricular development. Admission to the Honors Program is by invitation only.
Admission Requirements
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative Mason GPA
- A- or higher on first attempt ACCT 303 Accounting for Decision Making
- Submission of a personal statement/essay
- Two recommendations from faculty within the School of Business
- Once admitted to the program, students with a cumulative GPA below a 3.0 will be dropped from the program
Curricular Requirements
- 3.0 cumulative Mason GPA
- 3.5 GPA in the major, or be in the 95th percentile GPA within the major
- B- or higher on first attempt in every major course
Co-Curricular Requirements
The student must complete ONE of the following in addition to the curriculum requirements:
- ACCT 462 Honors Seminar in Accounting
- BUS 498 Capstone Course: Advanced Business Models (Mason Core) Honors section.
Extra-Curricular Requirements
- Attendance at a minimum of two honors events, as determined by the Honors Faculty Coordinator
Requirements for Students to Obtain the Honors Designation
- Honors students must meet all curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular requirements mentioned above at graduation
Accounting, BS/Accounting, Accelerated MS
Overview
Mason Accounting majors may apply to the bachelor’s/accelerated master's program to obtain both Accounting, BS or Business, BS with a Concentration in Accounting and Accounting MS degrees. In the accelerated program, up to six credits of eligible ACCT 600-level courses can be used to meet both bachelor's and master's degree requirements. In addition, students have the option to earn up to 6 credits of reserve credit in 600-level ACCT courses (earned credit held in reserve to apply later toward a graduate degree).
For policies governing all accelerated master’s degree programs, see AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees.
Students in an accelerated degree program must fulfill all university requirements for the master's degree. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.
Application Requirements
Applicants to accelerated master's programs must have completed at least 75 credits toward their undergraduate degree (with at least 15 credits earned at Mason). Academic requirements specific to this bachelor’s/accelerated master's program can be found on the School of Business website.
Students submit an application online through the Office of Graduate Admissions. Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies.
Accelerated Option Requirements
In their final undergraduate semester, students must submit the Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition Form to the MS in Accounting advisor to specify which course(s) are to be designated as advanced standing and if applicable, reserve graduate credit.
Following completion of the Accounting, BS, or a Business, BS with a concentration in accounting, a bachelor’s accelerated master’s student may transition into the Accounting, MS program if they have met the guidelines in AP.6.7 and the School of Business requirements here.