Here, you'll gain the financial and analytical skills to launch a successful career in accounting.
Ready to launch your career in accounting? As an accounting major at Widener University, you’ll be able to tailor your academic journey to your career goals. You’ll also master the financial and analytical skills of accounting – from business leadership and management strategy to tax law changes and government regulation.
You’ll benefit from our connections, whether that means networking with our successful alumni or jumping into a co-op or internship with one of our many industry partners. By the time you graduate, you’ll be ready to lead public, private, and non-profit organizations on the path to healthy financial futures.
Learn more about our accounting program in this video.
The School of Business Administration is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). This professional accreditation places Widener among the top one-third of college business schools in the U.S. and Europe.
The accounting program is designed for students to customize their education and meet the 150 credit-hour requirement to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Let us help you choose a path:
Although all students are encouraged to pursue the CPA, we also know some students may be more interested in becoming a Certified Management Accountant (CMA), a highly-valued credential in private industry.
The accounting program ensures all students graduate with the financial and analytical skills to succeed.
The accounting degree is 127 credits over eight semesters. Several of the required courses are four credits, which means that if a student meets certain qualifications, he or she can earn an additional three credits per semester at no additional tuition cost.
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The following concentrations are optional for students pursuing an accounting major:
Tax Concentration
Obtain a more in-depth understanding of issues related to common federal taxation matters pertaining to individuals, corporations, pass-through entities, and estates. This track is ideal for students who plan to complete the Tax Compliance and Planning specialty area of the CPA exam starting in 2024.
Certified Management Accountant (CMA) Concentration
Designed for students who wish to pursue the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation from the Institute of Management Accountants. The CMA exam is a rigorous two-part examination that students can take while they are still undergraduates. This concentration also aligns well with the Business Analysis and Reporting specialty area of the CPA exam starting in 2024.
Forensic Accounting Concentration
Develop expertise in the area of financial fraud examination, detection, and prevention. This concentration is an advanced specialty within the accounting major and is interdisciplinary in nature including courses from social science, computer science, criminal justice, and philosophy.
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Prepare for rapid career growth by completing two degrees in five years. When you graduate, you’ll receive a bachelor’s degree in accounting and a master’s degree in one of several graduate programs in the School of Business Administration.
Explore graduate business degrees.
In addition to being offered as a major, students interested in accounting can also pursue a minor. These courses will provide the background needed to pursue professional certification in areas such as management accounting and internal auditing.
You may also choose from our expansive list of additional minors and certificates for undergraduate students to find unique combinations for your personal academic goals and unique career path.
The business honors program is an exciting opportunity for academically talented students to enrich their business education with advanced honors courses, an honors seminar, collaboration with faculty on research, civic engagement, and professional and leadership development opportunities.
Students can complete their program of study in 4 years graduating with a certificate of honors in business.
Our accounting program prepares you for the increasing changes in government regulation and tax law.
Through internships and co-op in accounting and related fields, you will apply what you've learned in class to solve real business problems and get your foot in the door for future job opportunities. Many accounting students receive full-time job offers from these experiences.
Our professors are here to connect you with professional insights and pipelines to success. They've been recognized by leading accounting organizations for providing excellent instruction and showing a unique ability to connect with students.
Widener's unique Executives in Residence program brings industry leaders to campus and provides students with career mentorship and networking opportunities with experts in the field.
Our connections to industry partners will give you an edge in your future career.
Our Accounting & Information Management Advisory Board is filled with practicing accountants and financial executives who give us honest and thoughtful feedback to ensure our program is preparing you for the future. They also can provide you with the inside track to internships and co-ops.
Accounting majors have the opportunity to join many clubs and organizations across campus, including the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA), Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS), and many more.
Live and learn with your classmates in the Business (Developing Entrepreneurs) LLC, while exploring the real-life experiences of entrepreneurs and spending time with business faculty who are dedicated to your success.
Our faculty are committed to the professional and personal success of every student, offering consistent mentorship, feedback, and support.
"Accounting is the language of business, so why not learn how to speak it? Today, accountants wear many 'hats' and are considered valuable business advisors. For this reason, we find that students graduate from Widener prepared for long-term career success with a degree in accounting."
"I believe that mentoring and working with my students on case studies, tax law, necessary forms for compliance, simulations of financial plans, and introducing speakers from the industry will help them succeed after graduation. I want to teach them not only the knowledge base required, but also the application of their work."
Several Widener alumni have held leadership positions at Comcast—one of the world’s leading telecommunications conglomerates. We catch up with eight of these alumni.
A collaboration with Windesheim University in The Netherlands has Widener business students working virtually across borders, time zones, and cultures—and finding friends in the process.
The Widener Student Emergency Fund, newly developed by the university during the pandemic, has provided immediate assistance to students with pressing, unmet needs.
Students like you have graduated from our accounting program and accepted positions with top accounting firms and other companies. By making connections and gaining real-world experience, you’ll put yourself in a position to join them.
Hear from our students about their experience in the accounting program.
Widener has exposed me to opportunities that forever shaped my life. Now, as a well-traveled entrepreneur with a young but growing business, I am excited to see how Widener University is still preparing graduates toward a path of excellence.