School of Commerce and Technology

Executive Accounting Program

Program Description

If you enjoy working with numbers, consider a career in accounting. Accountants are vital people in the business world. You'll analyze, measure, and document the performance of business.

Northwestern College offers an Associate in Applied Science Degree in Executive Accounting that can help you realize your dream of a fulfilling career.

Executive Accounting Program Overview

• Perform general accounting procedures including journalizing business transactions, posting to the general ledger, preparing the trial balance, and adjusting accounts
• Prepare income statements, statements of cash flow, statements of stockholders' equity and balance sheets for business entities.
• Analyze financial statements for internal and external decision-making purposes
• Prepare annual income tax returns for individuals, proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations
• Review and interpret accounting data as applied to planning and controlling functions of management in areas of variance analysis, capital investment decisions, and operational budgets

Executive Accounting Program Goals

Upon completion of the program, it is expected that students will be able to:

• Distinguish and reproduce the fundamental concepts of accounting
• Demonstrate computer literacy and familiarity with information resources
• Develop an understanding of taxation and its impact on financial and managerial decisions
• Differentiate between financial and managerial accounting
• Apply critical thinking to analyze and assess ethical issues within the accounting profession

Executive Accounting Career Opportunities (CIP Code 52.0302)

You'll be qualified for a career in virtually any industry after earning an accounting degree. Accounting students are prepared to become bookkeepers, staff accountants, payroll processors, credit analysts, auditors, tax preparers, purchasing agents, and could possibly advance into management positions.

The Executive Accounting program is designed to prepare you for potential employment in the following: (the occupation listed contains a link to information on the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET website).

43-3031.00 - Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

Accreditation

The Executive Accounting program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP).

Northwestern College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, www.ncahlc.org.

Degree Requirements and Course Offerings

See the Northwestern College Catalog.

The job placement rate for the Executive Accounting program was unable to be calculated at this time, pending the creation of an approved formula for job placement calculations by the U.S. Department of Education. Upon publication of a formula, this web page will be updated promptly.

During the 2010-2011 Academic Year (July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011), 12 students graduated from the Executive Accounting program at Northwestern College. Of these students, 1 (or 5%) graduated on-time as defined in the Northwestern College catalog. (Part-time students generally take a longer period of time to graduate because they don’t take a full course load; therefore, the graduation rate is lower since part-time students are not considered to have graduated on-time). The median student loan indebtedness of the Executive Accounting program graduates in 2010-2011 was as follows: Federal Stafford Student Loans (subsidized/unsubsidized) - $22,035; Third-Party Private Education Loans - $0; Northwestern College Institutional (GAP) Loan - $0.

The tuition and fees cost for a student starting the Executive Accounting associate degree program as of the 2011-2012 academic year is estimated at $46,365, based upon six academic quarters of full-time tuition at current tuition rates. (Potential future tuition increases cannot be determined at this time, and hence are not factored into this estimate.) Book and supply costs are estimated at $2,400. (The actual cost will vary depending on multiple factors). Northwestern College does not offer on-campus housing. For additional information on college costs, please visit our Financial Aid Cost of Attendance web page.

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