Accounting Specialist, AAS

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The Accounting Specialist program is designed to provide skills needed for positions in the accounting field in four semesters. It will qualify you for the same opportunities as Accounting and Bookkeeping plus more specialized areas such as Cost, Financial Analysis, Advanced Excel work, and Income Tax. You will have options to specialize in Payroll Certification, Gov’t and Nonprofit Accounting, or an Accounting Internship. Communication and leadership skills are incorporated in all of the courses. If you are thinking of continuing your education the program provides a high degree of transferability to many private colleges.

All of the classes in the Accounting & Bookkeeping program will transfer into the Accounting Specialists program plus many of the classes can be used to obtain specialized certificates.

For more information about the Accounting Specialist program, please visit our website at www.dmacc.edu/programs/accounting.

Locations: Ankeny, Urban

Selected courses in this program are offered at other campuses.

Students may start any semester.

Program Entry Requirements

Complete an application for admission.
Satisfy the assessment requirement.
Attend any required information/registration session.

Graduation Requirements

To earn an Accounting Specialist AAS degree, a student must complete the requirements for the degree, maintain a 2.0 grade point average and receive a grade of “C” or above in all ACC coursework.

Required Courses

Semester 1

Required Course(s)

ACC 131 - Principles of Accounting I Credits: 4
BCA 212 - Intro Computer Business Appl Credits: 3
ADM 131 - Office Calculators Credits: 1
ADM 105 - Intro to Keyboarding Credits: 1
SDV 108 - The College Experience Credits: 1
ENG 105 - Composition I Credits: 3

Option 1 - Select 1 Course

BUS 112 - Business Math Credits: 3
MAT 141 - Finite Math Credits: 4

Note:

Students planning to transfer to a four-year institution should check with that institution regarding math requirements before selecting math courses for this program.

Semester 2

Required Course(s)

ACC 132 - Principles of Accounting II Credits: 4
ACC 124 - Accounting Professionalism Credits: 3
ACC 311 - Computer Accounting Credits: 3
ACC 161 - Payroll Accounting Credits: 3
ACC 351 - Acct Spreadsheets for Entrepreneurs Credits: 3

Semester 3

Required Course(s)

ACC 202 - Accounting Cycle Credits: 1
ACC 222 - Cost Accounting Credits: 4
ACC 231 - Intermediate Accounting I Credits: 4
ACC 261 - Income Tax Accounting Credits: 3
ACC 361 - Accounting Spreadsheets Credits: 3
MGT 145 - Human Relations in Business Credits: 3

Semester 4

Required Courses

ACC 191 - Financial Analysis Credits: 3
SPC 101 - Fund of Oral Communication Credits: 3
Any AAS degree Core MAT or BUS 211 course Credits: 3
Select from Option 2 Credits: 2-4
Select 1 course from Option 3 Credits: 3

Option 2 - Select 1

ACC 165 - Payroll Certification Review Credits: 2
ACC 850 - Tax Assistance Institute Credits: 3
ACC 268 - Business Tax Credits: 3
ACC 272 - Accounting Information Systems Credits: 4
ACC 251 - Gov’t & Nonprofit Accounting Credits: 3
Or select both of the courses listed below
ACC 932 - Accounting Internship Credits: 3-4
ACC 946 - Accounting Career Seminar Credits: 1

Option 3 - Select 1 Course

BUS 185 - Business Law I Credits: 3
ECN 120 - Principles of Macroeconomics Credits: 3

Note:

Students planning to transfer to a four-year institution should check with that institution regarding math requirements before selecting math courses for this program.

Total Credits Required to Complete this AAS Degree - 64

Fixed Costs

Tuition……………………………………………………………………………………..$143.00 per credit

The costs for each program are estimates and subject to change.

Varied Costs

	Semester 1	Semester 2	Semester 3	Semester 4
Books (Approximate)	450	400	400	400
Equipment - Calculator	40

Approximate total for program: $10,842*

* Program entry requirements are not included in the total approximate costs.

What Kind of Work Will You Do?

Perform full-time, full-charge bookkeeping and payroll service.
Apply computer skills using QuickBooks, Peachtree, and/or Excel.
Apply knowledge learned in:
- Tax Preparation
- Cost Accounting
- Financial Statement Analysis
Communicate with coworkers, supervisors, and the public.
Ability to transfer to Grandview and Simpson to complete a Bachelor’s degree.

What Skills and Abilities Will You Need?

Understand accounting concepts and applications at the principles and immediate level.
Follow instructions.
Demonstrate an understanding of business operations and the communications process.
Communicate with coworkers, supervisors, and the public.

What Else Should I Consider about this Program or Career Choice

Class work requires daily homework preparation (average two-three hours per night).
Reading and math skills are important to get maximum benefit from the classes.
Desire to get the most out of coursework as possible.
All classes in Accounting & Bookkeeping Program will transfer to Accounting Specialists.
Specialize certificates can be obtain with one or two additional classes.
Average starting salary $31,640 (Iowa Bureau of Statistics 2013)

Nondiscrimination Policy

Des Moines Area Community College shall not engage in or allow discrimination covered by law. This includes harassment based on race, color, national origin, creed, religion, sex (including pregnancy and marital status), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability and genetic information. Veteran status in educational programs, activities, employment practices, or admission procedures is also included to the extent covered by law. Individuals who believe they have been discriminated against may file a complaint through the College Discrimination Complaint Procedure. Complaint forms may be obtained from the Campus Provost’s office, the Academic Deans’ office, the Judicial Officer, or the EEO/AA Officer, Human Resources. For information about the ADA, the Section 504/ADA Coordinator can be contacted at 515-964-6857. For Title IX questions and concerns contact 515-964-6850.