Accounting Transfer Pathway Associate of Science

Program Overview:

The Accounting Transfer Pathway AS offers students a powerful option: the opportunity to complete an Associate of Science degree with course credits that directly transfer to designated Accounting bachelor’s degree programs at Minnesota State and many other universities. The curriculum has been specifically designed so that students completing this pathway degree and transferring to a 4-year Minnesota State University will enter with junior-year status with all courses applying to the designated bachelor’s degree programs.

Program Outcomes:

Upon completion of the Accounting Transfer Pathway program at RCTC, students will achieve the following outcomes:

• Record, analyze, interpret, and report financial transactions using Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and other professional accounting standards and laws.
• Develop and use critical thinking processes to compare detailed expected results to actual reported information.
• Utilize technology including accounting software, spreadsheets, databases, and other accounting information software when reporting financial information.
• Analyze, interpret, and report financial data and non-financial information to aid decision-makers within an organization.
• Use clear and concise oral and written communication methods to convey financial and non-financial information effectively to different users.

Business Department Core Competencies:

• Strategic Thinking: Recognize accounting, economic, marketing and business opportunities/challenges and develop strategies to address them.
• Data Informed Decision Making: Apply critical thinking skills and technology to formulate viable solutions to organizational issues.
• Global Perspective: Identify domestic, international, cultural, political, and economic issues present in today’s work environment.
• Ethical & Social Responsibility: Translate ethical and social responsibility concepts into responsible decision-making in a business environment.
• Organizational Dynamics: Identify and analyze factors that influence organizational dynamics including teamwork, leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Career Opportunities:

Accounting is the language of business. Every business- small, medium, large; private or public; manufacturing, service, healthcare, retail, or financial have a need for accounting skills. Pay and benefits vary with employer size, location and type. Compensation also varies with the employee’s education, experience and responsibility.

Graduates with the Associate of Science (AS) Transfer Pathway degree are prepared for the following options: an entry-level accounting position and/or transfer to complete a bachelor’s degree. A bachelor’s degree can help prepare the individual to earn designations such as CPA, CMA and other accounting related certifications.

ACCOUNTING TRANSFER PATHWAY AS

MINNESOTA TRANSFER CURRICULUM (MnTC)/GENERAL REQUIREMENTS (30 CREDITS)

GOAL 1: COMMUNICATION (11 CREDITS)

• COMM 1114 – Fundamentals of Public Speaking (3 cr) OR COMM 1130 – Interpersonal Communication (3 cr)
• ENGL 1117 – Reading and Writing Critically I (4 cr)
• ENGL 1118 – Reading and Writing Critically II (4 cr)

GOAL 3: NATURAL SCIENCES (3 CREDITS)

• MnTC Goal 3 course with a laboratory

GOAL 4: MATHEMATICAL/LOGICAL REASONING (3 CREDITS)

• MATH 1115 – College Algebra (3 cr) OR Any course for which MATH 1115 is a prerequisite

MnTC ELECTIVES (0-2 CREDITS)

• Select a minimum of 2 additional MnTC credits from Goal 3, 5, 6, or 9

PROGRAM CORE REQUIREMENTS (30 CREDITS)

• ACCT 1814 – Payroll Accounting (3 cr)
• ACCT 2217 – Financial Accounting (4 cr)
• ACCT 2218 – Managerial Accounting (4 cr)
• ACCT 2234 – Computerized Accounting and Business Applications (3 cr)
• ACCT 2237 – Accounting and Business Information Technology (3 cr)
• BUS 2201 – Principles of Marketing (3 cr)
• BUS 2210 – Legal Environment of Business (3 cr)
• BUS 2212 – Business & Economics Statistics (4 cr)
• BUS 2232 – Principles of Management (3 cr)

RECOMMENDED COURSE SEQUENCES

FULL-TIME

• Semester 1 (13 CREDITS): ACCT 2217, COMM 1114 OR COMM 1130, ENGL 1117, MATH 1115
• Semester 2 (16 CREDITS): ACCT 1814, ACCT 2218, BUS 2232, MnTC Goal 6, MnTC Goal 3 with lab
• Semester 3 (14 CREDITS): ACCT 2234, BUS 2201, BUS 2212, ECON 2214
• Semester 4 (17 CREDITS): ACCT 2237, BUS 2210, ECON 2215, ENGL 1118, MnTC Goal 3, 5, 6, or 9

PART-TIME

• Semester 1 (7 CREDITS): COMM 1114 OR COMM 1130, ENGL 1117
• Semester 2 (7 CREDITS): ACCT 2217, MnTC Goal 3 with lab
• Semester 3 (7 CREDITS): ACCT 1814, ACCT 2218
• Semester 4 (6 CREDITS): ACCT 2234, MATH 1115
• Semester 5 (6 CREDITS): ACCT 2237, BUS 2210
• Semester 6 (6 CREDITS): BUS 2212, MnTC Goal 3, 5, 6, or 9
• Semester 7 (6 CREDITS): BUS 2201, BUS 2232
• Semester 8 (7 CREDITS): ECON 2214, MnTC 6
• Semester 9 (8 CREDITS): ECON 2215, ENGL 1118

Course descriptions can be found at: RCTC course descriptions