Accounting Major, BBA

Campus: NYC, Westchester

Students can earn this BBA Accounting degree with 128 credits, typically completed in about four years. This flexible and fast-tracked program offers a broad-based course of study in accounting, preparing students for careers in accounting and related fields. Upon successful completion, students will have the educational background required to pursue professional certifications such as Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).

Those interested in taking the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) Exam and pursuing a career in public accounting can select electives in auditing, taxation, and law to meet the CPA Exam requirements in New York State.

A Note on the CPA Exam and Certification Requirements 

Students who plan to take the CPA exam should be aware of the specific educational requirements for the state in which they intend to sit for the exam.  Visit the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy website (NASBA) for specific requirements in each state.  The state of New York currently requires 120 hours of college level education and at least one course covering each of the following (see website NASBA/NYS): 

  • Financial accounting, at the upper division and beyond introductory level
  • Cost or management accounting
  • Taxation
  • Audit and attestation, at the upper division

The courses required for BBA Accounting program with appropriate elective courses in auditing (ACC 461), taxation, and business law will satisfy the requirements to take the CPA exam in New York.  

The CPA licensure however requires a total of 150 hours (33 in accounting) of education, in addition to passing the exam and gaining practice experiences.  The requirements for BBA Accounting program do not satisfy all requirement for CPA licensure.  Students can earn additional credits by joining one of the graduate programs at Pace (e.g., MS Accounting, MBA Accounting, or MS Accounting Data Analytics and Technologies) to satisfy CPA licensure requirement in education.

Students who are interested in completing all 150 credits of CPA licensure requirements in one step can consider the following programs: