Accounting Certificate Program Details

Undergraduate Certificate in Professional Accounting

Students who have previously completed a baccalaureate degree, in any field other than accounting, and wish to pursue professional careers in accounting will enter the undergraduate certificate in professional accounting program. Students complete a minimum of thirty-nine credits and may receive credit for up to fifteen hours based on their undergraduate coursework in business and accounting. The certificate program may be completed in one to two years, depending on previous coursework. To sit for the CPA examination in Kentucky, total accounting hours must equal 27, total business-related hours 39, and total college hours 150.

Program Admission Requirements

A completed and signed application.
A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a discipline other than accounting.
Submit $25 application fee (fee waived for Bellarmine alumni).
Final official transcript(s) from each college or university attended should be mailed to the Office of Graduate Admission and not be marked “Issued to Student”.
If any transcripts or undergraduate degree(s) are from an international institution you must provide an official copy of a third party course by course credential evaluation. The following organizations offer this service and information regarding processes and fees available at: www.aacrao.org, www.wes.org and www.ece.org. The Office of Graduate Admission reserves the right to request a certified copy of the original transcript(s).
If your undergraduate degree is from an international institution, you were born outside the United States, or English is your second language, you will be required to submit an official TOEFLiBT (internet-based test) score and receive a total score of 80 or higher. We will also consider an equivalent score on the IELTS or MELAB tests. The Admission, Progression and Graduation Committee reserves the right to require a TOEFL score from any applicant.
Personal interview, if requested by the Accounting Certificate Admission, Progression and Graduation Committee.
Provide one letter of recommendation from a faculty member and/or supervisor who knows you. A recommendation form is included in the packet.
Submit a type written response to the essay question listed on the application.

International Applicants

Please complete the items under Procedure for Admission and submit the following:
U.S. law requires financial statements from a bank or other financial institution certifying the student’s ability to fund the cost of attendance for one academic year minus the amount of any scholarship dollars received. Figures should be in U.S. dollars and must be certified as an official document by the bank or financial institution. A sponsor may be used if the sponsor attaches a signed affidavit stating that he/she will financially support the student until completion of a degree at Bellarmine University. If a sponsor is used, the sponsor’s bank statement should accompany the letter. The amount that would need to be shown for the Accounting program would be $48,802 for full-time students. The amount for part-time students would be $26,661. These amounts include tuition and fees associated with the program and an average cost for living expenses, books, supplies, health insurance, transportation and personal expenses.

Program Requirements

Completion of these five required courses totaling fifteen credits: ACCT 101, 211, 212, 313, 418.
Fifteen credits selected from other accounting courses or BA 403.
Nine additional credits selected from business administration or business-related courses.
For all certificate students, a minimum of twenty four accounting credits must be completed at Bellarmine.

Accounting Course Descriptions

Certificate students select undergraduate courses from accounting, business administration, and from business-related subjects. Business-related subjects include courses that contain in the course prefix or title an indication that the course subject matter is one of the following: business, finance, marketing, management, economics, computers, or business statistics.

Waiver of Course Prerequisite Requirements

Course prerequisite requirements are waived for all courses taken by certificate students.

Tuition and Fee Information

Students in this program are charged tuition on a per credit hour basis. The current tuition for the 2012-13 academic year is $755 per credit hour for both full and part-time students taking business related courses.

Financial Aid

For information on financial aid, click here.

Student Success

For more information about the success of our students and the costs of the program, visit our consumer information website.