Online Graduate Certificate – Professional Accounting

Prepare to sit for the CPA exam in Washington state with this highly focused and flexible certificate program.

4/29/24 Next Application Due Date
5/13/24 Start Classes

Program Overview


Find out more about the 100 percent online EWU Graduate Certificate – Professional Accounting

$6,000* Total Tuition
As few as 5 months Duration
16 Credit Hours

In addition to satisfying accounting education requirements for the CPA exam, the Graduate Certificate – Professional Accounting online program from Eastern Washington University gives you the knowledge to prepare for career advancement in public accounting, government, not-for-profit organizations, and more.

Specifically, you will build on your foundational accounting background with in-depth studies of accounting law, auditing, tax and more. In addition, the curriculum includes one elective course so you can tailor your program to fit your professional goals.

With just 16 credit hours required, you can complete this affordable online certificate program in as few as 3-6 months. If your undergraduate background is not in accounting, you will be required to complete up to 20 credit hours of prerequisite courses, as part of the certificate program.

The foundation courses parallel the four parts of the CPA exam: Auditing and Attestation, Business Environment and Concepts, Financial Accounting and Reporting, and Regulation. The foundation courses in conjunction with the certificate courses will help you prepare to sit for each section of the CPA exam.

Note: The online Graduate Certificate in Accounting Program is designed for students who have completed a bachelor or master’s degree and are interested in coursework that will satisfy the accounting education requirements to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification exam in Washington state. Students may need to complete additional coursework to sit for the CPA certification exam in other states.

AACSB logo

The Eastern Washington University School of Business is accredited by AACSB International (AACSB).

In this program, you will learn to:

  • assess the role of risk while applying the principles of an audit in gathering evidence, developing conclusions and proposing solutions;
  • understand the elements of business law and its impact on corporate governance, ethics and business structure;
  • utilize the rules of financial reporting for business entities;
  • apply the rules of taxation on C Corporations and pass-through entities.
  • assess the role of risk while applying the principles of an audit in gathering evidence, developing conclusions and proposing solutions;
  • understand the elements of business law and its impact on corporate governance, ethics and business structure;
  • utilize the rules of financial reporting for business entities;
  • apply the rules of taxation on C Corporations and pass-through entities.

Career opportunities:

  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
  • Financial Manager
  • Forensic Accountant
  • Controller
  • Accounting Consultant
  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO)
  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
  • Financial Manager
  • Forensic Accountant
  • Controller
  • Accounting Consultant
  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

Also available:

If you are interested in pursuing your master’s degree, completed courses in this certificate program can help you earn your Online Master of Professional Accounting from EWU.

$6,000* Total Tuition
As few as 5 months Duration
16 Credit Hours
AACSB Accredited logo

The EWU School of Accounting is accredited by AACSB International (AACSB).

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Need More Information?

Call 800-826-3411

Call 800-826-3411

Tuition


Get the details on our affordable tuition

This affordable Graduate Certificate – Professional Accounting online program features pay-by-the-course tuition, with the same rate for all in-state and out-of-state students.

Tuition breakdown:

$375 Per Credit Hour
$6,000* Total Tuition

*Tuition and fees subject to change. Total program cost does not include foundation courses. If foundation courses are required, the cost will be added to the total program cost.

Tuition breakdown:

$375 Per Credit Hour
$6,000* Total Tuition

Calendar


Don’t miss these important deadlines

The Graduate Certificate – Professional Accounting online program is designed to be efficient for working professionals, with six-week courses and seven start dates a year. View the full calendar for upcoming start dates and deadlines for registration, required documents, and tuition payment.

Now enrolling:

4/29/24 Next Application Deadline
5/13/24 Start Classes
TermProgram Start DateApplication DeadlineRegistration DeadlineTuition Deadline
Winter II2/12/241/29/242/7/242/10/24
Spring I4/1/243/18/243/27/243/30/24
Spring II5/13/244/29/245/8/245/11/24
Summer I7/8/246/21/247/2/247/6/24
Fall I9/23/249/9/249/18/249/21/24
Fall II11/4/2410/21/2410/30/2411/2/24

Now enrolling:

4/29/24 Next Application Deadline
5/13/24 Start Classes

Have questions or need more information about our online programs?

Ready to take the rewarding path toward earning your degree online?

Admissions


Explore the admission requirements for this online accounting certificate

We’ve streamlined the EWU online Graduate Certificate – Professional Accounting admissions process to help you get started right away. Plus, the GMAT is waived for qualified applicants.

Admission Requirements:

  • Bachelor's degree
  • Cumulative 3.0 GPA
  • Professional resume

  • Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution.
  • A bachelor's degree in accounting or successful completion of the following prerequisite courses from an accredited instituion:
    • Intermediate Accounting I, II, and III (Intermediate Accounting I and II for semester-system institutions)
    • Cost Accounting I
    • Auditing I
    • Federal Income Tax I

Foundation courses are available for applicants who have not yet completed equivalent prerequisite courses. The foundation courses will be in addition to the certificate program courses.

  • Overall cumulative GPA of 3.0 or cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the last 90 quarter or 60 semester-graded postsecondary credit hours** OR:
    • Applicants with a GPA of at least 2.5 in the last 90-quarter or 60-semester-graded credits of postsecondary academic coursework AND at least three years of professional work experience as verified by a professional resume will be considered on a case-by-case basis
    • Applicants with a GPA of at least 2.5 in the last 90-quarter or 60-semester-graded credits of postsecondary academic coursework AND an index score (GPA x 200 + GMAT) ≥ 1050 will be considered on a case-by-case basis
    • Applicants with a GPA lower than 2.5 may be considered on a case-by-case basis and must have an index score of (GPA x 200 + GMAT) ≥ 1050
  • Official transcript from the college/university where degree was earned
  • Professional resume
Have a question? Call us at 800-826-3411.
**We encourage you to apply if your GPA is lower than a 3.0 and you have at least 3 years of professional work experience. Applicants with GPAs below 3.0 are considered for admission on a case-by-case basis. Please contact an Enrollment Services representative at 800-826-3411 for more information.


Document Submission Information

For Spring 2024 Applications: Please do not send transcripts directly to EWU, as this may delay processing your application. If you are ordering electronic transcripts, please select the CAS application as the recipient.

If you are ordering paper transcripts, please have them sent to:

BusinessCAS Transcript Processing Center
PO Box 9221
Watertown, MA 02471

Note: You will need to use the Transcript ID form as part of your submission so that your transcript can be matched to your application.

For Summer 2024 Applications and all future terms:

Order your official, electronic transcripts from the degree-granting institution where you earned your highest degree (bachelor’s or master’s) and have them sent to Eastern Washington University.

  • Most EWU graduate programs only require one transcript. Please submit a transcript from your degree-granting institution. This transcript should include the final two years of your degree completion. If it does not, please submit transcripts to cover your final two years of earned credits.
  • Please note that transcripts ordered by main may take 4-6 weeks to arrive.

If you are ordering a mailed paper transcript, please have it sent to:

Eastern Washington University
Showalter Hall 206
Cheney, WA 99004

Courses


View the courses for your online Graduate Certificate – Professional Accounting

The Graduate Certificate – Professional Accounting online curriculum is comprised of four courses (16 credit hours), including 12 credit hours of core courses and three credit hours of electives. Applicants who do not hold an undergraduate accounting degree and have not completed equivalent coursework may be required to take up to five additional prerequisite courses (20 credit hours).

Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course covers professional level financial accounting and reporting with a focus on the conceptual basis and practical application of United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for the purpose of preparing corporate financial statements. Coverage includes the basics of bookkeeping and the preparation of adjusting entries in regards to assets and related revenue and expense accounts. Furthermore, this course calls attention to the fundamental differences between IFRS and GAAP.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
A continuation of ACCT 510 and intended to provide additional coverage of financial accounting topics related to financial statement preparation and external reporting. Furthermore, the course provides additional coverage of financial accounting topics related to financial statement preparation and external reporting. The content of the course provides students with additional tools to develop an in-depth understanding of the traditional financial accounting and covers a variety of subjects.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
The course is designed to develop an understanding of the concepts, principles, and practices of cost accounting while assisting students in analyzing the conceptual and measurement issues related to common practices of job order cost accounting, activity-based costing, standard and direct costing, preparation of cost statements, and the analysis of cost information. Additional topics include cost terminology, cost behavior, cost-volume-profit analysis and decision making.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course covers fundamental tax issues for taxpayers primarily for individuals and, briefly touches some taxation for businesses. Primary topics for this course include basic income tax computation for individuals, definition and calculation of income, taxation of property-related transactions, capital gains and losses, charitable contributions, itemized deductions etc.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course covers fundamental principles of auditing profession, audit process, and other assurance and nonassurance services related to the CPA profession. Topics include generally accepted auditing standards, tests of controls and substantive tests, statistical sampling, report forms, and opinions. Various techniques are used to study auditing concepts and practices; these may include the use of problem sets, case studies, computer applications, and other materials.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course covers auditing terminology, concepts, principles and examines the procedures for accumulating and evaluating of evidence about information by a competent, independent person to determine and report on the degree of correspondence between the information and established criteria. Auditing challenges you to apply what you have learned in your other accounting classes for the purpose of obtaining and evaluating the evidence and reporting on what you have found.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course provides basic coverage of business combinations and consolidated financial statements, derivatives, hedge transactions, intercompany transactions, and basic partnership accounting. This course is designed for the topics covered in the Uniform CPA examination.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
Covering the rules on the taxation of C Corporations (taxable corporations) and pass through entities, including Subchapter S Corporations and entities taxed as partnerships (which covers most Limited Liability Companies well as well as general and and limited partnerships).

Choose one of the following courses:

Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course provides an in-depth review of additional areas of law and legal concepts important to success in passing the business law section of the CPA exam. The content covers principles of law relating to Uniform Commercial Code with primary emphasis commercial paper, secured transfers, banking laws, bailments, and documents of title. Other areas covered include real and personal property laws, insurance law, and trusts and estates.
Duration: 6 Weeks weeks
Credit Hours: 4
This course covers the application of concepts and techniques for the design, function, and evaluation of accounting systems. The course also provides students with a variety of technology and business analytics concepts and skills.

Ranked among the Top 100 in U.S. News & World Report's "Regional Universities West" rankings (2022)

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