The Accounting Minor complements any major: seven classes, covering all essentials, with no admission requirements.
Accounting serves as the language of business, indispensable for all organizations. Learn the fundamental principles from industry professionals by adding an Accounting Minor to your academic major. Develop the toolkit essential for gaining a competitive edge in the job market or setting yourself up for success in future endeavors.
The 26-credit Accounting Minor offers students a crucial understanding of basic technical accounting concepts, coupled with the interpersonal skills necessary for success. Through this minor, students acquire the skills to identify and record economic events, gain familiarity with taxation, and utilize software such as Microsoft Excel and Intuit QuickBooks. Join us to advance your professional development and acquire a critical skillset.
ACCOUNTING MINOR: WHY PSU?
- In PSU’s Accounting Minor, students develop a range of technical skills that are essential for success in accounting and related fields. Some of these technical skills include:
- Financial Statement Analysis: Understanding how to analyze financial statements such as balance sheets, income statements, and cash flow statements to assess the financial health and performance of an organization.
- Accounting Software Proficiency: Learning to use accounting software packages such as Excel, and QuickBooks, for tasks such as bookkeeping, financial reporting, and budgeting.
- Cost Accounting Techniques: Knowledge of cost accounting methods for analyzing and controlling costs within an organization, including job costing, activity-based costing, and variance analysis.
- Taxation Knowledge: Understanding of tax laws and regulations, including income tax, sales tax, and payroll tax, and the ability to prepare tax returns for individuals and businesses.
- Auditing Skills: Familiarity with auditing principles and practices, including techniques for examining financial records and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
- Financial Modeling: Ability to create financial models and projections using spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel, including forecasting future revenues, expenses, and cash flows.
- Internal Controls: Understanding of internal control systems and procedures to safeguard assets, prevent fraud, and ensure the accuracy of financial reporting.
These technical skills are valuable not only for careers in accounting but also for roles in finance, and consulting, as well as for independent contractors, artists and professionals in the gig economy.
- Make connections. Drawing on our deep connections to Portland, courses in the Accounting Minor are taught by industry professionals with professional licensures. Instructors offer constructive insight, context and applied experiences, and career guidance that goes far beyond what can be learned from a textbook. Students in the program also have access to resources within The School of Business, including advisors for career counseling, business student clubs for interest areas, internship opportunities, and networking events.
- Take control. The Accounting Minor complements all business and non-business majors at PSU and can be completed in one year. All courses are offered every term, with daytime, evening, hybrid, and fully online sections available each year.
Accounting Minor Highlights
- Available to all majors, business and non-business
- Focused on technical, practical, marketable skills
- Can be completed in one year
- All courses are offered every term, with day time, evening, and fully online sections available each year
- The five 300-level courses also count towards the Design Thinking/Innovation/Entrepreneurship University Studies Cluster, allowing students to optimize class time and credit hours while advancing to their career of choice
WHAT CAN I DO WITH A MINOR IN ACCOUNTING?
The Accounting Minor is designed to help elevate your career in any field or profession. Accounting components can be found in all business and disciplines, including arts and culture, science, health care, academia, and technology, to list a few. The Accounting Minor teaches technical skills that will help you expand your professional impact including:
- Understand the language of business
- Take control of your finances
- Balance the books
- Interpret, analyze, and present business data
- Prepare and plan for taxes
- Report on compliance to regulators
Curriculum
Download the Accounting Minor sequence sheet for additional details about our pre-requisites, requirements, credits and suggested sequences.
- Tailored to your interests
- Double-dip your business minor credits
- Access to School of Business student organizations
- Get customized career resources from the School of Business Career Center
- Get access to loaner laptops
ACCREDITATION
Portland State University Accounting is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The AACSB evaluates business schools' critical areas to ensure they provide high-quality education. AACSB accreditation has been associated with the highest standards in business education for over a century.