School of Accountancy
BusAd C-306
2404 Maile Way
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-7332
Fax: (808) 956-9888
Web: shidler.hawaii.edu/majors/accounting

Faculty

*Graduate Faculty

*H. Pourjalali, PhD (Director)—managerial accounting, financial accounting, international accounting
*L. Guan, PhD—financial accounting, managerial accounting
*B. Jung, PhD—financial accounting
M. Kaiama, MAcc, MA—financial accounting, auditing, ethics, not-forprofit accounting
*J. Lim, PhD—auditing, financial accounting, accounting information systems
*T. Pearson, LLM/JD—tax accounting, ethics
*J. N. Teruya, PhD—financial accounting, managerial accounting, international accounting
M. Woollen, MAcc—financial accounting, managerial accounting, tax accounting
*D. C. Yang, PhD—financial accounting, international accounting, sustainable accounting
*J. Zhou, PhD—auditing, financial accounting, international accounting, managerial accounting

Degrees Offered: BBA (including minor)in accounting, MAcc, PhD in business administration (accounting concentration)

The Academic Program

The School of Accountancy within the Shidler College of Business offers the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a major in accounting (ACC) and the Master of Accounting (MAcc) degrees. The undergraduate accounting program provides students with the knowledge and skills forming an educational foundation for entry into a wide range of accounting-related careers and enables students to pursue graduate or advanced professional education. The MAcc program provides advanced accounting education with optional concentrations in taxation, financial reporting and assurance, and data analytics. Students receive the education necessary for students to pursue leading positions in public practice, business, not-for-profit organizations, government, and related fields. 

An accounting background will provide a competitive edge for those aspiring to excel in business-related careers. Some students study accounting even if their primary interest resides in another business area because an accounting education enables them to have valuable knowledge and skills for easy entry into a wide variety of businesses.

Mission

We are an academic community with the Shidler College of Business, whose mission is: 

To provide students with the knowledge and skills forming an accounting education relevant to a technologically advanced global economy; to advance accounting knowledge through research; and to instill students with a sense of moral, ethical, and professional obligation to society

Accounting Careers

The accounting profession may be divided into the following two major segments.

Public Accounting

Specialties in this area include auditing, tax, and management advisory services. Some of the larger firms have reorganized these activities along industry lines. Students entering public accounting should prepare to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Many students who graduate with an accounting degree are employed by national or international CPA firms, or by local CPA accounting firms. Some open their own independent practices after they become certified.

Other Accounting Jobs

Accounting positions are available in private industry, not-for-profit organizations, and government. Private industry employment may involve all or part of the various areas of accounting, financial, managerial, accounting information systems, and taxation. Positions include chief financial officer, internal auditor, forensic investigator, or credit analyst. In government, accounting graduates work in all the branches of federal, state, or local governments.

Undergraduate Study

BBA in Accounting

Major Requirements (19 credits)

  • ACC 321, 323, 401, 409, 418, and 460B, C, D, E

For information on a Bachelor Degree Program Sheet, go to programsheets/.

Minor

Students must complete the following to receive a minor with at least 15 credits of the following courses:

ACC 407, 413, and 415 (with a grading option of A-F), and at least 6 credits (with a grading option of A-F) from: ACC 399, 416; CINE 484; BUS 410; FIN 307, 450, 490D; ECON 300, 301, 340; TPSS 429.

Students who have completed the minor cannot apply courses taken in their minor toward another degree (or minor) and cannot pursue the 3/2 MAcc program.

Graduate Study

MAcc Degree

Admission Requirements

In addition to the Shidler College of Business graduate admission requirements, students without an undergraduate degree in accounting are required to complete the following undergraduate foundation courses in accounting: ACC 200 and 210 prior to admission to the MAcc program, and ACC 321, 323, 401, 409, and 418 prior to graduation. 

Admission to the MAcc program is competitive. The School of Accountancy seeks individuals who have the potential for outstanding achievement in accounting, auditing, or taxation. The admissions committee primarily considers the candidate’s academic record and GMAT or GRE score and places emphasis on strong communication skills.

Degree Requirements

The MAcc degree requires 30 credits

Required Accounting Courses (17 credits)

  • ACC 460B* Accounting Capstone: Managerial (1)
  • ACC 460E* Accounting Capstone: Tax and Ethics (1)
  • ACC 465B* Accounting Capstone (2)
  • ACC 616 Accounting Theory and Development (3)
  • ACC 625 Accounting and Tax Research(3)
  • ACC 648 Financial Statements Analysis (1)
  • ACC 660 Analysis and Decision-making (2)
  • ITM 683 Business Intelligence and Data Analytics

*3/2 MAcc students will be allowed to count ACC 465B to both their BBA and MAcc degrees. As a result of this double-counting, students wishing to pursue CPA licensure should complete their BBA with a minimum of 122 credits in order to ensure they meet the 150-hour requirement.

Elective Accounting courses (7 credits)

Students can take any 400-600 level accounting course except those courses used to fulfill foundational or core requirements. No more than four credits may be from the 400-level. The following concentrations are recommended:

Tax Electives include:

  • ACC 407 Taxation of Business Entities (3)
  • ACC 413 law for the Accountant (3)
  • ACC 605 CPA Review-The Regulation (1)
  • ACC 631 Tax of Partners/Partnership (2)
  • ACC 638 Estate and Gift Taxation and Planning
  • ACC 639 Multijurisdictional Taxation
  • ACC 695 Accounting Internship (in taxation)

Financial Reporting Electives include

  • ACC 415 Advanced Financial Accounting (3)
  • ACC 602 CPA Review-Audit and Attestation (1)
  • ACC 603 CPA Review-The Business Environment and Concepts (1)
  • ACC 604 CPA Review-The Financial Accounting and Reporting (1)
  • ACC 610 International Corporate Governance
  • ACC 620 Global Accounting
  • ACC 635 Advanced Public Sector Accounting
  • ACC 690 Current Topics in Accounting
  • ACC 695 Accounting Internship (in financial reporting)

Data Analytics Electives include

  • BUS 410 Data Analytics for Business (3)
  • ACC 695 Accounting Internship (in data analytics) (V)

Additional Elective courses (6 credit hours)

Students may take 6 credits from the following:

  • Courses from the Tax, Data Analytics, or Financial Reporting tracks provided that they are not fulfilling ACC Elective requirements
  • ACC 690 Current Topics in Accounting
  • ACC 695 Accounting Internship (up to 3 credit hours of an internship course can be taken for credit)
  • 400- to 600-level courses from the Shidler College of Business (BLAW, FIN, HRM, ITM, MGT, MKT, RE), the Asian Field Study (BUS 677), or selected courses in PACE, LAW, COM, or COMG (business courses may not include MBA core classes BUS 619-632, BUS 696)

Students must complete a minimum of 30 credits to earn the Master of Accounting degree (no more than ten credits may be from the 400-level). If a course is waived, another course in the same area of study and of the same or higher level must be substituted.

Thesis Option

In consultation with an advisor, a student may opt to do a research thesis in place of ACC 660 and three elective credits. Thesis students enroll in ACC 700 Thesis Research.