Accounting
If you enjoy digging into business transactions, the details of tax planning, or analyzing financial statements, our Accounting program fits your goals, determination and ethics.
Our graduates work at Caterpillar, Deere & Company, Deloitte, RSM Global, HNI Corporation, and many others.
Click here to apply for an accounting scholarship! Or, scroll down for more information.
Ambrose Advantages
- Intern At Fortune 500 Firms
- Experienced, Encouraging Professors
- Explore a Greater Sense of Purpose
We are a mid-sized university with unlimited opportunities. You can intern, network, and learn from the leaders of Fortune 500 companies. Our faculty have created those relationships so you can, too. It's a unique edge that helps you stand out when seeking your first job or acceptance into graduate school.
Check Out the Accounting Program Fact Sheet (pdf)
Business for the Greater Good
All SAU College of Business programs infuse ethics, service and social justice into the curriculum.
More Information on the Accounting Program
- As an accounting major, you will learn U.S. and international accounting standards and be able to plan, coordinate, and control the financial activities of businesses at a bottom-line level.
- You'll dive into the business world and apply what you've learned during an internship your junior or senior year, or both.
- Your SAU degree is based on the Ambrose Core Curriculum which helps you develop strong inquiry, communication, and writing skills – something employers highly value in our student interns and graduates.
- Our location is one of your biggest resources. The Quad Cities is home to world-class accounting and Fortune 500 firms. We've created strong relationships with companies such as Deloitte, RSM, Modern Woodmen, and HNI (HON).
- Give yourself an edge: intern. We've had students intern for Deere & Company's worldwide headquarters (which is 15 minutes from campus) and graduates, like Alex Denton, who have accepted a position in the corporation's elite career development program. You can intern in the spring, summer, or fall.
- Amplify your skills while helping others. Each spring, you can take an Accounting seminar and provide free tax preparation to low-income residents through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. At SAU, you can express your generosity and care for the community in so many ways. Learn about your service learning and volunteer opportunities.
- You can major in accounting and earn your master's degree in just five years, like Nathan Funke '15, '16 MAcc did. If you maintain a 3.0 undergraduate GPA, you automatically qualify for admission to our MAcc program. You will continue to enjoy small class sizes and learn from professors you know (and who know you, too). Nathan explains the strength of his Ambrosian education in this video.
Accountants can specialize in public accounting, perform tax audits, and conduct tax planning for CPA firms. You can work for corporations such as Deere & Company doing cost, financial, or international accounting or internal auditing. Working for local, state, or federal government entities also are options.
Some accountants use their expertise in nonprofit agencies such as United Way or Red Cross, or they work as a tax specialist, forensic accountant, controller, chief financial officer, financial planner, or international accountant.
We have the resources to prepare you for life after college. SAU Academic and Career Planning will help you create a résumé, write a cover letter, offer tips on how to have a successful interview, and more. If you are determined to go to grad school, the center can help you with the application and prepare you for the interview.
- After earning his undergraduate accounting degree in 2008, John Hammar stayed at SAU for a master's degree in accounting in 2009. He is now an audit manager at Deloitte in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
- Katie Zorn '15 was a rare triple-major in Accounting, International Business, and Theology. She works as a Cost Accountant for HNI in Cedartown, Georgia.
Allison Ambrose, PhD, Professor
Michael Cipriano, PhD, Assoc. Professor
Janene Finley, PhD, Assoc. Professor
Degree Requirements
Accounting majors are required to have earned a 2.25 average GPA in all accounting courses; have earned a C in all accounting classes (if an accounting major earns below a C, the student must retake the course); and have earned 18 of their 33 hours of accounting at St. Ambrose, including ACCT 300, 301, 302, 305, and 415.
View Accounting courses and descriptions in the online course search
Required:
ACCT 201 Financial Accounting
ACCT 202 Managerial Accounting
ACCT 300 Accounting Fundamentals and Professionalism
ACCT 301 Intermediate Accounting I
ACCT 302 Intermediate Accounting II
ACCT 305 Income Tax Procedures I
ACCT 307 Cost Accounting
ACCT 312 Accounting Information Systems
ACCT 415 Auditing
Accounting Electives (6 credits):
ACCT 314 Internal Auditing
ACCT 402 Accounting Seminar
ACCT 404 Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program*
ACCT 406 Income Tax Procedures II
ACCT 410 Advanced Accounting
ACCT 414 Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation
ACCT 417 Law for Accountants
ACCT 420 Seminar in Accounting Topics
ACCT 460 Internship for Credit*
Business Core Requirements (31 credits):
BUS 201 Legal Environment in Business
ECON 201 Principles of Macroeconomics
ECON 202 Principles of Microeconomics
FNCE 300 Principles of Finance
MKTG 209 Principles of Marketing
MGMT 210 Principles of Management
MGMT 449 Strategic Management and Policy
INTL 400 International Experiential Portfolio (1 credit)
STBE 137 Quantitative Reasoning in Business
STBE 237 Statistics for Business and Economics
PHIL 305 Business Ethics
Experiential Learning
Students must also demonstrate an experiential learning experience which may include a documented internship, service learning, study abroad, or in rare cases, an alternative to one of the Electives above.
*These classes (and EXPL 202) also count toward the experiential learning requirement for all BA ACCT majors
Choose 18 credit hours in ACCT courses, excluding ACCT 101.
The Certificate in Advanced Accounting is awarded to undergraduate students satisfy the credit requirements below, earn a 3.0 GPA, and have approval from the Accounting Department Chair.
By achieving the Certificate in Advanced Accounting, students satisfy 15 credit hours toward becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Required
MAC 601 Advanced Financial Accounting Theory
MAC 603 Advanced Managerial Accounting Theory
Choose three courses from the following:
MAC 602 Accounting Issues Seminar
MAC 604 VITA Seminar
MAC 606 Advanced Tax Topics
MAC 607 Research / Cases in Taxation
MAC 614 Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation
MAC 615 Advanced Auditing
MAC 610 Advanced Financial Accounting
MAC 617 Law for Accountants
MAC 618 International Accounting
MAC 622 Forensic Accounting
Scholarships and Grants
St. Ambrose offers excellent scholarships and grants, work-study and other financial aid options! Full-time students may be eligible based on your strong academic performance in college, your talent in fine arts or athletics or your demonstrated financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The SAU school code for the FAFSA is 001889.
Download helpful PDFs of this information here: First-Year Iowa Residents and First-Year Out of State Residents
IOWA RESIDENTS LIVING ON CAMPUS
Iowa Resident On Campus Merit-Based Scholarships
Trustee Scholar: $25,000 per year
Criteria: unweighted 3.9 GPA and minimum 29 ACT or 1340 SAT score. Must maintain 3.25 cumulative GPA in successive years. Invited to compete for an Ambrose Scholar full-tuition award.
Academic Scholarships: $15,000-21,000 per year
Criteria: based on unweighted GPA and test scores (optional)
University Grant: $13,000 per year
Criteria: based on unweighted GPA and test scores (optional)
Iowa Resident On Campus Additional Institutional Aid
Ambrose Advantage Full-Tuition Scholarship (more information here)
Iowa resident, Pell Grant and Iowa Tuition Grant eligible, 2023 high school graduate, minimum unweighted 2.5 GPA, admitted and file FAFSA filed by March 15. To remain eligible in subsequent years, students must maintain 2.5 GPA.
Fr. Welch Alumni Scholarships: $1,000 per year
Parent is a St. Ambrose graduate
Catholic Traditions Scholarship: $1,000 per year
Students with Catholic religious denomination or plans to graduate from Catholic high school
Minority Scholarship: $500 per year
Ethnically diverse student
Athletic Scholarships: varies
Performance and ability
Fine Arts Scholarships: varies
Performance and ability in music, art and theatre
Student Leader Scholarship: $2,000 per year (more information here)
Involvement in select student clubs and organizations, additional application required by Dec. 31, 2022. Cannot be combined with athletics or fine arts scholarships.
Faith Learning Justice Scholarship: $2,000 per year (more information here)
Involvement in campus ministry, additional application required. Cannot be combined with athletics or fine arts scholarships.
IOWA RESIDENTS LIVING OFF CAMPUS
Iowa Resident Off Campus Merit-Based Scholarships
Academic Scholarships: $13,000-$16,000 per year
Based on unweighted GPA and test scores (optional)
University Grant: $11,000 per year
Based on unweighted GPA and test scores (optional)
Iowa Resident Off Campus Additional Institutional Scholarships
Ambrose Advantage Full-Tuition Scholarship (more information here)
Iowa resident, Pell Grant and Iowa Tuition Grant eligible, 2023 high school graduate, minimum unweighted 2.5 GPA, admitted and file FAFSA filed by March 15. To remain eligible in subsequent years, students must maintain 2.5 GPA.
Fr. Welch Alumni Scholarships: $500 per year
Parent is a St. Ambrose graduate
Catholic Traditions Scholarship: $1,000 per year
Students with Catholic religious denomination or plans to graduate from Catholic high school
Minority Scholarship: $500 per year
Ethnically diverse student
Athletic Scholarships: varies
Performance and ability
Fine Arts Scholarships: varies
Performance and ability in music, art and theatre
Student Leader Scholarship: $2,000 per year (more information here)
Involvement in select student clubs and organizations, additional application required by Dec. 31, 2022. Cannot be combined with athletics or fine arts scholarships.
Faith Learning Justice Scholarship: $2,000 per year (more information here)
Involvement in campus ministry, additional application required. Cannot be combined with athletics or fine arts scholarships.
OUT OF STATE RESIDENTS LIVING ON CAMPUS
Out of State On Campus Merit-Based Scholarships
Trustee Scholar: $25,000 per year
Unweighted 3.90 GPA and minimum 29 ACT or 1340 SAT score. Must maintain 3.25 cumulative GPA in successive years. Invited to compete for an Ambrose Scholar full-tuition award.
Academic Scholarships: $17,000-$23,000 per year
Criteria: based on unweighted GPA and test scores (optional)
University Grant: $13,000 per year
Based on unweighted GPA and test scores (optional)
Out of State On Campus Additional Institutional Aid
Fr. Welch Alumni Scholarships: $1,000 per year
Parent is a St. Ambrose graduate
Catholic Traditions Scholarship: $1,000 per year
Students with Catholic religious denomination or plans to graduate from Catholic high school
Minority Scholarship: $500 per year
Ethnically diverse student
Athletic Scholarships: varies
Performance and ability
Fine Arts Scholarships: varies
Performance and ability in music, art and theatre
Student Leader Scholarship: $2,000 per year (more information here)
Involvement in select student clubs and organizations, additional application required by Dec. 31, 2022. Cannot be combined with athletics or fine arts scholarships.
Faith Learning Justice Scholarship: $2,000 per year (more information here)
Involvement in campus ministry, additional application required. Cannot be combined with athletics or fine arts scholarships.
OUT OF STATE RESIDENTS LIVING OFF CAMPUS
Out of State Off Campus Merit-Based Scholarships
Academic Scholarships: $14,000-$17,000 per year
Criteria: based on unweighted GPA and test scores (optional)
University Grants: $13,000 per year
Based on unweighted test scores
Out of State Off Campus Additional Institutional Scholarships
Fr. Welch Alumni Scholarships: $500 per year
Parent is a St. Ambrose graduate
Catholic Traditions Scholarship: $1,000 per year
Students with Catholic religious denomination or plans to graduate from Catholic high school
Minority Scholarship: $500 per year
Ethnically diverse student
Athletic Scholarships: varies
Performance and ability
Fine Arts Scholarships: varies
Performance and ability in music, art and theatre
Student Leader Scholarship: $2,000 per year (more information here)
Involvement in select student clubs and organizations, additional application required by Dec. 31, 2022. Cannot be combined with athletics or fine arts scholarships.
Faith Learning Justice Scholarship: $2,000 per year (more information here)
Involvement in campus ministry, additional application required. Cannot be combined with athletics or fine arts scholarships.
Grants are money that you don't repay, and they can come from government or private sources. SAU receives all financial aid funds directly - including loans and grants - then applies them to your account: once in the fall term and once in the spring term. Grants can be used to cover your tuition, books, and housing costs. You must apply for grants each academic year. If you have any loan funds in excess of your costs, you may receive a refund. If you are a first-time borrower, there is a 30-day hold on your first disbursement. For all of these grants, you must complete the Free Application Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after October 1.
Iowa Tuition Grant
To be eligible for the Iowa Tuition Grant, you must be a resident of Iowa as defined by the State Board of Regents and currently enrolled or planning to enroll in an undergraduate degree program at an eligible Iowa college or university (SAU is eligible). Iowa College Aid administers need-based college financial aid for Iowans, such as the Iowa Tuition Grant. FAFSA deadline is July 1.
Award: $6,800
Federal Pell Grant
Awarded to students of the highest need based on how much your family can contribute to your education. The U.S. Department of Education sets a Expected Family Contribution (EFC) threshold. Then, when you file your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), it computes where you land within that threshold and determines if you qualify for the grant and for how much.
Award: $6,895 maximum
Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
To qualify, you must file a FAFSA by the priority deadline of March 15 and you must qualify for a Pell Grant. This grant is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to students who have submitted all required documents for review and in time for the review to be complete. If you are eligible for a Pell Grant or SEOG, the awards will appear on your financial aid award letter.
Award: $400 maximum
Federal Work Study
Must secrute campus employment.
Award: $2,560
Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant
Provides aid to students intending to teach in a high-need field at a school that serves low-income families (as determined by the U.S. Department of Education or a state education agency). Review criteria and all details here.
Award: up to $4,000
There are many opportunities to receive scholarships from outside sources, here are a few websites to begin researching your options:
- Fastweb
- College Board Scholarship Search
- Scholarships.com
- Peterson's Award Database
- Scholly (app download)
Another tip: Next time you're on campus, check out the bulletin board outside Student Financial Services where we post more flyers and applications for outside scholarships.
Our accounting majors are eligible for several special scholarships and financial aid – more than $40,000 in scholarships are awarded each year. Students must re-apply every academic year.
Click here to apply for one of the Accounting Scholarships below:
- Derrek Drexler Accounting Scholarship – available to full-time (at least 12 hours) accounting majors with at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Preference given to graduates of Wahlert Catholic High School (or any Catholic high school); college juniors or seniors; and those involved in student activities and/or Wellness and Recreation.
- Edward R. Frick Accounting Scholarship – available to full-time undergraduate and graduate accounting majors with at least a 3.25 GPA on a 4.0 scale. The scholarship is based on financial need with the preference that applicants be Hispanic and/or active in athletics and/or student activities.
- Shapley Accounting Scholarship – for graduate and undergraduates.
- George Till Scholarship – available to full-time students with at least a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. The Scholarship is based on financial need, academic ability, and varies from $500 to $4,000 per year.
- Van de Voorde Accounting Scholarship – available to accounting majors who have financial need.
- Wahl Accounting Scholarship – available to undergraduate accounting majors who have a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
There are also jobs and work study opportunities throughout campus. Work study will be indicated on your financial aid award letter, and you can apply for campus jobs through the Career Center. Keep in mind that 98% of First-Year students receive financial aid from St. Ambrose!
Nathan Funke '15, '16 MAcc
By his junior year, Nathan was aware of the formidable reputation of global furniture manufacturer HNI Corp. Curious and confident, he attended a SAU career fair and introduced himself. It led to a first, then second, internship with the company, and now, is home to his professional career. Nathan is a sales operations analyst for HON Finance Division, HNI Corporation.
Read Nathan's StoryNathan Funke
Bachelor of Arts in Accounting and Business Management '15; Master of Accounting,Sales Operations Analyst, HON Finance Division, HNI Corporation,Class of 2016
By his junior year, Nathan was aware of the formidable reputation of global furniture manufacturer HNI Corp. Curious and confident, he attended an SAU career fair and introduced himself. It led to a first, then second, internship with the company, and now, is home to his professional career. Nathan is a finance analyst for HON Finance Division, HNI Corporation.
Contact
Janene Finley, Chair
Accounting Department
McMullen Hall 217A
518 W. Locust St.
Davenport, IA 52803
563-333-6177
FinleyJaneneR@sau.edu