Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics

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The mission of the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics is to develop ethical, effective practitioners and scholars in the related disciplines of accounting, finance and economics.

Distinctives of the Accounting Program

The accounting program was one of the first programs accredited for accounting by the Accreditation Council for Collegiate Business Schools and Programs. The accounting program is recognized for its academic excellence and preparation of students for successful careers in the accounting profession. The accounting program has experienced a 100 percent placement rate for accounting graduates over many years and has a proven track record of preparing students for the CPA Examination.

The accounting program offers several attractive options in accounting education:

• An undergraduate accounting major which includes: BBA core requirements covering a broad spectrum of business courses, a set of five required courses and 2 electives that can include course work in:

      • Data Science

      • Finance

      • Law and Politics

• An 18-hour Certificate of Accountancy Program (CAP) designed for students with a bachelor’s degree who did not major in accounting but aspire to become eligible to sit for the CPA Examination

• A 12-hour Graduate Certificate in Professional Accountancy, which can be conveniently combined with the undergraduate CAP certificate to obtain 30 hours of accounting

• A 30-hour Master of Accountancy degree (MAcc)

• An Integrated Accounting Seminar (Accounting Boot Camp) for MAcc candidates who were not accounting majors

Majors in accounting are required to have an accounting internship to further integrate the academic and experiential areas of accounting.

Our accounting faculty has extensive experience in the professional practice of accounting, auditing and tax planning and are able to translate this experience into practical classroom applications.

Activities and Organizations

• Annual Meet the Firm Night. Students network with employers about career opportunities.
• Internships/Part-time jobs. Students are required to participate in the internship program where positions are available with large to medium-size public accounting firms, publicly-traded corporations and other organizations. Internships provide students with opportunities to work in a professional environment while earning academic credit. Most accounting internships provide excellent compensation. Also, Middle Tennessee offers excellent opportunities for non-credit part-time work in accounting and business.
• Swang Society. Serves all students interested in the fields of accounting and finance, and provides opportunities for both professional and social networking with potential employers and College of Business faculty.
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program. The accounting program works with the Internal Revenue Service in a joint program, known as the VITA program, providing tax return preparation services for low income families and the elderly. This program very successfully integrates the practice of accounting with service to the community.
• Alpha Kappa Psi. Lipscomb’s only national co-ed business fraternity.
• Student Center for the Public Trust. Lipscomb University is home to the inaugural Student Center for the Public Trust chapter, created in 2009 by the NASBA Center for the Public Trust, to focus on educating and engaging future business leaders in the areas of ethics, accountability and integrity.
• Aspire Fellows Honors program.  This year-long program helps top business majors bridge academic and career worlds. Because of current Covid-19 restrictions on travel, the ASPIRE Program is not available during the 2021-22 school year. 
• Honors program.  The College of Business supports students in the Honors college with special sections of core business classes, trips to meet business leaders and tours.  

Career Opportunities - Accounting

• Public accounting
• Internal auditing
• Managerial accounting
• Government and nonprofit accounting
• Law school

Lipscomb’s Accounting Program and the CPA Examination

The Tennessee State Board of Accountancy requires candidates for the CPA license to pass all four parts of the Uniform CPA exam and complete 150 hours of education, with specific requirements in both accounting (30 hours) and business (24 hours). 

In order to prepare our students for the CPA examination, Lipscomb University offers the following options:

1. Obtain the B.B.A. and M.Acc. degrees. This option provides both an undergraduate degree with a business major and a Master of Accountancy degree in 150 total hours of course work.
2. Obtain the B.B.A. and M.B.A. degrees. This option provides both an undergraduate degree with a major in accounting and a Master of Business Administration degree with a maximum of 10 hours in accounting and finance.
3. Obtain the undergraduate Certificate in Accountancy and the graduate Certificate in Professional Accountancy. Together, the 18-hour undergraduate Certificate in Accountancy and the 12-hour graduate Certificate in Professional Accountancy provide for a total of 30 accounting hours. These hours will be combined with the student’s existing hours for a total of 150 hours.

For students not pursuing the CPA credential, the B.B.A. degree with a major in accounting is available by taking the prescribed coursework provided under the accounting major details below.

Distinctives of the Finance and Economics Program

Lipscomb offers a BBA in Finance.  The program includes a set of five required courses and two electives.  Students can select electives in corporate finance and personal financial planning.

Tennessee Valley Authority Investment Challenge

Students enrolled in FI 4813 Investment Fund Management  participate in the TVA Investment Challenge, an annual competition among 24 student teams at 25 schools in the TVA region. Each team manages an all-equity portfolio of approximately $500,000. 

Other Events and Programs

• Annual Career and Networking Event. Students can network with employers at this event and learn more about career opportunities.
• Internships. Students are required to participate in a finance internship program with excellent opportunities being available in Middle Tennessee and other locations.
• Swang Society. Serves all students interested in the fields of accounting and finance, and provides opportunities for both professional and social networking with potential employers and business faculty.
• Student Center for the Public Trust. Lipscomb University is home to the inaugural Student Center for the Public Trust chapter, created in 2009 by the NASBA Center for the Public Trust, to focus on education and engaging future business leaders on ethics, accountability and integrity.
• Aspire Fellows Honors program.  This year-long program helps top business majors bridge academic and career worlds. Because of current Covid-19 restrictions on travel, the ASPIRE Program is not available during the 2021-22 school year. 
• Honors program.  The College of Business supports students in the Honors college with special sections of core business classes, trips to meet business leaders and tours.  

Career Opportunities

• Commercial banking
• Investment banking
• Asset management
• Real estate investment
• Personal financial planning
• Corporate financial management
• Law school

Program of Study Requirements

• Accounting, B.B.A.
• Finance Major, B.B.A.

• Accounting Minor
• Finance Minor

• Certificate in Accountancy Program (CAP)

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