Accounting

Take control of your professional and financial future with a solid career in Accounting. You'll master the theoretical and practical skills necessary to pass the CPA, CMA and CIA exams — and be prepared for leadership roles in whichever financial field you choose

Classroom shot of students working

Ensure your professional and financial future

At Simmons University, you'll master the knowledge and skills needed to pass the CPA, CMA, or CIA exams. Our interdisciplinary curriculum means you will develop complementary skills in areas such as finance, business and communication.

Simmons' Accounting program is unique in that it is one of the few programs that enables students - with careful planning - to complete the educational requirements for the CPA license without the need for a Master's degree or additional tuition payments.

As one of the most active financial cities in the country, Boston offers myriad internships and career opportunities. Simmons' internship program offers exceptional benefits and flexibility. You choose from a variety of experience-for-pay internships ranging from a part-time 4-credit internship to a 16-credit, two-semester, full-time intense apprenticeship.

Whether your goal is to establish a private practice, run a large firm, or something in between, our AACSB-accredited program will help you get there. Our graduates find leadership roles in a variety of exciting career paths, including:

  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
  • Forensic Accountant
  • Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
  • Comptroller/Controller
  • Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Healthcare Accountant

Prerequisites for Accounting Majors

ECON100 Principles of Microeconomics 4
STAT118 Introductory Statistics 4

Required Core Courses

ACCT110 Financial Accounting 4
ACCT120 Managerial Accounting 4
BUS100 Introduction to Business and Management 4
BUS234 Organizational Communication & Behavior 4
BUS250 Principles of Marketing 4
BUS260 Financial Management 4
BUS325 Operations Management 4
BUS370A Internship and Career Strategies 2
BUS370B Learning From Internship Experience 2

Required Accounting Courses

ACCT200 Intermediate Accounting I 4
ACCT201 Intermediate Accounting II 4
ACCT207 Tax Accounting 4
ACCT301 Accounting Information Systems 4
ACCT308 Auditing and Assurance 4
ACCT325 Accounting and Business Ethics 2
BUS180 Business Law 4
 

Capstone

BUS340 Strategic Management 4

Electives

Suggested elective to strengthen students’ ability to pass the CPA exam:

ACCT220 Business Applications in Excel 2
ACCT371 Accounting Internship II 0
BUS214 International Business 4
BUS270 Business Analytics 4
ECON101 Principles of Macroeconomics 4

Required Courses

ACCT110 Financial Accounting 4
ACCT120 Managerial Accounting 4
ACCT200 Intermediate Accounting I 4
ACCT201 Intermediate Accounting II 4

Electives (select one):

ACCT205 Cost Accounting 4
ACCT301 Accounting Information Systems 4
ACCT308 Auditing and Assurance 4

You'll work with your advisor to tailor a program to your interests and career goals. Simmons offers many options for customizing your studies, including dual majors, accelerated programs and a wide variety of complementary minors.

Simmons also provides flexible options for students to become Certified Public Accountants (CPAs). Simmons meets the requirements for students to sit for the CPA exam, which includes a bachelor's degree with at least 21 credits in accounting and nine credits in business. Simmons is also exploring options for students to become licensed CPA's in Massachusetts, which, along with the CPA exam, requires 150 credit hours. These options may include a post-graduate certificate.

Reach out to Ray Pfeiffer, Professor of Accounting if you have any questions.

Students will have access to a broad array of internships ranging from Big Four accounting firms to regional mid-sized firms as well as a variety of corporate, non-profit and health care settings. All Simmons accounting faculty teaching are professionally qualified or doctoral-prepared in the field and have wide experience and contacts in the accounting industry.

Headshot of Katherine Reidl

Student Story

I'm an accounting major, and I’m always looking for ways to connect my accounting work to my passion for live music.

Spotlight on Accounting Students and Alums

Participants at the 2024 Simmons Leadership Conference

Creating Impact at the 45th Annual Simmons Leadership Conference

The 2024 conference featured a roster of speakers exploring this year’s theme of “Creating Impact” in their personal and professional lives, and how those efforts ripple out to the people and communities around them.


Stephanie Wladkowski ’14PhD

Breaking Ground with Qualitative Research in Hospice Care

Stephanie Wladkowski ’14PhD was a clinical social worker in hospice care when policy changes impacted her clinical practice. In a search for answers, Wladkowski began her PhD in Social Work at Simmons. Her dissertation, “Dementia Caregivers and Live Discharge from Hospice: What Happens When Hospice Leaves?,” has inspired further research in the field.


Studio portrait of Professor Bob White, photograph by Jerry Russo.

Professor of Communications Bob White Featured in Oral History Collection of Artists During COVID-19

During the COVID-19 lockdown (2020–2021), local photographer and filmmaker Jerry Russo interviewed hundreds of artists about their experiences of isolation, including Professor of Communications Bob White. The University of Massachusetts Amherst has since archived this oral history collection.


Nathan Brewer ’10MSW ’18PhD

Nathan Brewer ’10MSW ’18PhD on Protecting College Students

Nathan Brewer ’10MSW ’18PhD is Director of the Sexual Assault Response & Prevention Center (SARP) at Boston University (BU). After receiving his Master’s in Social Work from Simmons, he returned to the University to pursue his PhD in Social Work alongside his clinical practice. We spoke to Brewer about his experience in the program, and his current work at Boston University.


Samantha Normilus ’19BSN, ’26MSN

Nursing Student Receives Excellence in Nursing Practice Award from New England Regional Black Nurses Association

Samantha Normilus ’19BSN, ’26MSN has received the Excellent in Nursing Practice Award from the New England Regional Black Nurses Association, Inc. (NERBNA). A Dana-Farber Cancer Institute nurse who is pursuing the online MSN-FNP program at Simmons, Normilus spoke with us about being a NERBNA awardee, the rewards of oncology nursing, and the supportive community she found at Simmons.


Andrea London and Jessica London-Rand '04MSA run in the 2023 Boston Marathon.

Andrea London and Jessica London-Rand ’04MSW Ran the Boston Marathon to Memorialize Their Father

Knowing how significant running was to Professor Stephen London (1942–2022), his daughters Andrea London and Jessica London-Rand ’04MSW ran the 2023 Boston Marathon to honor his legacy, and continue to fundraise in his name. We spoke with them about their...


Calla Savelson '24

Discovering Purpose and Community through Art, Service, and Song

Arts Administration major Calla Savelson ’24 shares how she gained professional experience and build a community for herself during her time at Simmons.


Pride Flag flying with MA state flag in front of Simmons MCB

Professor Gary Bailey Receives Lifetime Achievement Award from Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth

According to the Mass.gov press release, this event “was a testament to the unwavering commitment of all involved to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for young people of all gender identities and sexual orientations.”