CPA Licensure

Candidates must pass the CPA exam and complete 150 semester hours of education to obtain licensure. TCNJ offers students two pathways to acquire the required 150 credits for CPA credentials:

1. pursue a minor or electives to round out their program at the undergraduate level
2. pursue an expedited Master’s in the 4+1 program

For those applying for the CPA Exam, please note the pertinent information below:

• Program title:  BS in Accountancy (130 credit hours program)
• Program number (CIP code number): 520301

Financial Services and Corporate Accounting

Students seeking to specialize in financial sector audits or accounting positions at financial services firms and industrial corporations are encouraged to pursue a minor in finance in addition to a major in accounting. TCNJ graduates with a strong accounting and business valuation background are highly sought-after hires in this sector.

Continuous Career Development

Newly declared accounting majors attend Introduction to the Accounting Profession, a semester-long colloquium surveying the world of accounting and featuring visits from accomplished professionals representing Big 4, national, and regional accounting firms as well as industrial and financial services firms.

As sophomores, students take a for-credit course in career planning for accountants. The course features visits with recruiters and professionals and weekly workshops on résumé development, networking, interviewing skills, and ethics in the accounting workplace. The course helps to prepare students for internships, usually in the junior or senior year. Accounting students are also encouraged to participate in regional and national conferences, with travel expenses supported by TCNJ.

In a senior capstone experience, students take research- and writing-intensive course that blends liberal learning principles—like critical thinking and analysis—with professional accounting practice. Discussion-based and student-driven, the course transfers primary responsibility for learning from the professor to the student, mirroring the initiative and responsibility expected of the accounting professional in the workplace or graduate school.

High-Profile Internships

More than 70 percent of our accounting majors complete internships, many of which are well-paid and often lead to entry-level jobs with Big 4 accounting firms, Fortune 500 companies, and top-tier financial institutions.

Careers

Our graduates enjoy a wide range of career opportunities, working in public accounting firms, all government sectors, and across private industry. Many of their careers began thanks to TCNJ’s on-campus recruiting events, which all Big 4 public accounting firms, many medium- and small-sized firms, and a large number of private companies attend. Our program is an excellent preparation for advanced study. Graduates have earned law degrees from such prestigious schools as Harvard and Georgetown, most commonly specializing in tax law. Others have pursued academic careers through doctoral study at Rutgers, Villanova, and Temple, among others.

Possible Career Paths

• Public accountant: Conduct financial audits and provide tax and advisory services.
• Corporate accountant: Manage financial records, analyze data, and contribute to business decisions.
• Forensic accountant: Investigate financial fraud and irregularities.
• Government accountant: Serve in federal, state, or local agencies.
• Nonprofit accountant: Support organizations with financial reporting and compliance.

Top Employers
Bank of America, CohenReznik, Deloitte, Dow Jones, Eisner Amper, EY, IRS, KPMG, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorganChase, Mercadien, Merrill Lynch, OCC, PwC

Community Engaged Learning

Our students apply classroom concepts to real-world practice — while providing valuable services to the community — through both volunteer and course-based projects. Students in the cost accounting class, for example, worked with local youth to develop viable micro-businesses, while students in the managerial accounting class helped a nonprofit organization determine the costs associated with renovating a commercial building for various community uses. Our students also donate their time and expertise to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, assisting low-income taxpayers while gaining experience in preparing tax returns.

Close Student Community

Accounting students move through the program as a cohort, sharing the same classes and the same professors throughout a structured, four-year curriculum. This makes for a student community that is remarkably close-knit and supportive of one another. They further strengthen this bond through active student organizations:

Institute of Management Accountants Student Chapter provides opportunities for students to visit with professionals, interact with professors in non-academic settings, and share social and business-oriented events.

Beta Alpha Psi, the national accounting and finance honor society, provides service and self-development opportunities while building relationships between student members and practicing professionals.

National Association of Black Accountants supports students underrepresented in business fields, enhancing their career potential and connecting them with peer and professional networks.

Alumni Testimonials

“I just wanted to let you know that I passed all 4 sections of the CPA exam! I scored a 98 on Audit, 92 on BEC, 89 on REG, and a 95 on FAR. Thank you so much for being such a great professor; it made a huge difference when I went to study because you had already taught us all of the cost accounting information on BEC. Some of the problems on the exam were easier than on your exams! I really appreciate the hard work you put into teaching us. I hope you have a great rest of the year!” – Angela Ciallella ’16

“I wanted to reach out to let you know I just received the news last night that I passed the last part of the CPA Exam. Thankfully, I passed them all in one shot. I hope you can share this news with the rest of the accounting staff as I am beyond grateful for all of the amazing classes and instructors I had throughout my years at TCNJ. I felt like many of the concepts I came across while studying for the exam were just a review of the topics that I was taught in college. I hope you and all of the wonderful accounting professors will continue to challenge the current and incoming accounting students and give them the foundation to excel and strive in all of their endeavors as you all did for me.

P.S. I scored highest on BEC with a 94 most likely due to those tedious variance analysis worksheets that we did in class. Those were definitely the worst (but best!). Thank you and all of the staff again for everything over the years.” – Matt DeGenova ’19

“The TCNJ accounting program has lived up to its standard of one of the best accounting programs in the entire country. The job placement is exceptional and the foundation created to be a successful CPA candidate is unmatched. The highly qualified professors have carefully crafted the curriculum to cover the biggest and most important accounting topics covered on each of the four parts of the CPA exam. With the program’s high expectations, you will be fully equipped to have a successful career in any public or private accounting position!” – Andrew Dyer ’20

“I just wanted to share the good news that I officially passed all parts of the CPA exam a few weeks ago. I started studying in June and received my final score in February, putting the timeframe at a little less than 8 months. I say this because I owe my successes to you and the TCNJ accounting program. I believe the program gave me the foundations in both accounting and stamina that I needed to pass the exam, and I’m sure my peers would say the same.” – Annalise Suitovsky ’20

“The TCNJ Accountancy program truly does an amazing job at preparing students for the CPA exam. I know it will continue to do that in the future. I’m very honored to now join many CPAs who’ve gone through this degree program.” – Nathaniel Bargad ’19

Transfer Credit Policy

Students who enroll in the accounting degree program must take all required accounting courses at TCNJ. Alternate arrangements for a course may only be allowed if studying abroad and with written pre-approval from the department. Accounting courses taken at another institution without department pre-approval will not be substituted for TCNJ accounting courses and will not count toward the degree.

ACC 498: Senior Accounting Capstone

By definition, this course is a culminating experience. It will be taken in the last semester: spring for students graduating in May and fall for students graduating in December. It is integral to the purpose of the course that students complete sufficient accounting credits to maximize the learning experience; therefore, students must plan for this course according to their graduating semester.

Course Sequence

The combination of a strong curriculum and talented students has earned TCNJ’s accounting program a reputation as one of the best in the nation. Building on the school’s required business core, the program consists of 10 accounting courses that integrate the study of the theory and current practice of accounting with research and computer applications. Classes are taught by full-time faculty who are active researchers and experts in specialized accounting fields, including auditing, cost, financial accounting, information systems, forensic accounting, and tax. Opportunities are available to collaborate with faculty on research projects, and students are encouraged to study abroad.

The TCNJ accounting program has a strong track record of successfully preparing students for employment in the public, corporate, not-for-profit, and government accounting sectors. The program also provides a pathway for those interested in licensure as a certified public accountant (CPA).

• Check Sheets and Suggested Four-Year Sequences