Department of Accounting

Information for New Accounting Majors

We are excited that you chose accounting as your major. A degree in accounting offers many careers paths and an excellent starting salary once you graduate.

To be accepted as an accounting major, you need a "B" average in your Introductory Financial Accounting and Introductory Managerial Accounting Courses. If you do not maintain a "B" average, but have at least a "C" in each of those classes, you may take the Accounting Qualifying Examination (AQE) to gain acceptance into the major. All transfer students must take the AQE or repeat Financial and Managerial Accouting here at UIC.

Registration for the AQE can be done through the Accounting website. This is a placement exam for new Accounting majors. The exam is gven by Testing Services in the Student Services Building and a fee will be charged to your sudent account for taking the exam. Please note that you may only take each part of the exam once. If you have any questions on the exam please contact the Accounting Department at 312-996-2650.

If you think you will meet the "B" average requirement or pass the AQE, we encourage you to register for your first accounting courses in the major as soon as possible.

We recommend that students starting the accounting major program take Accounting 474 and Accounting 315 first. These classes are meant to be taken together. If there is a schedule conflict you may want to substitute Accounting 326 for one of the above listed courses

You will not be able to register for Accounting 315 through the regular university class registration process unless the department gives approval. You can sign up for 315 only through the department of accounting Web site. After verifying the information you submit, the department will check your prerequisites, send you an e-mail and give the department's approval for you to take this course. Then, using the Web-based UI-Integrate Self-Service system, you must register yourself for this class. For all the other courses you can register directly using UI-Integrate Self-Service system.

You should also consider taking Accounting 355 Business Law I as an early accounting elective. This can be done through the normal university registration process along with your other non-accounting classes.

You will soon be assigned a faculty adviser who will guide you through the program. In the future, you cannot register for courses unless you see and talk to your adviser. Please watch for announcements in the eighth week of each term via e-mail for advising appointments.

To receive your accounting degree you must obtain:

  • Grade of at least a "C" in Accounting 315 and Accounting 326
  • "C" average in your accounting classes
  • "C" average overall

If you do not get a "C" in Accounting 315 and Accounting 326, you may repeat each course only once. For this reason if you are considering summer school and have not yet entered the major, plan wisely. You must understand that courses in the accounting major require a serious time commitment. The pace of summer school is twice as fast as the fall and spring semesters but the same material is covered.

If you are planning to become a Certified Public Accountant, the State of Illinois requires 150 hours of education. Many students achieve this goal by going to graduate school to obtain their Masters in Accounting. This will enable you to take the CPA exam and become better prepared for your profession. You can also take additional classes without joining the MSA program, boosting your hours to 150.

To gain acceptance to a graduate program, you must maintain a minimum "B" average. Further, most leading accounting firms look for at least a "B" average when deciding whom to interview. Not only will your grades be used to determine your acceptance to graduate school but may also get you your first job.

We recommend that accounting majors work no more than 10 hours per week with a full load of courses. Schoolwork should be your first priority. If you need to work, we recommend taking a reduced course load. You may also want to consider seeking financial aid.

We also recommend taking an active part in student societies such as the Accounting Club, Beta Alpha Psi and NABA to further your professional skills and contacts.

On behalf of the accounting department we are excited to begin your education in the major and can't wait to help you develop your skills. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask.