Accountancy and Management Information Systems

Accounting Studies

The Accounting Studies program is a non-degree undergraduate program available to students who have already earned at least a bachelor's degree equivalent and are looking to complete the educational requirements necessary to qualify for the CPA exam. The Accounting Studies Program is a course of study designed to provide individuals with entry-level capabilities and fulfillment of the accounting component of current Illinois CPA education requirements. The program is convenient, flexible and cost effective; it provides sequenced coursework adequate in breadth and scope to provide professional accounting competencies; and it offers students a wide range of support services appropriate for their goals. Students that have not completed a bachelor's degree in business should visit the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business to learn about graduate programs in business and accounting.

Illinois Board of Examiners

Frequently Asked Questions: Apply to the CPA Exam

CPA Exam: Content Specification Outlines

CPA Exam Sample Test

Illinois Educational Requirements

To be admitted to take the examination for the first time, a candidate for the Illinois CPA examination must have successfully completed at least 150 semester hours of acceptable credit including a baccalaureate or higher degree. Candidates may qualify under one of the four conditions below. For official details, see the Illinois Educational Requirements.

  1. Earned a graduate degree with a concentration in accounting. This does not include an MBA degree with a concentration in accounting. The concentration degree must be a Master of Science in Accountancy or a Master of Accountancy. Select Graduate Programs on the left side for more information.
  2. Earned a graduate degree and completed at least 24 semester hours in accounting at the undergraduate level or 15 semester hours at the graduate level or equivalent combination thereof, including courses covering the subjects of financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and management accounting.
  3. Earned a baccalaureate degree in business and completed 24 semester hours in accounting at the undergraduate or graduate level, including courses covering the subjects of financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and management accounting; and completed at least 24 semester hours of business courses, or substantially equivalent (other than accounting) courses, at the undergraduate or graduate level.
  4. Earned a baccalaureate or higher degree, including at least 24 semester hours of accounting at the undergraduate and/or graduate level with at least one course each in financial accounting, auditing, taxation, and management accounting and at least 24 semester hours in business courses or substantially equivalent (other than accounting) courses at the undergraduate or graduate level.

Transcript Evaluation Notes

  • DePaul University does not provide evaluation services for students applying to take the CPA exam. Candidates should request an evaluation of their academic credentials prior to submitting the application to take the CPA exam. The candidate will receive an evaluation letter stating eligibility to test or what deficiencies should be completed. The academic credentials evaluation fee is kept for three years without requiring another fee. Visit the Illinois Board of Examiners website for the appropriate form.
  • Graduate students that have not yet completed a graduate degree will be considered bachelor's degree candidates, and graduate courses will count for undergraduate hours until the graduate degree has been completed.
  • Transcripts from every school attended must be sent to the Illinois Board of Examiners. Transfer courses posted to a transcript are not counted.
  • The DePaul CPA Review program may earn candidates up to 8 semester credit hours toward the 150 semester hour requirement.

Credit Conversions

  • Semester hours → Quarter hours: Multiply the semester hours by 1.5.
  • Quarter hours → Semester hours: Multiply the quarter hours by 2/3.
  • Graduate Semester hours → Undergraduate Semester hours: Multiply by 24/15.
  • Graduate Quarter hours → Undergraduate Quarter hours: Multiply by 36/22.5.

CPA Curriculum

Click here: Accounting Studies Course Flowchart

  • The following accounting courses may be taken to fulfill at least 24 semester hours in accounting coursework.
  • Each DePaul course is equivalent to 2.67 semester (4.0 quarter) credit hours.
  • DePaul University does not provide evaluation services for students applying to take the CPA exam. The undergraduate transfer course site may be used as an informal guide to course equivalencies; however, the Illinois Board of Examiners maintains the final evaluation results of all candidates.

Financial Accounting

  • ACC 101 Introduction to Accounting I: Provides an introduction to financial accounting as the means of recording, storing and summarizing economic events of the business enterprise to meet external reporting needs. Emphasis is placed on the preparation and analysis of financial statements and other financial reports to the public based on the accounting equation, accrual accounting concepts, and data gathering techniques. Topics include corporate accounting for current and longterm assets and current liabilities, and the corporate income statement. 
  • ACC 102 Introduction to Accounting II: A companion and sequel course to Accounting 101, continues to explore basic accounting fundamentals and concepts. The course provides an introduction to managerial accounting and internal reporting. Topics include financial accounting for long-term liabilities, the components of stockholders equity, the statement of cash flows, financial statement analysis, budgeting and variance analysis, job costing for the service sector and cost analysis for decision-making.
  • ACC 304 Financial Reporting I: Includes a study of U.S. and international accounting standards, the concepts of accounting and basic financial statements.  Accounting for cash, receivables, inventories, depreciable assets and current liabilities will also be examined.
  • ACC 305 Financial Reporting II: Focuses on researching accounting issues, revenue recognition and financial statement analysis. The course also provides an understanding of complex issues such as accounting for investments, long term liabilities, derivatives, contributed capital, retained earnings and earnings per share. 
  • ACC 306 Financial Reporting III: The third course in the financial accounting sequence, this course studies deferred taxes, pensions and other post-retirement benefits, leases, accounting changes and error analysis, statement of cashflows (advanced), and full disclosure, if time permits.  Selected spreadsheet applications will be introduced through homework assignments.
  • ACC 308 Advanced Financial Accounting: Focuses on accounting for multi-corporate entities and acquisitions, accounting for state and local governments, accounting for non-profit organizations, foreign operations, partnership accounting, and segment reporting. Selected spreadsheet applications will be introduced through homework assignments. 

Managerial Accounting

  • ACC 303 Managerial Accounting: Provides a thorough grounding in manufacturing accounting, cost allocation techniques, and the evaluation of management control systems. Students will examine manufacturing cost systems including job order costing, process costing, and activity-based costing. Tools for management control systems will be covered to enable the student to evaluate and compare various systems. 

Auditing

  • ACC 372 Audit and Other Assurance Services I: Provides a conceptual introduction to the nature and value of assurance services. The course examines the organization of the accounting profession, Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS), professional ethics, and legal responsibilities including U.S. Securities laws. It focuses on financial audits by external auditors, including planning and acceptance, internal control, evidence, and reporting. 
  • ACC 374 Audit and Other Assurance Services II: A companion and sequel to Accounting 372, emphasizes the implementation and application of generally accepted auditing standards to transaction cycles and classes of transactions.  It includes the study of sampling techniques used in tests of controls and tests of details, internal control in computer-based systems, and introduces the use of Computer Assisted Audit Tools and Techniques.  The role of internal auditors is also covered.

Taxation

  • ACC 380 Tax Treatment of Individuals and Property Transactions: Covers the basic provisions of the Internal Revenue Code as they relate to the taxation of individuals.  It focuses on concepts of gross income, exclusions, deductions, exemptions, and credits, as well as property transactions.
  • ACC 383 Tax Treatment of Corporations and Partnerships: A continuation of Accounting 380.  The course covers the tax aspects of corporations and partnerships, including formation, operations, and distributions, as well as specially taxed corporations and an introduction to estate and gift taxation.

Application and Registration

Step 1. Application

  • Visit www.depaul.edu/apply and complete the online application for Undergraduate → Non-degree → College of Commerce → Accounting Studies. An official copy of your undergraduate bachelor's degree transcript is required for admission.
  • Application Deadlines: Autumn Quarter - August 1; Winter Quarter - November 1; Spring Quarter - March 1; Summer Quarter - May 1
  • If you miss an application deadline, contact the School of Accountancy and MIS for assistance.

Step 2: Registration

  • To search the class schedule, visit Campus Connection. If you do not have a User ID and Password, click Guest, please click here. Once logged in, click Search for Classes on the left sidebar to view upcoming class schedules.
  • To begin enrolling, log in to Campus Connection. Select For Students →  Student Center →  Enroll. For a tutorial of registration, visit DePaul Central. If registration has not yet begun, view My Enrollment Appointment.
  • Students in Accounting Studies are not bound to prerequisites during registration. You may freely enroll in any accounting courses.
  • To ensure that you obtain a seat in your desired course(s), please observe your registration time each quarter and verify that your preferred e-mail address is entered under 'Demographic Portfolio.'
  • If a class is closed, use the waitlist feature to add yourself to the pending registration list in campus Connection. This list will be reviewed one week prior to the first week of classes to assess demand and possible enrollment beyond the set capacity. Read more about waitlists and auto-enrollment.

Step 3: Additional Information

  • Location & Times: All courses meet at the Loop campus and are regularly offered in day and evening sections all year, including Summer quarter.
  • Academic Calendar: View start/end dates, add/drop dates, final exams, etc.
  • Student Accounts: View the tuition schedule, payment deadlines, and payment methods. Students enrolled in two courses are billed per credit hour. Students enrolled in more than two courses will be billed at the full-time tuition rate (annual tuition package divided by three quarters).
  • Financial Aid: Financial assistance through government or DePaul-based loans, grants, or scholarships are not available to non-degree seeking students.

Contact Us

School of Accountancy and Management Information Systems
1 East Jackson Boulevard
Chicago, Illinois 60604-2287
Phone: 312/362-8770
Fax: 312/362-6208
E-mail: accountancy@depaul.edu