Accounting| Major

Bachelor's of Science in Accounting from LEC

Students studying accounting at LEC learn how to use critical thinking to interpret financial information and plan for the future. Students will be able to use their accounting degree to navigate an everchanging business environment long after they graduate.

The accounting degree program from LEC features hands-on educational experiences that are designed to accelerate the development of today's student to tomorrow's business leader. These experiences come in the form of intensive collaborative projects, internships, and case studies.

About the Accounting Program

Getting a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting provides students with a few different opportunities. Lake Erie College's small class size allows all students to get individualized, one-on-one attention from professors and advisors. This allows the student to receive personalized guidance, tutoring, and help figuring out what their path after college looks like.

The accounting program at LEC offers students various opportunities to get hands-on experience and shine throughout their educational journey. These experiences include Lake Erie College's Tax Clinic Course and Personalized Networking Opportunities.

Taxes & Culture Clinic

In the spring semester, students enrolled in one of the Taxes & Culture Clinic courses will learn how to prepare taxes by hand. Learning how to prepare taxes this way gives students a more thorough understanding of how the income tax system works.

In the second half of the course, the accounting program allows the Taxes and Culture Clinic students go out into the community and help lower-income taxpayers of the Painesville and Lake County community complete their income tax responsibilities by completing their federal, state and local income tax returns. This gives accounting students the hands-on experience of helping clients and filing taxes for someone else.

Personalized Networking Opportunities

With the small class size, Lake Erie College accounting professors and faculty advisors are able to give individualized attention to students. Accounting Professor Julie Ziemak works with each students to find their strengths and pair them with internship and job opportunities that match what they want in their career.

In turn, many LEC Accounting Alumni reach out to Professor Ziemak after they graduate to fill open positions. Students are recommended for these open positions based on their background and interests. This hands-on matching students with opportunities fosters a great relationship between Lake Erie College, contributing heavily to every accounting student graduating with an internship.

The accounting program has set the pace for my entire career

What makes the accounting program unique at Lake Erie College is who is involved in it and the connections with outside companies... When you show that you are willing to put in the effort, these connections will start appearing to you. I have been blessed with internships with Zappitelli Financial Services, Parker Hannifin, and BDO. Getting experiences with these local and international companies has been a fantastic start to my career.

Jarrod Teeter

What Can You Do With A Bachelors in Accounting

Students who pursue an accounting degree often go into two different fields:

Private Accounting, working directly for a corporation with multiple opportunities including but not limited to:

• Analyzing company finances.

• Creating monthly corporate and divisional budgets.

• Determining risks and drafting forecasting reports.

• Following financial regulations, laws and policies.

Certified Public Accountant, or CPA. Students seeking to become a CPA will become licensed and get preparation for the exam through LEC. Once licensed, students will have the opportunity to work directly for a public accounting firm with multiple opportunities including but not limited to:

• Producing thorough audits

• Preparing accurate tax returns

• Completing detailed financial management reports

Of the 19 accounting students who graduated in May of 2021, all 19 held internships and 15 became employed full-time. Ten students went on to grad school at LEC and surrounding Ohio colleges. Students went on to work at companies like:

• Parker Hannifin

• BDO (CPA Firm)

• Zappitelli Financial Services (ZFS)

• Hobe & Lucas (CPA Firm)

• REA Associates

• Airgas

Accounting Degree Requirements

Students pursuing a bachelors in accounting are required to take 56 semester credits, including:

• AC 101 Accounting Principles I (3 SH)

• AC 102 Accounting Principles II (3 SH)

• AC 301 Intermediate Accounting I (4 SH)

• AC 302 Intermediate Accounting II (3 SH)

• AC 490 Senior Seminar in Accounting (3 SH)

• CI 341 Management Information Systems (3 SH)

• CJ 315 Business Law I (3 SH)

• EC 201 Principles of Macroeconomics (3 SH)

• EC 202 Principles of Microeconomics (3 SH)

• FN 320 Corporation Finance (3 SH)

• MK 203 Marketing Principles (3 SH)

• MN 200 Introduction to Management (3 SH)

• MN 215 Business Statistics (3 SH)

• MN 216 Applied Decision Models (3 SH)

The accounting degree also requires 12 semester credits from the following Accounting Group 1 classes:

• AC 170-79 / 270-79 / 370-79 Special Topics in Accounting (2-4 SH)

• AC 210 Forensic Accounting (3 SH)

• AC 250 / 350 Internship in Accounting (2-4 SH)

• AC 303 Taxes & Culture Clinic I (2 or 3 SH)

• AC 308 Federal Income Taxes I (3 SH)

• AC 309 Federal Income Taxes II (3 SH)

• AC 322 Cost Accounting (3 SH)

• AC 403 Auditing (3 SH)

• AC 406 Taxes & Culture Clinic II (2 SH)

• AC 416 Advanced Accounting (3 SH)

Internships in Accounting

Internships in a wide variety of fields enable students to integrate and apply their learning while opening the door to potential career opportunities. With an intense focus on our students' personal, intellectual and professional development, Lake Erie College affords students an opportunity to truly bridge the gap between learning and doing. Employers recognize that Lake Erie College business graduates are prepared to hit the ground running, bringing strong analytical and communication skills, a practical, teamwork orientation and an inclination toward reliability and personal initiative in the workplace.

Forensic Accounting Concentration

Forensic Accounting is the integration of accounting, auditing and investigative skills, providing an analysis of financial affairs suitable for a court to discuss, debate and ultimately resolve disputes. Fraud and Forensic Accounting is a growing area of specialization for professional accountants and other professionals in related fields such as law, criminology, sociology, psychology, intelligence, computer forensics and other forensic sciences. Public and private corporations, accounting firms, law enforcement agencies, government and not-for-profit entities all have experienced the need to develop programs to reduce inefficiencies, waste, abuse and fraud including the need to provide or utilize the expertise of fraud and forensic accounting specialists.

Requirements for the Concentration:

Forensic Accounting Students are required to take 15 Semester Credits Including:

• AC 210 Forensic Accounting (3 SH)

• AC 403 Auditing (3 SH)

and Forensic Accounting Group 1 - nine semester credits from the following:

• CJ 101 Introduction to Criminal Justice (3 SH)

• CJ 220 Criminal Law and Procedure (3 SH)

• CJ 230 Investigative Techniques (3 SH)