Accounting, B.S. Business Administration

Do you have the tendency to apply logic and order to numbers and processes? Have you ever been described as someone with excellent organizational skills and a keen eye for detail? Does the potential of helping organizations succeed and achieve their goals excite you? If so, a degree in accounting can lead to a fulfilling and meaningful career.

Accounting has often been described as the language or foundation of business. By pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from PLNU, you can uncover, hone, and apply your natural problem-solving and decision-making skills — turning them into meaningful work. Classes in financial and managerial accounting, taxation, auditing, strategy, and more will prepare you to implement your knowledge and skill-set to a diversity of fields and industries.

With a high emphasis on experiential learning and application, networking opportunities through clubs like the Student Accounting Society or personalized internships will help develop your professional skills and connect you to future jobs in the accounting field.

Student Profile

Nate Wanken

Nate Wanken leads a team of professionals as a Senior Audit Associate for KPMG LLP, one of the big four accounting firms worldwide.

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Finally, PLNU prepares you for the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) examination by providing the technical accounting knowledge to be successful, while also shaping you to be a leader of purpose and influence beyond your studies. PLNU’s accounting program has consistently been ranked in the top three for the CPA exam in either passing rate or average score for four of the last five years in California.

Master of Science in Accounting Opportunity

Beginning Fall 2023, PLNU students interested in obtaining CPA licensure will have the opportunity to obtain a dual Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Accounting by adding one additional summer of coursework. Only PLNU undergraduate students who complete their degree at PLNU are eligible to enroll in the Master of Science in Accounting program at PLNU.

Students who apply as a traditional undergraduate student do not need to apply for the Masters in Accounting. You will talk to your faculty advisor when you begin your Junior year at PLNU.

Professional Licensure or Certification

This program complies with the California Board of Accountancy educational requirements for CPA Licensure in the state of California, where Point Loma Nazarene University is physically located. PLNU cannot confirm whether or not specific programs meet out-of-state requirements for Professional Licensure or Certification. Information about out-of-state requirements in Accounting is available on this website nasba.org/stateboards. 

For more information on State Authorization and Program Licensure, please refer to our disclosures page.

For information about the courses required for the Accounting, B.S. Business Administration program, view the PLNU Catalog. 

Course Information

PLNU accounting graduates are sought after by local, regional, and national accounting firms, companies, and organizations in a variety of industries due to their strong accounting foundation enhanced with a professional, passionate, and values-driven approach to their work. Alumni have held various positions at organizations like Deloitte, KPMG, Moss Adams, Sempra Energy, Intuit, and ViaSat. PLNU cultivates your strengths in a context that intersects your intellect and faith, and equips you to become a purposeful and trustworthy leader in your workplace.

A Bachelor of Science in Accounting can lead to careers in the following positions:

• Auditor
• Tax accountant
• Financial analyst
• Accounting manager
• Treasury analyst
• Chief financial officer (CFO)
• Controller
• Staff accountant
• Forensic accountant

What can you do with an accounting degree?

Point Loma accounting alumni have gone on to a broad array of employment. The following companies are just some examples of employers that PLNU alumni work for: Ernst & Young LLP, Deloitte LLP, Cbiz, Inc., Lindsay Brothers, and KPMG LLP. Along with a wide array of companies, there’s a versatile set of titles that PLNU accounting alumni hold, some of the most prominent being: financial managers, tax accountants, management consultants and business analysts, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks, financial and investment analysts, and financial risk specialists. 

"The Fermanian School of Business at PLNU does an outstanding job preparing students for what to expect in their careers and how to interact with professionals. My professors made an effort to invest in me as much as I invested in them, and that made a huge difference."

Matthew Karahadian, Class of 2010

Assurance Supervisor, RSM

The following are more examples of positions that PLNU accounting alumni currently hold:

Accountants and Auditors

2020 Median annual salary $73,560

Accountants’ and auditors’ main job responsibilities are preparing and examining financial records. Accountants develop financial records for their employers organizations or individual clients. There’s a broad array of titles and types of accountants. For example, certified public accountants (CPAs) specialize in tax forms and other forms of financial documentation that their clients must legally disclose. 

What it takes to be an accountant or auditor: 

• Strong written and oral communication
• Organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Time management
• Systems analysis

General and Operations Managers

2020 Median annual salary $123,880

General and operations managers are responsible for managing activities that are part of the production of services in wide-ranging fields from social media to election campaigns. Operations managers' responsibilities include human resource management, asset management, and cost management. Their indirect responsibilities can include interacting with managers in other functional areas within the organization whose roles have an impact on operations. 

What it takes to be a general and operations manager:

• Strategic planning skills
• Financial planning skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Leadership skills
• Communication skills
• Innovative thinking

Financial Analysts

2020 Median annual salary $83,660

Financial analysts’ main job is to analyze financial data and create financial models for upper management to review. They  consistently check and report a company’s financial performance and work with others to find ways to improve financial statistics. Financial analysts work closely with accountants to ensure accurate financial reporting. 

What it takes to be a financial analyst: 

• Quantitative skills
• Problem-solving abilities
• Adept logic skills
• Communication skills

Alumni listed the following skills as the top strengths they acquired as accounting students at PLNU:

• Auditing
• Financial statements
• Financial analysis
• QuickBooks (accounting software)
• Financial accounting

Using your accounting degree beyond university: 

Graduating from PLNU with an accounting degree will prepare you with the skills needed to succeed in the global business environment. A Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a specialty in Accounting will aid you in forming invaluable problem-solving, quantitative, and leadership skills that anyone you come across will welcome and appreciate. By studying accounting at PLNU, you’ll gain a strong accounting foundation alongside communication and analytical skills that will prepare you for a purpose-filled future on any path you choose to take.  

Apply to PLNU today or get connected with one of our counselors for additional support and answers to any questions you may have.