May 1, 2015
Program Proposal for
Certificate for Accounting Professionals
College of Business
California State University, Monterey Bay
Spring 2015
Proposed launch semester: Summer, 2016
By: Dr. Catherina Ku
Dr. Chi-Chun Chou
1
Table of Contents
Certificate for Accounting Professionals ......................................................................... 3
Title and brief description. ....................................................................................... 3
Rationale or need for the proposed certificate program........................................... 3
Learning outcomes for the proposed certificate program. ..................................... 13
Course descriptions. ............................................................................................... 16
Names of faculty. ................................................................................................... 17
Added resources or courses from inside or outside the department. ..................... 18
Current and projected enrollments for the next three years. .................................. 18
Modes of delivery for the proposed certificate program ....................................... 19
Submission procedures. ......................................................................................... 19
Attachment list. ...................................................................................................... 20
2
California State University Monterey Bay
Academic Affairs Division
Program Proposal
Certificate for Accounting Professionals
1) Provide a title and brief description for the proposed certification program,
indicating if the proposed program is to be offered for academic credit, Continuing
Education Units (CEUs), or no credit.
Proposed Certification program title: Certificate for Accounting Professionals
This program is going to be offered for academic credit.
2) Provide a rationale or need for the proposed certification program. Document how
the need is not currently being met and how this program will meet the need and
benefit the community. Where appropriate, link to the vision and academic plans
of the University.
This online Certificate for Accounting Professionals is designed for students in the accounting
concentration needing additional accounting units to qualify to sit for the Certified Public
Accountant (CPA) exam or to get their CPA license approved. In addition, this Certificate will
also fulfill the need for non-CPAs in business, non-profit, and government institutions who
require professional and conceptual knowledge in specific areas in accounting. This program
promotes the major key elements of the CSUMB Vision Statement, especially with regard to the
collaboration with local and regional partners, and to the embracing of diversity, ethics, and
equity. Each of these key aspects and their respective connections to the CSUMB Vision
Statement are discussed below:

Enhancing partnerships and supporting the business community – This program will
reinforce the College of Business’s (COB) ongoing partnerships with local accounting
firms (Hayashi Wayland Accounting & Consulting LLP, Ryan & McDonald LLP,
Brandon & Tibbs Accountants, PMB Helin Donovan etc.) and the California Society of
Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA) to bring value to the community. With the
support and sponsorship of these firms (i.e. providing scholarships and book rewards to
accounting students in the concentration), this program will benefit students and the
community. This program will provide accounting professionals with the latest
knowledge to meet continuing changes in standards in the accounting and auditing areas.
In addition, the courses offered will prepare professionals in accounting firms to sit for
the CPA exam.
3

Reinforcing the concepts of responsible business as addressed in the COB vision and
mission – This program will incorporate elements of the COB vision of responsible
business as defined by the five-dimensioned lens of People, Ethics, Equity, Planet, and
Profit. For example, one of the proposed courses in this program – BUS 588 Ethics for
Accounting Professionals - will address the CPA ethics and professional conduct code
and social responsibility; this is congruent with the COB’s vision and mission statements
as well as the CSUMB Vision Statement.

Promoting diversity and equity as described in the CSUMB Vision – This program is
online and will target those students and professionals who may have fewer options to
continue their education. These potential students are likely to come from diverse
backgrounds in the tri-county area. The ethnic profile from our May, 2014 survey was:
46% white, 41% Hispanic, 12% Asian and 1% black. This shows the diversity of students
who would be served. In addition, 63% were female and 37% were male (see Attachment
1 for more details and Attachment 2 for the survey questionnaire). From our CSUMB
profile, 54% of students are first generation and are typically from lower income
backgrounds as shown in the Institutional Assessment and Research (IAR) data.

Providing a holistic view of service – The focus on responsible business includes not just
Profit as a focus but also an awareness of serving key stakeholders within the community.
Therefore, the Certificate program will include concepts related to accounting policy that
impact both the institution internally as well as its constituencies. The focus on Planet
will ensure that our students are aware of new environmental cost accounting practices
designed to improve the quality of decision making. This program will also encourage
our students to participate in the COB sponsored Volunteer Income Tax Assistant (VITA)
program under the People/Social and Equity foci. Each year, this volunteer tax service in
Monterey County helps low income families get tax credits and refunds.

Emphasizing the importance of ethics for accounting professionals – Within the past
decade, fraud and financial scandals have resulted in more stringent standards being
adopted by regulatory agencies and professional associations. Students will study and
comprehend the code of accounting professional conduct, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, CPA
professionals’ liability to third parties, liability under the common law, criminal liability,
civil liability, environmental liability and liability under the Federal Securities laws, etc.
Students will study and discuss a variety of cases under the Ethics focus that emphasize
the application of standards and the consequences of social, economic, personal and legal
impacts when moral and professional conduct breaks down.
The rationale and demand for the certificate program are as follows:

The California Qualification Requirements as specified in legislation enacted in January,
2014, indicated that a CPA candidate must: 1) meet the minimum of 150 undergraduate
semester units, 2) take at least 30 accounting units, and 3) take at least 10 units in ethics
courses. (Note: Candidates who have bachelor’s degrees with 120 semester units can sit
for the CPA exam; however, it takes 150 semester units to receive CPA licensure.)

Table 1 summarizes the average credits earned by CSUMB accounting graduates in the
last three years. As shown in Table 1, these students need at least four additional units in
accounting courses and three units in an accounting ethics course to meet the CPA
4
requirements. Effective January 1, 2017, the California State Board of Accountancy will
require a course devoted to accounting ethics for anyone applying for CPA licensure.
This shows that adding a certificate program offering more than eight credit hours,
including an accounting ethics course, would help students meet the CPA licensure
requirements.
Table 1: Profile of Average Credits Earned by CSUMB Accounting Students
Academic Year
CPA 201420132012Units
req.
15
14
13
Total bachelor’s degree units earned
134
140
148
150
Required additional units to fulfill 150 units
16
10
2
Total accounting units earned
26
26
26
30
Required additional accounting units to fulfill 30 units
4
4
4
Units earned in Ethics Studies (defined by California
Board of Accountancy)
7
7
7
BUS 206 Business Law – 3 units
10
BUS 300S Business Ethics in Action – 4 units
Required additional accounting ethics units to fulfill
3
3
3
10 units
Source: Estimated from CMS of CSUMB, April 2015

In order to determine the demand for courses, in November 2014 we surveyed our
accounting students to determine the number of courses they felt should be in the
concentration. The survey results show that 68% of the students are willing to take three
or four courses. (Note: The November survey results are provided in Attachment 3 and
the survey questionnaire is provided in Attachment 4.)
Table 2: Number of Courses Accounting Students are
Willing to Take in the Certificate for Accounting
Professionals
Courses to Take
Responses
Percent
Two
10
10.4%
Three
30
31.3%
Four
35
36.4%
Five
6
6.3%
Six
15
15.6%
Total
96
100.0%
Source: College of Business Survey of CSUMB Students, Nov. 2014
(Question 4, Attachment 3)
Based on this survey result, the COB developed the Certificate for Accounting
Professionals with four courses for a total of 16 credit units.

As shown in Table 3, according to the 2013 Trends Report of the American Institution of
Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the demand forecast shows that 11% of small
5
firms in the U.S. were planning to hire more new accounting graduates while 26% of all
CPA firms were planning to do so. All the midsize firms planned to hire more new
accounting graduates. For large and international firms, 50% and 74% respectively
planned to hire more new accounting graduates.
Table 3: Demand Forecast – New Accounting Graduates to be Hired in 2012
Firm Size
Higher
The same lower
All CPA firms
26%
63%
11%
Small firms (<10 CPAs)
11%
74%
15%
Midsize firms (10-49 CPAs)
100%
Large firms (50-200 CPAs)
50%
50%
National or International firms (>200 CPAs) 74%
25%
Source: AICPA 2013 Trends Report

In order to determine the demand for accountants and auditors who may or may not work
for accounting firms, we explored the data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the
United States Department of Labor. The results are shown in Table 4. According to the
data, the employment of accountants and auditors is anticipated to grow 13% from 2012
to 2022. This growth rate exceeds the average growth rate of 11% for all jobs
classifications during the same period.
Table 4: Demand for Accountants and Auditors, 2012-2022
Number of Jobs, 2012
1,275,400
Job Outlook, 2012-22
13%
Employment Change, 2012-22
166,700
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012

In addition, we explored the data provided in the California Labor Market and Economics
Analysis 2012, developed by the Labor Market Information Division of the California
Employment Development Department. The summary report included accounting
professionals employed in businesses. In Table 5, the data show that the growth rate from
2012 to 2022 in California will be over 15.5%. This growth rate is higher than the
national growth rate provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Table 5: Summary Report for the Employment of Accounting Professionals
Year
2012
2022
Difference
Growth rate
Employ number
163,136
188,366
25,200
15.45%
Source: California Labor Market and Economics Analysis 2012
In summary, there is sufficient evidence to support the demand for accounting professionals who
will need continuing education to update their expertise and knowledge of evolving accounting
standards and practice. The proposed certificate program will not only meet the need for
6
continuing education but also meet the need to prepare students for an advanced career in
professional services (e.g. CPA and tax firms), corporations, government sectors, and not-forprofit organizations.
The evidence that there is student demand at CSUMB and other institutions for a CPA certificate
program is provided below.
Provide evidence that there is student demand for this type of program.
In addition to the aggregated employment data provided above, the COB conducted two surveys
to better understand student demand for the Certificate for Accounting Professionals. The first
survey was conducted in May 2014. A second survey was conducted in November 2014 to
increase the sample size. The results of these two surveys are summarized in Tables 6 through
13.
The May survey was distributed in three classes to ascertain student interest in the Certificate for
Accounting Professionals in the college. The three classes in which the survey was administered
were all undergraduate business classes, including two accounting classes. The same survey was
also emailed to alumni who had graduated as accounting concentration students in the previous
two years. A total of 110 students/alumni took the survey, of which 109 students/alumni
provided responses that were usable. As mentioned earlier, the detailed results along with the
questions are provided in Attachment 1. The questionnaire used is included as Attachment 2 to
this proposal. The results are discussed in subsequent paragraphs.
Among the 109 (usable) respondents to the survey, there were 78 accounting concentration
students, 19 were not in the accounting concentration, and 12 were alumni. Table 6 shows the
number and percentage of respondents who expressed interest in CSUMB launching a Certificate
for Accounting Professionals. The majority of respondents (69%) were either interested or very
interested in the launch of the Certificate program.
Table 6: Level of Interest in CSUMB Launch of a
Certificate for Accounting Professionals
Level of Interest
Responses
Percent
Very Interested
50
45.9%
Interested
25
22.9%
Not Sure
17
15.6%
Not Interested
14
12.8%
Not very interested
3
2.8%
Total
109
100.0%
Source: College of Business Survey of CSUMB Students, May 2014
(Question 1, Attachment 1)
Another survey was conducted in November in three additional accounting classes that were not
included in the May sample. Attachment 3 contains detailed information on the November
survey, and Attachment 4 contains the November survey questionnaire. There were 96 usable
responses to the November survey, of which 87 were accounting students and 9 alumni; all
student responses were from the accounting concentration.
7
Table 7 shows the result of the first question in the November survey, indicating the number and
percentage of respondents who expressed interest in CSUMB launching a Certificate for
Accounting Professionals. The majority of respondents (90%) were either interested or very
interested in the launch of the Certificate program. This higher percentage than in the previous
sample presented in Table 6 shows that the interest in the certificate increases significantly when
only accounting concentration students are included in the sample.
Table 7: Level of Interest in CSUMB Launch of a
Certificate for Accounting Professionals
Level of Interest
Responses
Percent
Very Interested
51
53.2%
Interested
35
36.5%
Not Sure
8
8.3%
Not Interested
1
1.0%
Not very Interested
1
1.0%
Total
96
100.0%
Source: College of Business Survey of CSUMB Students, Nov. 2014
(Question 1, Attachment 3)
In the May survey, additional questions were asked that were not included in the November
survey. The results of these additional questions appear in Tables 8 through 11. Table 8 shows
the number and percentage of respondents in the May survey who expressed interest in enrolling
in a Certificate for Accounting Professionals. As can be seen in the table, the majority of the 109
respondents (64%) were either interested or very interested in enrolling in a Certificate for
Accounting Professionals. The previous question on “launch” was to determine the student
interest in CSUMB creating a new program versus this question, which was designed to
determine if the students would actually take the Certificate.
Table 8: Respondents Interested in Enrolling in the
Certificate for Accounting Professionals
Interest in Enrolling
Responses
Percent
Very Interested
46
42.2%
Interested
24
22.0%
Not Sure
18
16.5%
Not Interested
14
12.8%
Not very interested
7
6.4%
Total
109
100.0%
Source: College of Business Survey of CSUMB Students, May 2014
(Question 3, Attachment 1)
Table 9 shows the number and percentage of respondents who would consider enrolling in a
Certificate for Accounting Professionals, if the program were offered immediately. As can be
seen in the table, 58% of the respondents were either likely or very likely to enroll in a
Certificate immediately. It seems that very few students interested in enrolling in a Certificate
program are likely to defer taking the program.
8
Table 9: Respondents Who Would Consider Enrolling in the
Certificate for Accounting Professionals Immediately
Enroll Immediately
Responses
Percent
Very Likely
39
35.5%
Likely
25
22.7%
Not Sure
23
20.9%
Not Likely
14
12.7%
Not very Likely
9
8.2%
Total
110
100.0%
Source: College of Business Survey of CSUMB Students, May 2014
(Question 5, Attachment 1)
Table 10 shows the number and percentage of respondents who think their friends or
classmates would likely enroll in a Certificate for Accounting Professionals. In Table 10, 72% of
the respondents thought that their friends or classmates would be either likely or very likely to
enroll in a Certificate.
Table 10: Respondents’ Friends/Classmates Interest in Enrolling in
a Certificate for Accounting Professionals
Friends/Classmates
Responses
Percent
Interest
Very Likely
34
31.8%
Likely
43
40.2%
Not Sure
22
20.6%
Not Likely
5
4.7%
Not very Likely
3
2.8%
Total
107
100.0%
Source: College of Business Survey of CSUMB Students, May 2014
(Question 7, Attachment 1)
Table 11 shows the number and percentage of respondents who think that current and future
CSUMB students would be interested in a Certificate for Accounting Professionals. In Table 11,
85% thought current and future CSUMB students would be either interested or very interested in
a Certificate for Accounting Professionals.
Table 11: Respondent Perception of Current and Future CSUMB
Students Interest in a Certificate for Accounting Professionals
Other CSUMB Students Responses
Percent
Interest
Very Interested
42
39.3%
Interested
49
45.8%
Not Sure
15
14.0%
Not Interested
0
0.0%
Not very interested
1
0.9%
Total
107
100.0%
Source: College of Business Survey of CSUMB Students, May 2014
(Question 9, Attachment 1)
In the November 2014 survey, a question not asked in the May survey was added. Table 12
shows the respondents willingness to consider taking the CPA exam after finishing
9
undergraduate requirements. It shows that 78% were either very likely or likely to take the
CPA exam.
Table 12: Respondents’ Willingness to Consider Taking the CPA
Exam after Finishing Undergraduate Requirements
Willingness to Take the Responses
Percent
CPA Exam
Very Likely
50
52.1%
Likely
25
26.0%
Not Sure
18
18.8%
Not Likely
2
2.1%
Not very Likely
1
1.0%
Total
96
100.0%
Source: College of Business Survey of CSUMB Students, Nov. 2014
(Question 2, Attachment 3)
In summary, it can be seen that interest in the Certificate for Accounting Professionals is very
strong. The survey responses indicated a strong interest in the program from the perspective of
general attractiveness, the interest of friends, and potential current or future willingness to enroll
in the certificate program.
Analysis of Competitor Programs
We conducted a competitive analysis of universities that offer post-baccalaureate programs in
accounting. Table 13 focuses on selected programs in California with the exception of Kaplan
University. In California, we found six universities offering online certificate programs. The
number of courses in these programs ranged from six to nine courses, for a total of 24 to 45 units.
Kaplan has a certificate program with four courses.
There is no campus within the CSU system that offers a Certificate for Accounting Professionals.
CSUMB will be first in the CSU system to offer a Certificate for Accounting Professionals.
There are eight universities within the CSU system that offer a Master’s degree in Accounting.
They are CSU Fullerton, CSU Long Beach, CSU Northridge, CSU Sacramento, CSU San
Francisco, CSU San Jose, Cal Poly Pomona, and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
Table 13 provides a summary report of the competitor analysis. Santa Clara University, Kaplan
University, and Saint Mary’s College of California are the three universities that are not in the
California public university system. However, Santa Clara University offers a certificate of
“Advanced Accounting Proficiency,” which offers eight courses with a total of 45 units. Saint
Mary’s does not offer the Certificate for Accounting Professionals; only Kaplan offers a
nationwide program “Graduate Certificate in Accounting,” which is very similar to our
Certificate for Accounting Professionals. Kaplan University’s program is completely online and
requires four courses for a total of 16 units. However, the course for accounting ethics for
professionals is not included in Kaplan’s program. The accounting ethics for professionals
course will be a required course for CPA licensure starting in 2017. CSUMB will be the only
university offering a Certificate for Accounting Professionals with the specified accounting
10
ethics for professionals course in California. The complete competitor analysis is provided as
Attachment 5.
In addition, the data summarized in Table 13 indicates that six out of the nine programs offering
either a Certificate or a Master’s degree require over 30 units; the California standards require 30
accounting units for a CPA licensure. Our Certificate for Accounting Professionals focuses on
business students who graduate from the CSU system with more than 120 units. With the
additional 12 units in accounting and four units in the accounting ethics course in the CSUMB
program, CSU students will fulfill the requirements for CPA licensure when they take our
Certificate program.
11
Table 13: California Competitor Analysis Summary
University
UC Berkeley Extension
Program Title
Number of
required
courses
8
Elective courses
offered
Total
required
units
24
Accounting Certificate
Accounting Certificate
UCLA Extension
9
16
40
(include Ethics in Accounting)
UC Davis Extension
Accounting Certificate
4+2
8
24
Professional Certificate in
UC Riverside Extension
8+1
4
36
Accounting
UC Santa Barbara
Professional Accounting
9
36
Extension
Certificate of Advanced
Santa Clara University
Accounting Proficiency
8
45
Program
Graduate Certificate in
Kaplan University
4
16
Accounting
Master of Science in
Kaplan University
13
52
Accounting
Master of Science in
10
40
Accounting
Saint Mary's College of
Boot Camp (is required of students who either do Credits for
CA
Additional
not have a major in accounting or major in
ACCTG 200 &
fee $3,000
accounting but have a GPA below 2.75)
ACCTG 201
Source: Websites of Competitor Programs, 2014
Mode
online
online
online
online
online
Daily 14-week summer or
Weekly nine-month (Saturday)
online
online
online
8 weeks, in hybrid
12
In summary, CSUMB’s Certificate for Accounting Professionals optimizes the cost, time, and
value to prospective students seeking more accounting skills and preparation for CPA licensure.
Our Certificate for Accounting Professionals is unique; based on the evidence from the student
surveys, the demand will be sustainable. It can also be seen that the certificate programs offered
in California are designed as online programs.
3) List and briefly (and clearly) describe the learning outcomes for the proposed
certificate program. These should be comparable in length to those that would
appear in the catalog. For credit-bearing certificates, learning outcomes equivalent
to a minimum number of 12 units is ordinarily expected.
The target students for the Certificate for Accounting Professionals are those who need
additional education units in accounting subjects and the specific accounting ethics course that is
required for California CPA licensure. Table 14 lists the major learning outcomes of the
Certificate for Accounting Professionals for the four proposed courses. The three major learning
outcomes for the program are:
MLO 1: Demonstrate and apply business knowledge and skills
MLO 2: Become skilled critical thinkers
MLO 3: Demonstrate and apply competency in quantitative skills
13
Table 14: Major Learning Outcomes of the Certification for Accounting Program
MLO1:
MLO2: Become
MLO3: Demonstrate
Demonstrate and
skilled critical
and apply competency in
apply business
thinkers: Will
quantitative skills: Will
knowledge
and
skills:
analyze
and
synthesize
investigate, analyze and
Major
Will
analyze
and
relevant
evidence
in
evaluate data using
Learning
apply
the
concepts,
business
scenarios
and
quantitative tools to
Outcomes
theories,
models
and
cases
to
determine
propose changes in
(MLOs)
tools for accounting
patterns, trends and
accounting processes,
decision management options that result in
practices and financial
evidence-based
decisions
recommendations
BUS 582
 Students are
 Students are
 Students are expected
Auditing and expected to learn how
expected to create
to use audit software
Assurance
to plan, manage and
auditing procedures to
packages, such as Audit
lead an effective audit
assess financial
Command Language
engagement, including statements by using
(ACL), to collect and
audit planning, risk
various analytical
analyze audit evidence
assessment,
techniques and critical and design appropriate
management
thinking processes.
computerized audit
philosophy and
procedures.
responsibilities.
 Students apply
 Students are
 Students are expected
accounting concepts
expected to apply
to analyze enterprise
and tools to build
critical analysis
databases and are
BUS 586
information systems
procedures to review
expected to apply
Accounting
and analyze
the internal control
flowchart software to
Information
organizational
systems of
diagram organizational
Systems
effectiveness and
organizations looking
functions and
efficiency and
for patterns and
information flow
recommend
discrepancies.
procedures.
improvements.
14
Table 14: Major Learning Outcomes of the Certification for Accounting Program (continued)
MLO1:
MLO2: Become
MLO3: Demonstrate
Demonstrate and
skilled critical
and apply competency in
apply business
thinkers: Will
quantitative skills
knowledge and skills: analyze and synthesize : Will investigate,
Major
Will analyze and
relevant evidence in
analyze and evaluate
Learning
apply
the
concepts,
business scenarios and data using quantitative
Outcomes
theories, models and
cases to determine
tools to propose changes
(MLOs)
tools for accounting
patterns, trends and
in accounting processes,
decision management options that result in
practices and financial
evidence-based
decisions
recommendations
 Students are
 Students are
 Students are expected
expected to learn how
expected to apply
to apply financial data
to
create
appropriate
ethical
concepts
to
analysis to create
BUS 588
accounting
policies
for
cases,
scenarios,
and
transparency and
Ethics ethical
and
effective
ethical
dilemmas,
disclosure of enterprise
Accounting
management
using
frameworks
of
risks that enhance
Professionals
decisions.
critical thinking to
financial decision
enhance the quality of
making.
accounting decisions.
 Students are
 Students are
 Students are expected
expected to utilize
expected to utilize
to utilize spreadsheet and
analytical
skills
and
critical
analysis
other quantitative tools to
BUS 684
accounting
tools
to
procedures
to
evaluate
examine business
Fin. Meas.,
evaluate
risk
companies’
financial
performance and evaluate
Anal.,
management,
financial
measurement
systems
the strength of a business
Report.
performance and the
and performance.
by analyzing relevant
impact of management
decisions.
Source: College of Business, 2015
financial data.
15
4) List and briefly describe courses or other pathways for meeting the requirements
for the proposed certificate program. Course descriptions (if course-based
approaches are applied) should be short and comparable to those that would
appear in the catalog. The proposal should indicate which courses would be new
and which are existing; for existing courses, please specify the frequency of the
course offering (as described in the current catalog), and any proposed scheduling
changes. Other pathways for meeting the stated requirements should be clear and
specific enough for a student to follow.
There are four courses required in the Certificate for Accounting Professionals. The major
learning outcomes are listed above in Table 14. The course descriptions for the four courses are
listed below.
BUS 582 Auditing and Assurance: This course focuses on auditing theory, practice, philosophy
& the environment of the auditing profession. Topics include general auditing standards,
professional conduct & ethics, legal liability, audit evidence, audit planning, internal control,
auditing sampling, risk assessment, & accounts assurance. Examines SOX and SEC requirements
for public companies, applying critical thinking for ethical dilemmas faced by auditors. (Offered
as classroom-based, hybrid, or online) Restricted to Senior and Graduate Level Standing Only
Units: 4
BUS 586 Accounting Information Systems: Examines the accounting data that is collected,
stored, and processed by computer technology under GAAP accounting practices. Analyzes the
efficiency & effectiveness of information technology infrastructure & the operations. Integrates
SOX and discuss the ethics, fraud, documents flow, segregation of duties, computer processing,
including the risk of cloud computing, and the related control activities in a corporation. (Offered
class-based, hybrid, or online) Restricted to Senior and Graduate Level Standing Only
Units: 4
BUS 588 Ethics - Accounting Professionals: Examines the AICPA Code of Professional
Conduct as well as the additional requirements for auditors of public companies expressed in the
Institute of Internal Auditors Codes of Ethics. Develops critical thinking frameworks to assess
cases of ethical dilemmas frequently encountered by accounting professionals. Explores legal
requirements & liabilities that govern the accounting profession. (Offered as class-based, hybrid
or online) Restricted to Senior and Graduate Level Standing Only
Units: 4
BUS 684 Fin. Meas., Anal., Report.: This course focuses on the analysis of managers' financial
measurement, reporting and disclosure strategies and the effects of such strategies on firms'
equity values. Examines various institutional settings and economic contexts in which managers
make financial measurement, reporting and disclosure choices, paying attention to the quality
and credibility of the information disclosed. The course helps students develop both financial
16
statement preparation and analysis skills as applied to business decisions. (Note: Not currently
in the 2015-2016 catalog.)
Units: 4
5) Names of faculty and/or the academic unit responsible for offering and monitoring
the quality of the program shall be provided. List faculty advisors and/or contact
people, providing a statement of their qualifications for delivering the proposed
certificate program. For credit-bearing certificates, faculty qualifications are the
standing qualifications for University faculty. For non-credit certificates,
appropriate University faculty are expected to review and approve the qualifications
of those offering the certificate program.
Dr. Catherina Ku, Associate Professor of Accounting, will be the advisor and the contact person
for the program. Dr. Ku received her PhD degree in Management/Accounting Information
Systems and has taught accounting-related courses for 25 years. She is currently the lead
coordinator for the accounting and finance curricula and the advisor for students in the
accounting concentration. Dr. Ku will teach BUS 582: Auditing and Assurance and BUS 684:
Financial Measurement, Analysis and Reporting.
Dr. Chi Chun Chou, Associate Professor of Accounting, will teach BUS 586: Accounting
Information Systems in the certificate program. Dr. Chou received his PhD degree in Accounting
and has taught accounting related courses for 18 years. His specialty is in accounting information
systems and auditing.
Jeffrey Froshman, Distinguished Lecturer of Accounting, has been teaching accounting at the
CSUMB College of Business since January 1996. Jeff currently teaches Personal Financial
Management and Income Tax. He is also a tax professional who has owned his own firm and
worked for the Internal Revenue Service for many years. He is currently a a Financial Consultant
at Wells Fargo Advisors. He will be an alternative lecturer for the courses in the certificate
program.
Loretta Thompson, Lecturer of Accounting, has been working with small and large businesses
for the last 35 years in the accounting area. She has rich experience in forensic accounting, based
on her professional service experience in various industries and with various business clients.
She has taught Ethics and Values to hundreds of supervisors and managers in the tri-county area
through her Leadership Academies and through private contracts. She will team teach BUS 588:
Ethics for Accounting Professionals with Dr. Marylou Shockley (see below).
Dr. Marylou Shockley, Professor of Management and International Business, is currently the
Chair of the College of Business at CSUMB. Dr. Shockley has a doctoral degree from Oxford
University in the United Kingdom. Her focus is on management and corporate governance from
a social responsibility perspective, including ethics. Dr. Shockley and Loretta Thompson will
team teach BUS 588: Ethics for Accounting Professionals.
17
The College of Business (COB) is now in the process of hiring new faculty in accounting, one of
whom will start in Fall 2015. He/she will teach one of the four courses on an as-required basis,
based on his/her expertise.
Table 15 provides the list of faculty members who will teach in the program.
Table 15: List of Certificate Program Faculty
Name
Catherina Ku
Chi Chun Chou
Jeffrey Froshman
Rank
Associate professor
Associate Professor
Distinguished Lecturer
Employment
Tenured
Tenure-Track
Wells Fargo Advisors
CSUMB Lecturer
CSUMB Lecturer
Tenured
CSUMB (new hire)
Loretta Thompson
Marylou Shockley
New Accounting
faculty
Adjunct
Professor
Assistant/Associate
professor
Source: College of Business, 2015
Degree
Ph.D.
Ph.D.
Masters
Masters
D. Phil
Ph.D.
6) State any added resources or courses from inside or outside the department that
would be required to deliver the proposed certificate program. Indicate any
resources not covered by the self-support model of Extended Education. Obtain
required signatures on the accompanying approval sheet ("Approval Sheet for the
Creation of New Certificate Programs") from Chairs in charge of those resources.
For BUS 582, the Audit Command Language (ACL) software will come with the
textbook. Therefore, no additional IT resources will be required in this course. For other
courses, no additional resources will be required as well, other than faculty, who are also
required to meet the growing number of accounting students in the BSBA Concentration
in Accounting. No faculty will be hired or dedicated solely to teaching in this certificate
program. These courses will be taught in an online mode. COB will use iLearn as the
learning management system.
7) State current and projected enrollments for the next three years, indicating the
basis for those projections.
As indicated in Tables 6 through 9, 69% of the first sample of business and accounting
concentration students were interested or very interested in the launch of a CPA
certification program; 90% of accounting concentration students in the second survey
sample indicated interest or great interest in the launch of the CPA certification program;
64% indicated that they would like to enroll in such a program; and 58% indicated that
they were either interested or very interested in enrolling in such a program if it were
offered immediately. Applying these proportions to the 110 students who are currently in
the two classes in the accounting concentration, this would give an upper bound of 99
18
students (applying the 90% proportion) and a lower bound of 64 students (applying the
58% proportion) who would like to enroll in the program. Then applying the proportion
of the number of seniors in the sample (38%), the upper bound enrollments for the first
year would be 35 students and the lower bound enrollments for the first year would be 24
students. Taking the lower bound enrollment as the conservative estimate of those who
would enroll and allowing a 20% attrition at this stage of the enrollment funnel, the
expected number of students enrolling in Year 1 would be 20 students. Assuming a
growth rate of 25% in each of the next two years as the reputation and word-of-mouth for
the program builds, the number of students would be 25 in Year 2 and 32 in Year 3. This
growth rate is reasonable given that non-accounting majors and non-CPA bound
accounting concentration students would also be willing to enroll in such a certificate
program. Projections based on these numbers are provided in Table 16 below, with a
further anticipated attrition rate of 5% to account for those who would change their mind
after enrolling.
Table 16: Estimated Enrollments in the
Certificate for Accounting Professionals Program
Enrollments
Year 1
Year 2
Projected Admissions
20
25
(per course)
Anticipated Attrition Rate
5%
5%
Anticipated Attrition
1
1
Projected Enrollment
19
24
(per course)
Source: College of Business Estimate, 2015
Year 3
32
5%
2
30
8) State modes of delivery for the proposed certificate program (i.e. distributed, in
class, etc.)
After reviewing the modality of offering by competitors in Table 13, the program will be
offered in the online format. The College of Business has significant and comprehensive
experience in offering a full-fledged online MBA program since 2008 with
approximately 200 students enrolled every year. It will transfer the knowledge and
experience it has running such an online program to the certificate program.
9) Submit proposals for certificates of academic achievement (credit) to the
appropriate Chairs(s) and qualified faculty (defined as CSUMB faculty who have
expertise in the academic field and/or CSUMB faculty who will participate in the
design and/or delivery of the certificate curriculum). The Chair(s) shall then
submit the proposed certificate program along with their recommendations to their
Dean and to the Dean of Extended Education and International Programs for
review in accordance with the Policy on Credit and Non-credit Certificate
Programs. Upon approval, the Chair(s) and Deans shall sign the accompanying
approval sheet.
19
10) The Deans submit the proposal to the Analyst in the Office of the Provost. Upon
confirmation that the certificate will be offered through Extended Education, the
Analyst forwards the proposal to the Academic Senate Executive Committee. ASEC
charges the Senate Curriculum Committee Council with review of proposal.
The certificate program was discussed with the Dean of Extended Education and
International Programs through whom this program will be offered as a self-support
program.
11) The SCCC submits the proposal and its recommendation to the AVP for Academic
Planning.
12) The Provost will review the proposal. An official notification indicating the
Provost’s approval and designated implementation date will be sent to the campus.
The proposed certificate program shall not be offered until the date indicated in the
official notification.
Attachment List
Attachment 1: First Survey Results – May 2014
Attachment 2: Questionnaire for the May survey – May 2014
Attachment 3: November Survey Results – Nov 2014
Attachment 4: Questionnaire for the November survey – Nov 2014
Attachment 5: Competitor Analysis
20