Accounting and Finance Degree Programs Available at George Washington University
George Washington University appears in our ranking of the Top 40 Best Online MBAs in Finance.
At George Washington University, students can choose between two undergraduate and two graduate degree programs in accounting and finance. The Department of Accountancy offers a Bachelor of Accountancy. Unlike the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programs that require students to take a variety of business courses, majors in this program focus primarily on accounting. Students can study abroad in their junior and senior years and take up to four courses in those programs. Some of the classes that undergrad accounting majors take include Intermediate Accounting, Auditing, Accounting Systems, Business Law: Enterprise Organization and Federal Income Tax: Individuals.
The university’s Master of Accountancy program is available as a two-year option for graduate students. Undergrads can choose the 4 + 1 program and finish their graduate degrees just one year after completing their bachelor’s degrees. The full program features 30 credits and allows full-time students to finish in only nine months. Part-time students can earn their degrees in 21 to 60 months. There are also test prep courses and programs available for students taking professional exams. The program includes Cases in Management Accounting I and II, Contemporary Auditing Theory, Finance, Intermediate Accounting I and II and Introduction to Business and Economic Statistics.
Students in the BBA in Finance program will take both general business courses and 24 credits of finance courses. They need to enroll in the program and choose the finance concentration. Intermediate Finance, Investment and Portfolio Management, Advanced Financial Management, Financial Derivatives, Applied Financial Securities Analysis and Real Estate Investment are some of the required classes. George Washington University offers a course called Exploring Finance with Simulation that includes lab work to help students gain experience using financial software.
Also available is a Master of Science (MS) in Finance. It features an intensive track that requires students to take more credits each semester and study over the summer to graduate in one year. The standard track includes two years of classes. Based on their transcripts, students may need to take some prerequisite classes in business, finance or accounting in addition to their required courses. Required classes in this program include Cases in Financial Management and Investment Banking, Global Financial Markets, Cases in Financial Modeling and Engineering and Corporate Financial Management and Modeling.
In combination with a university in China, George Washington University now offers an MS in Finance program for Chinese students too. Though designed for Chinese residents, students from the United States can study abroad on that campus. The university has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program too that includes a concentration in finance. Students take three classes and one elective. They also have the option of taking those courses to complete a graduate certificate in finance. Those classes include Finance, Financial Decision Making, and Investment Analysis and Portfolio Management.
About George Washington University
George Washington University is a private university established in 1821 and named after the first President of the United States. George Washington asked Congress to open the campus and even wrote about it in his will. Also known as GWU, it has three campuses in Washington DC that provide residence halls and classrooms for students as well as recreational spaces. According to The Princeton Review, GWU is one of the best schools in the northeast and home to some of the best dorm rooms. U.S. News and World Report ranks GWU as having some of the nation’s best graduate and undergraduate business programs as well as one of the best universities in the country. More than 11,000 undergrads and 15,000 post-graduates attend GWU every year.
George Washington University Accreditation Details
The business school and all associated departments at GWU have accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). This accreditation covers both the undergraduate and graduate programs in finance and accounting. GWU also holds regional accreditation, which comes from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). This is the accreditation that lets George Washington accept credits from transfer students and design financial aid packages around the need that students show on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
George Washington University Application Requirements
First-year students can apply to GWU through the Common Application. They can apply by one of the early action deadlines of November first or January fifth or by the regular deadline. Students must provide a letter of recommendation from a high school teacher or guidance counselor and their official transcripts. They have the choice of submitting a standardized test score and/or an essay too.
A strong academic background, bachelor’s degree and interest in finance or accounting are some of the requirements for GWU students applying to a graduate program. Students will use the online application and pay a small application fee after they fill out each section. They will upload a statement of up to 500 words that includes their career and future objectives as well as a professional resume. GWU also asks for a letter of recommendation. The university encourages students to either have a professional reference or an academic reference to write the letter. Unless the student has a GPA of 3.25 or higher, the university will require a GMAT or GRE score that is dated within the last five years. Students should also submit their official college transcripts.
Tuition and Financial Aid
At GWU, undergrads pay $56,845 per year for full-time enrollment. Students taking classes part-time pay $1,625 per credit hour. Graduate students in a School of Business program pay $1,890 per credit hour in the MBA or MS programs. The accountancy program charges the same rate. These costs only apply to students who do not qualify for financial aid. Most who submit the FAFSA will get at least one type of aid.
Fellowships are an example of the aid given to graduate students. GWU will use the information that students share on the FAFSA and their applications to determine if they qualify for a fellowship. Discounts are available for alumni of the university and those who work with one of the GWU partner companies. Students at all levels can use grants and other awards. There are work-study opportunities available for undergrads too. George Washington University encourages students to submit the FAFSA when they apply to one of its accounting or finance degree programs.
