Associate in Finance Degree: Key Courses
- Principles of Financial Accounting
- Payroll Accounting
- Business Law
- Macroeconomics
- Business Finance
An Associate in Finance degree program sets the groundwork for a large variety of exciting career opportunities. To enroll in such a program you will need to complete a broad range of coursework including core curriculum classes, as well as a number of program-specific classes. Nevertheless, there are five key classes that are required for these programs, and they are described below.
1. Principles of Financial Accounting
One key course that students will need to complete to earn their associate degree in finance is Principles of Financial Accounting. The purpose of this class is to teach students everything they will need to know to maintain a company’s financial documentation. Some of the topics covered in this course include:
- understanding and maintaining balance sheets
- preparing income statements
- preparing cash flow statements
- understanding T-accounts
- understanding the difference between cash and accrual accounting
2. Payroll Accounting
Another course that is typically a requirement for an Associate in Finance program is Payroll Accounting. Payroll accounting classes prepare students in the area of processing, maintaining, and distributing payroll to staff members in both small and large organizations. Examples of subject areas contained in payroll accounting classes include:
- understanding payroll taxes
- payroll over-payments
- handling travel pay
- payroll and direct deposits
- federal requirements for withholding
- best practices for unclaimed paychecks
3. Business Law
It may seem a bit unusual that a law course would be required for finance majors, but Business Law can help finance students understand the laws and regulations pertaining to accounting practices. These rules are more formally known as Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. They’re monitored by the Financial Accounting Standards Board. During a business law course, students will explore such topics as:
- the GAAP
- understanding contract law
- business ethics
- intellectual property issues
- international legal issues
- current tax laws
4. Macroeconomics
According to Forbes, Macroeconomics is one of several classes that can help make college graduates more attractive to potential employers. And for finance majors who are looking to enroll in an Associate in Finance program, this is typically a required course after completing a class in microeconomics. Macroeconomics classes examine many large-scale financial issues such as:
- national income
- pricing determination
- economic performance measures
- inflation and unemployment
- economic growth
- international trade
5. Business Finance
A basic Business Finance course is perhaps one of the most important courses required of persons seeking associate degrees in finance. This course sets the foundation necessary for most any career in the areas of finance and accounting. The main goal of this class is to teach students how to handle financial matters pertaining to businesses. Topics studied in these classes include:
- venture capital
- crowd funding
- international finance
- investments and marketing
- banks and financial institutions
- statistics for business
Undergraduate students majoring in finance will need to complete a broad range of coursework to earn their associate degrees. However, the above are five key classes required of most Associate in Finance programs.
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