Finance and Accounting Degrees Offered at Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac University appears in our ranking of the Top 40 Best Online MBAs in Finance.
The School of Business at Quinnipiac University (QU) has a total enrollment of over 2300 students in ten undergraduate and seven graduate programs. These include three bachelor’s and two master’s degrees in the accounting and finance field.
QU’s business programs take pride in keeping up with changes in the industry. In addition, all students are encouraged to complete at least one internship and can attend a variety of professional development workshops during their time at Quinnipiac. The university’s Career Connection portal helps students investigate and reach out to over 7000 prospective employers, and graduates can also take advantage of the 15,000-member School of Business alumnae network.
At the undergraduate level, there are three accounting/finance tracks that lead to the bachelor of science degree. In every program, students must complete 34 credit hours of general university courses and the 43-hour business core which provide a solid foundation in all aspects of the business world. The accounting major requires an additional ten courses focusing on specialized accounting techniques, auditing, and taxation plus 15 hours of electives. Many students participate in service-learning opportunities like the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in which students gain experience preparing taxes for low-income individuals in the community. Another related major combines accounting with computer information systems. The curriculum for this program is very similar to the accounting major detailed above except, in place of accounting electives, students complete the computer information systems core. This consists of seven classes including Systems Analysis and Design, Object-Oriented Programming, and IT Project Management in addition to a final capstone project and internship.
While accounting focuses more on daily operations and cash flow, the finance field is primarily concerned with evaluating the big picture and predicting and planning for the future. The finance major at QU features six core classes including Investment Analysis, Financial Modeling, and Intermediate Corporate Finance along with 12 credit hours of electives. This curriculum prepares students for the Chartered Financial Analyst Institute’s Level I exam for initial certification. There are also many opportunities for students to practice investment strategies through real-time simulations, Investment Club activities, and collaboration on the $1.6 million Student Managed Portfolio.
At the graduate level, Quinnipiac University students can either pursue the Master of Science in Accounting or the finance track of the Master of Business Administration. Graduates of the M.S. program are eligible and prepared for the Uniform CPA Examination after completing the rigorous curriculum. All students must take six required courses but then may customize their program by choosing four electives for a total of 30 hours. Some options include Governmental and Not-For-Profit Accounting, Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination, and Business Decision Analysis. QU undergraduate accounting students can combine their B.S. and M.S. via the Accelerated Dual Degree or Dual Degree programs in order to complete both degrees in 4 or 5 years respectively.
The M.B.A. program also has these 4 and 5-year accelerated options for the finance track. This is the only related degree that can be earned on campus, entirely online, or a combination of the two. The curriculum combines a broad advanced business core with specialty finance classes and a course in decision-making tools. The 25-hour core focuses on decision-making in all aspects of business and culminates in the final Decision-Making Capstone. Students take six elective finance courses to complete their degree.
About Quinnipiac University
QU opened its doors in 1929 in New Haven, Connecticut, as Connecticut College of Commerce to replace the recently closed Northeastern University campus in town. After closing during World War II, the school grew quickly once the war ended and eventually changed its name to Quinnipiac in honor of a local Native American tribe. The university currently has campuses in Hamden and North Haven and enrolls about 10,000 students in 79 degree programs. Quinnipiac University is included on the lists of Best Value Schools and Best Schools for Veterans as published by the U.S. News and World Report, and the graduate online business programs are ranked in the top 20% for both the M.B.A. and the accounting master of science degrees.
Quinnipiac University Accreditation Details
The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) provides regional accreditation to colleges and universities in the six northeastern states including Connecticut. Quinnipiac University has been continuously accredited since 1958. This means that the school has met all quality standards in nine categories including Educational Effectiveness, The Academic Program, and Integrity, Transparency, and Public Disclosure. In addition to overall accreditation, there are other organizations that evaluate specific programs and departments to ensure that they adequately prepare students for professional life in a particular industry. The QU School of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business both in general business and accounting.
Quinnipiac University Application Requirements
Prospective undergraduates can apply for admission via either the Quinnipiac application or the Common Application and must include high school transcripts and official SAT or ACT results. The accounting M.S. program is geared toward students who majored in the field, and there are seven basic accounting courses that must be completed prior to admission. Other requirements for both the M.S. and M.B.A. include official transcripts, GMAT or GRE scores, a letter of intent, three recommendations, and a resume. For accounting applicants, preference is given to those with GPAs 3.0 or higher and GMAT and GRE scores greater than 500 and 150 per section, respectively. Students can apply for accelerated dual degree (3+1) programs when applying for freshmen admission, and the dual degree (4+1) application is due during the spring semester of junior year.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Full-time undergraduates at Quinnipiac University can expect to pay the tuition of around $47,000 per year. Tuition for graduate students enrolled in the School of Business is $1055 per credit hour, and online M.B.A. courses are $985 per hour. There are discounted tuition rates for members of the military as well as employees of Quinnipiac’s corporate partners. In addition, merit scholarships are available to students attending the on-campus M.B.A. program along with need-based grants and assistantships for all graduate students. Quinnipiac University emphasizes that a QU education is an investment and many graduates find high-paying jobs quickly after graduation.
