Finance and Accounting Programs at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs appears in our ranking of the Top 40 Best Online MBAs in Finance.
The finance and accounting programs offered by the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs prepare undergrads and graduate students to work in these and related industries. Students can earn a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Accounting when they take classes such as Intermediate Accounting, Individual Income Tax, Cost Accounting and Fundamentals of Operations Management. A BS in Finance program is also available, which features classes such as Introduction to Microeconomics, Business Law, Communications in the Workplace and Basic Finance. The university has both a Finance Club and an Accounting Club for these majors.
This university is one of the only in the nation to offer Bachelor of Innovation degree programs in both finance and accounting. Each program looks at some of the innovations in the field and shows students how they can use those forms of technology and create new innovations of their own. Introduction to Managerial Accounting, Money and Banking and Investment and Portfolio Management are some of the required courses in the finance program. Students in the accounting major will take Cost Accounting, Intermediate Accounting I and II and Individual Income Tax.
Students who want to take the professional accounting exams in Colorado must complete some advanced work beyond the bachelor’s level. The University of Colorado, Colorado Springs offers an accounting certificate post-bachelor program for those students. It is open to any student who has a grade point average of 2.7 or higher and a bachelor’s degree. The program includes two courses on intermediate accounting and a class on financial accounting. Students will also need to pick two electives to take to meet the minimum 15 credits needed to earn their certificates.
Also available is a fully accredited Master of Science (MS) in Accounting program. It includes 30 credits of classes and is only available on the Colorado Springs campus, though the university allows students to take their elective courses online. They will take two electives from options such as Introduction to Accounting Systems, Advanced Financial Accounting, and Corporate and Partnership Taxation. The required courses include Advanced Auditing, Accounting Ethics and Institutions, Federal Tax Research and Planning and a seminar. Students will also need to take 12 credits of business electives, which can include one or more internships.
An MBA with a concentration in accounting is available online and an MBA with a concentration in finance is available online or on campus.
About the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
The University of Colorado, Colorado Springs is a public university and one of the main campuses in the university system in the state. A sanatorium opened in Colorado Springs near the turn of the 20th century and later became the basis for a new campus built by the University of Colorado. The university chose this location when it decided to transition from offering extension classes at local colleges to building a full campus. Also called UCCS, it now consists of six colleges that offer degree programs in arts and sciences, business, nursing, engineering, public affairs and education fields. The UCCS campus grew significantly since it announced major expansion plans in 2000, which helped enrollment at this campus climb to more than 12,000 bachelor and post-bachelor students.
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Accreditation Details
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) granted accreditation to both the finance and accounting programs offered by UCCS. This accreditation covers both the graduate and certificate programs and all the options available for undergrads. UCCS also has regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), which gives students the chance to both transfer their past college credits and apply for financial aid.
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Application Requirements
The preferred deadline for undergraduate applications is May first, but UCCS has a rolling admissions policy that allows students to apply before or after this date. Those who apply prior to the deadline have a better chance of getting financial aid and will qualify for more of the university’s scholarships. The main requirements for undergrads include the $50 application fee and completion of the UCCS application, which they can pay and fill out online. Students are also responsible for making sure the university receives their transcripts and test scores. The university will also accept up to two letters of recommendation and a personal statement.
Students applying to the UCCS MS in Accounting program need to complete multiple steps. They will write a goals statement that includes all the goals they have while in graduate school and the future. The UCCS application includes a section where students can upload both this statement and a current resume. They will also need to contact the professional/academic references they want to use and ask them to write letters of recommendation for them and submit them to the university. Once they complete the application, students can arrange for their past schools to send in their transcripts. UCCS has a priority deadline of June first and a final deadline of July first for applications to this program. Those applying to the accounting certificate program need to submit an application and their transcripts and pay the application fee too.
Tuition and Financial Aid
At UCCS, undergrads pay $389 per credit hour as a Colorado resident but receive a stipend that reduces their rates to $295 per credit hour. All nonresidents pay $799 per credit hour. The rates that students pay will increase when they reach their junior and senior years to $321 per credit hour for residents and $833 per credit hour for nonresidents. Graduate student rates start at $946 per credit hour for Colorado residents and climb to $1,570 per credit hour for nonresidents. The university offers a discount that drops the price as students take more credits and a second discount that reduces the rate for nonresidents taking online classes to around the same rate that residents pay on-campus.
Both graduate and undergraduate students attending UCCS can get financial aid, but they will need to make sure that they use the right code on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). UCCS designs financial aid packages for undergrads based on the need they show on the FAFSA, while graduate students can qualify for loans and other special programs without showing financial need. There are also work opportunities available for students and some grants and loans too. All finance and accounting majors attending the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs can get financial aid.
