Accountancy Department (ACC/BLAW)

College of Business Administration
Department Chair: William Maas
3202 Wittich Hall; 608.785.6825
Email: wmaas@uwlax.edu

www.uwlax.edu/academics/department/accountancy

The Accountancy Program at UW-La Crosse is designed to provide students with a balanced approach of the practical and the theoretical, preparing students for not only their first job but their career. The success of the UW-La Crosse accountancy program is evidenced by the accomplishments of our alumni, the number of internship placements, and the performance of UW-La Crosse students on the CPA exam. During the 2021-2022 academic year, 60 accountancy majors participated in well-paid internships. Essentially all UW-La Crosse accountancy graduates are placed in accountancy positions, with the lowest placement rate in the last ten years at 94 percent.

Wisconsin and Minnesota, along with most other states, require 150 credits as part of the CPA certification. UW-La Crosse offers a flexible approach to completing the 150 credits. A large number of UW-La Crosse students combine the accounting degree with another undergraduate specialty, such as finance. The advantage of this approach is that students can complete their degree, the 150 hours, and an internship in four-and-one-half years, graduating in December.


The following is the department's faculty and staff as of the publication date of this catalog. This list will not be updated again until the next catalog is published in July.

Associate Professor

Mehtap Eklund

Sergey Komissarov

William Maas

Vivek Pande

Assistant Professor

Recep Pekdemir

Associate Teaching Professor

Betsy Schmidt

Ben Trnka

Noel Wilbur

Assistant Teaching Professor

Sandy Chapman

Jason Parr


Accountancy Courses

ACC 221 Cr.3

Accounting Principles I

An introduction to accounting as an information system. Emphasis is on reporting to external constituencies: investors and creditors. Topics include recording economic activities of the firm and the resultant financial reports, time value of money concept and its applications to financial reporting. Prerequisite: students must have successfully completed a minimum of 12 credit hours; only open to CBA majors or when required by another major/minor. Offered Fall, Spring, Summer.

ACC 222 Cr.3

Accounting Principles II

Emphasis is on reporting to internal constituencies: managers in all functional areas of the firm. An introduction to accounting principles used to prepare internal financial reports used for management decision-making. Topics include cost determination and flow, cost-volume-profit analysis, absorption and variable costing, capital budgeting, and cash flow analysis. Prerequisite: ACC 221 completed with a grade of "C" or better. Offered Fall, Spring, Summer.

ACC 303 Cr.3

Tax Planning

The course analyzes various aspects of income tax as contained in the CFP Board's Principal Knowledge Topics of Tax Planning. The major topics include income tax fundamentals and calculations for individuals, business entities, and trusts and estates. The course also explores tax consequences and strategies for property transactions, charitable giving, and special circumstances. Prerequisite: FIN 355. Offered Annually.

ACC 311 Cr.3

Intermediate Accounting I

The first course in the financial accounting course sequence, this course is designed for students considering an accounting major or minor. This course involves the intensive study of both theory and practice, as they relate to the preparation and analysis of the balance sheet, income statement, retained earnings statement, and statement of cash flows. Additional specific topics include receivables, inventory, fixed assets, and intangibles. Prerequisite: ACC 221; admission to business or declared accountancy major/minor. Offered Fall, Spring.

ACC 312 Cr.3

Intermediate Accounting II

An extension of the theory and application of accounting principles involved in the financial analysis of liabilities and stockholder's equity of the accounting entity. Problem areas in accounting and financial reporting are emphasized. Prerequisite: ACC 311; admission to business. Offered Fall, Spring.

ACC 313 Cr.3

Intermediate Accounting III

A continuation of ACC 311 and ACC 312 with an emphasis on more complex intermediate financial accounting topics. Includes a review of investments, derivatives, revenue recognition, pensions, accounting errors, full disclosure, and the financial reporting implications of taxes. Prerequisite: ACC 312; admission to business. Offered Fall, Spring.

ACC 325 Cr.3

Cost Accounting

The emphasis of this course is on reporting to internal constituencies, such as upper management, operations, marketing, purchasing, human resources and others. It extends and enhances the students' exposure to management accounting theory and practice related to planning, directing and controlling business activities. Topics include cost allocation techniques, budgeting and variance analysis, strategic cost and activity based management using monetary and non-monetary measures. Prerequisite: ACC 222, STAT 145; admission to business. Offered Fall, Spring.

ACC 327 Cr.3

Accounting Information Systems

Procedures and problems in system design applied to the financial operations of a business and the role of the computer in processing financial information. Topics covered are responsibility accounting systems, inventory systems, sales analysis systems, and internal control. Prerequisite: ACC 311; IS 220; admission to business or information systems minor. Offered Fall, Spring.

ACC 330 Cr.3

Individual Income Taxation

The course examines tax principles and procedures that form a basis and foundation for the determination and computation of federal income tax liability for individual taxpayers. Prerequisite: ACC 311; admission to business. Offered Fall, Spring.

ACC 338 Cr.3

Principles of Fraud Examination

This course explores the various aspects of fraud prevention and detection, including the psychology/sociology of fraud, elements of fraud, types of fraud, use of accounting controls to prevent fraud, and methods of fraud detection. Additional topics include an analysis of evidence, document examination, body language and interviewing techniques. The course also provides a preparatory introduction to three of four sections of the Certified Fraud Examiner's (CFE) examination offered by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). Prerequisite: a grade of "C" or higher in ACC 311. Offered Fall.

ACC 400 Cr.1-3

Accountancy Forum

Emphasis will be on examination and study of current accountancy issues. Topics will vary from semester to semester. Repeatable for credit - maximum six. Prerequisite: admission to business; junior standing. Consent of instructor. Offered Occasionally.

ACC 418 Cr.3

Business Law for Accountants

The study of law as it relates to the professional accountant's need for an understanding of the legal environment. Among topics included are accountant's legal responsibility, federal security regulation, antitrust laws, employer-employee relationship, bankruptcy, forms of business organization, estates and trusts, commercial paper, contracts, sales, real estate and ethics. Prerequisite: BLAW 205; senior standing; accountancy major; admission to business. Offered Fall, Spring.

ACC 421 Cr.3

Advanced Accounting

Principles and theories of financial accounting and reporting for consolidated groups of entities, state and local governmental entities, and partnership entities. A majority of this course relates to consolidated groups of entities including translating foreign exchange transactions and consolidation of foreign operations. Prerequisite: ACC 313; junior standing; admission to business. Offered Fall, Spring.

ACC 430 Cr.3

Business Taxation

A study of tax law affecting different forms of business entities. This course will include the preparation of various federal business income tax returns. Prerequisite: ACC 330. Offered Fall, Spring.

ACC 438 Cr.3

Principles of Auditing

Introduces the student to auditing, attestation, and assurance services. Topics include: client acceptance, audit planning, client internal control systems, audit risk, materiality, audit evidence, audit sampling, audit documentation, engagement quality control, professional ethics, legal liability, and the audit, attestation or assurance report issues by the auditor. The sources of authoritative standards and interpretations addressed in the course include: Audit Standards issued by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board applied to clients that are required to report to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, Statements on Auditing Standards for all other clients, and the Code of Professional Conduct issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Prerequisite: STAT 145, ACC 313, ACC 327; junior standing; admission to business. Offered Fall, Spring.

ACC 450 Cr.1-12

College of Business Administration Internship

The internship program provides an opportunity for students in the College of Business Administration to participate in an approved program with a cooperating business, governmental, or civic organization for usually 15 weeks of their undergraduate work. For additional information, see the internship section in the College of Business Administration part of the catalog. Repeatable for credit. ACC 450 cannot be used to satisfy the ACC major requirements. Prerequisite: cumulative GPA of at least 2.50; ACC 221, ACC 222; BLAW 205; ECO 110, ECO 120, ECO 230; FIN 355; IS 220; MGT 308; MKT 309; admission to business. Consent of department. Pass/Fail grading. Offered Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer.

ACC 499 Cr.1-3

Independent Study

Individual readings or research under the guidance of a staff member. Open to selected advanced students who have excellent records in the department. Repeatable for credit - maximum six. Prerequisite: admission to business. Consent of instructor. Pass/Fail grading. Offered Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer.

Business Law Courses

BLAW 205 Cr.3

The Legal and Ethical Environment of Business

This course introduces students to ethical theory and decision-making models, as well as the legal framework in which American business operates, the substantive legal rules that govern American business domestically and internationally, and the ethical and social responsibility implications of business conduct within the legal environment. Governmental efforts to regulate business activity by statute and administrative agency rules and decisions are emphasized. Prerequisite: ECO 110 or ECO 120; sophomore standing; CBA major or business administration minor. Offered Fall, Spring.

BLAW 305 Cr.3

Business Law

This course introduces the common law subjects of contracts, agency and torts; the Uniform Commercial Code's treatment of sales contracts; and criminal law issues relevant to management decision-making. The course takes the knowledge and concepts learned in BLAW 205 and delves significantly deeper into the interplay between business and law. Prerequisite: BLAW 205; admission to business. Offered Occasionally.

BLAW 405 Cr.3

The Law of International Business Transactions

This course examines the legal problems that arise when business activities and organizations cross national boundaries and become multinational in structure, operation, and scope. Specific attention is paid to the legal effects of international business decisions; doing business in market, non-market and developing nations; the movement of goods, people and information across national borders; protection of intellectual property; international dispute resolution; and international contracts. Prerequisite: BLAW 205; admission to business. Offered Fall, Spring.

BLAW 415 Cr.3

Current Topics in Law

Examination of current legal problems as they relate to business. Prerequisite: admission to business. Offered Occasionally.