Accounting, Law, and Computer Information Systems
(ACCT/LAW/CIS)
Assistant Professor Mary Michel
Chair of the Department
Accounting majors must take LAW 304, ACCT 301, 302, 303, 401, 405, 409 plus three credits of the following: ACCT 320, 404, 421, 460 and 470. A minimum grade of C is necessary to receive major or minor credit.
201-202. Principles of Accounting I & II. Introduce fundamental accounting principles in accounting and demonstrates how these principles are used in preparing and interpreting financial statements of business organizations. Emphasis is given to the effect of transactions and events on the financial position, profitability and cash flows of business enterprises. Concepts and methods underlying management decisions are analyzed. Computer applications are used. (Cr.3, 3)
301-302. Intermediate Accounting. Discussion of traditional financial accounting topics including recent developments in valuation and reporting as promulgated by leading accounting organizations. Supplementary assignments sensitize students to ethical situations and dilemmas encountered by practicing accountants. Prerequisite: ACCT 201-202. (Cr.3, 3)
303. Cost Accounting. This course concentrates on providing key cost data to managers. The idea of providing different costs for different purposes is stressed. The topics covered include measurement and reporting of manufacturing costs, job costing, process costing, activity-based costing, standard costing variance analysis, variable costing, cost allocation, joint products, quality costs, operations costing, just in time systems, and backflush costing. Fall. Prerequisites: ACCT 201-202. (Cr.3)
320. Financial Statement Analysis. This course covers financial statement analysis for security valuation. First, it reviews the investment environment in which financial statement analysis takes place. Second, it compares valuation models based on forecasts of dividends, cash flow and accounting earnings. The course provides an in-depth analysis of each of the four financial statements. It analyzes financial ratios with special emphasis on the Price-to-Book and Price-Earnings ratios. It provides guidelines for forecasting future financial statements for valuation. The course is recommended for students with an interest in investing, including finance majors and accounting minors. Prerequisite: ACCT 201, ACCT 202, FIN 301 or 306.
401. Auditing. Auditor’s responsibilities in examining and preparing various reports on financial statements and his/her function in evaluating management controls. Topics include professional ethics, legal liability, auditing standards, internal control, and the selection, scope, and application of auditing procedures. Fall. Prerequisite: ACCT 301-302. (Cr.3)
404. Information Technology Assurance and Audit. Evaluation of an EDP system; concepts of system and design; techniques of analyzing and flow charting various systems; use of computer audit package programs; and study of organizational, security, input, output, processing, and documentation controls. Spring. Prerequisites: ACCT 301, 302, 401. (Cr.3)
405. International and Advanced Issues in Accounting. Discussion of global accounting issues such as international differences and classifications of financial reporting; accounting for foreign currency transactions; consolidated financial statements; as well as other advanced issues such as governmental, nonprofit accounting, and accounting for bankruptcy. Spring. Prerequisite: ACCT 301-302. (Cr.3)
409. Income Taxation. Theory and problems of federal income taxes as applied to individuals and corporations. Fall. Prerequisite: ACCT 301-302. (Cr.3)
410. Federal Taxation II. Theory and problems of federal income taxes applicable to corporations, partnerships, estates and trusts. Pension and profit-sharing plans and other deferred compensation planning techniques are discussed, including coverage of income tax research methods. Spring. Prerequisite: ACCT 409. (Cr.3)
460. Accounting Seminar. This course exposes students to theories and issues of current professional interest in accounting. Open to a limited number of students who meet departmental requirements and have the approval of the Chair of the Department. Prerequisite: ACCT 201-202 (Cr. 3)
470. Accounting Tutorial/ Independent Study. A program of supervised reading and research under the direction of a member of the Department. Topics and methods of research are to be developed in consultation with the supervising professor. Open to qualified students who meet the departmental requirements and have the approval of the Department Chair and the Dean. (Cr.3)
203. Business Law I. A foundation in the law of commercial transactions to gain an awareness of legal problems so that timely legal advice is sought. Topics include, the legal environment of business, contracts, consideration, legality, statute of frauds, third persons, discharge, remedies for breach, agency and forms of business organizations. Prerequisite: at least sophomore standing. (Cr.3)
304. Business Law II. This is the second half of the two semester courses in the law of commercial transactions covering topics of special interest to the CPA candidates such as partnership, limited liability company, corporation, sales, commercial paper, real estate, bankruptcy, wills and estates. Spring. Prerequisite: LAW 203. (Cr.3)
Computer Information Systems (CIS)
The Computer Information Systems program offers a core course, 210, required of all business students and a major in computer information systems. The major emphasizes management information systems and the use of computers in aiding managers to perform their function in modern organizations. Computer Information Systems majors must take CIS 301, 305, 310, 326, 431. A minimum grade of C is necessary for credit in major and minor courses.
210. Introduction to Management Information Systems. Critical issues using technology to manage information in today’s rapidly changing business environment are evaluated. Strategic importance of information systems and the level of integration of IS with the business process are studied. Analysis of information flow, hardware, software, international information systems, networks and ethical issues as well as total quality management and business process reengineering. (Cr.3)
301. Introduction to Programming for Business Applications. Programming fundamentals with introduction to Visual Basic programming, problem solving, business information processing and application development. Emphasis on structuring simple business problems and data processing. Fall. Prerequisite: CIS 210. (Cr.3)
305. Computer Hardware and Software. Introduction to computer architecture and system software. Major topics include CPU architecture, multiprocessing systems, memory hierarchy, instructions sets, operating systems design and functionality, peripherals, process management and file systems. Prerequisite: CIS 210. (Cr. 3)
310. Database Concepts and Programming. An introduction to the application of data resource management concepts to information systems. Topics include: principles of relational database structure, design, and management; and the use of a microprocessor database management system and SQL. Prerequisite: CIS 210. (Cr.3)
316. E-Commerce Technologies. Introduction to implementing and managing an e-Commerce infrastructure. Major topics include web content creation by using markup and scripting languages such as HTML, XML and JavaScript; audio, graphics, and video content technologies, web server setup and administration, web security, search engines and caching. Prerequisite: CIS 210. (Cr. 3)
326. Networks, Telecommunications and Global Communications. An introduction to the concepts and goals of computer networking and the fundamentals of telecommunications and network standards. Students will gain in-depth experience of networking and telecommunications fundamentals including LANs, MANs, WANs, intranets, the Internet, and the WWW. Data communication and telecommunication concepts, models, standards, and protocols will be studied. Prerequisite: CIS 305 (Cr. 3)
424. Decision Support Systems and Expert Systems. A study of the fundamental techniques and the manner in which Decision Support Systems and Expert Systems are constructed and used in the business community. The course provides future and practicing managers with the foundations of hands on experience with DSS and Expert Systems used in direct support of managerial decision making. Prerequisite: CIS 310. (Cr.3)
426. Network Management. An introduction to a broad spectrum of network, system and applications management. Students will gain theoretical and practical knowledge of network and system architectures such as TMN, protocols such as SNMP, modeling, information databases, and NM applications such as Configuration, Fault, and Performance management. Prerequisite: CIS 326. (Cr.3)
431. Analysis and Design of Information Systems. A study of the development of computer systems from initiation to designing of the systems including requirement analysis and reviews. A phased approach and structured analysis methodologies are emphasized as project control and risk reduction techniques. Prerequisite: CIS 310. (Cr. 3)
450. Building Information Systems. Students who have completed the analysis and logical design course will extend their knowledge by implementing an information system in an emerging systems environment. Teams will use project management principles to implement an information system. Topics may include selection of development environments and standards; structured, event driven, and object oriented application design; testing; software quality assurance; system implementation; user training; system delivery; post implementation review; configuration management; maintenance; multitiered architectures and client independent design. Prerequisite: CIS 431. (Cr. 3)
460. Computer Information Systems Seminars. This course exposes students to evolving techniques and theories on issues of current professional interest in management information system development and practice. Topics may include network design and management, software engineering developments for business application, and security, ethical, global, and legal issues. Prerequisite: varies according to topic. (Cr. 3)
470. Computer Information Systems Tutorial/ Independent Study. A program of supervised reading and research under the direction of a member of the Department. Topics and methods of research are to be developed in consultation with the supervising professor. Open to qualified students who meet the departmental requirements and have the approval of the Department Chair and the Dean. Prerequisite: CIS 310. (Cr.3)