Accounting & Finance BS 4-Year Plan

Welcome to the Accounting & Finance Major Webpage!

This major is designed for student seeking CPA licensure!

The faculty of Bethel University has just approved a new major in our department that is geared for students who desire to become licensed as Certified Public Accountants. It is a 150-credit program that will be a major in Accounting and Finance. It will also be a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree, rather than a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.). The B.S. designation recognizes the additional technical nature of this degree, as well as the additional business and economics credits required to achieve this degree. 

Although you can still complete 150 credits and become licensed as a CPA without completing this specific program (you can do other credits, complete a master's degree, etc.), we believe this B.S. degree incorporates the rigor and critical thinking skills required of today's CPA. In addition, it allows you to become a more well-rounded individual whose depth of knowledge goes beyond the numbers. When the American Institute of CPAs first began to recommend that states adopt a 150-credit requirement, their rationale was as follows:

“Certified public accountants must be broadly educated professionals who are technically competent and who possess the analytical abilities, communication and interpersonal skills, and cultural awareness that will enable them to serve the public in a complex and changing environment.” (Academic Preparation to Become a Certified Public Accountant, June 1992, AICPA)

We believe this new program will help you achieve the goals established by the AICPA.

If you have further questions, please contact:

Prof. Bruce Olsen

Associate Professor of Accounting

651.638.6320

bruce-olsen@bethel.edu