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Phone: (510) 642-4231

Accounting

(EDP 152074)

UC Berkeley Extension's Certificate Program in Accounting prepares you to analyze and accurately communicate the financial impact of economic events on an enterprise. The accounting profession is valued more than ever by business leaders and investors, who recognize the critical need for qualified and well-trained accounting professionals. Moreover, as sophisticated software takes over many basic accounting functions, today's accountants are finding that they must position themselves as savvy financial analysts in order to remain competitive.

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The Certificate in Accounting is designed to provide students with a broad and thorough understanding of accounting principles and financial reporting practices, to keep students abreast of innovations in the field, and to enhance proficiency in accounting-related functions such as financial analysis and data interpretation. It is possible to complete this program in as little as one year.

Many of our courses count toward the educational requirements to sit for the CPA and CMA exams.

Some of our courses may fulfill prerequisites for M.B.A. programs. Please note that acceptance of transfer credit is always at the discretion of the accepting institution; contact the schools to which you are applying for information about transfer of credits earned at UC Berkeley Extension.

Who Will Benefit

The program is intended for those who wish to enter the accounting field and for current accounting professionals who want to update their skills and gain a credential.

Prerequisites for Admission

There are no prerequisites for the Certificate in Accounting, but a bachelor's degree is recommended.

Courses

Certificate candidates can specialize in one of two areas: Accounting for Controllers or Accounting for Financial and Business Analysts. Both specializations require three core courses and four additional specialization courses. (Course fees in the Accounting certificate are located within individual course descriptions of the web catalog, and do not include textbooks and/or course materials.)

The three core courses are:

Introduction to Financial Accounting XB102A
Introduction to Managerial Accounting XB102B
Intermediate Financial Accounting II X421.2

We recommend you begin the program with Introduction to Financial Accounting XB102A.

After completing the core, students take additional specialization courses.

For Accounting for Controllers, complete the following:

Cost Accounting X419 (offered fall 2009)
Advanced Financial Accounting X421.3 (offered online; offered fall 2009 in classroom)
Taxation for Corporations and Other Flow-Through Entities X419.5 (offered fall 2009)
Principles of Business Law X410.1

For Accounting for Financial and Business Analysts, complete the following:

Basic Corporate Finance X430.1
Financial Statement Analysis X419.2 (offered online; offered fall 2009 in classroom)
Advanced Financial Accounting X421.3 (offered online; offered fall 2009 in classroom)
Business Valuation X431.9

Candidates must pay a nonrefundable fee and maintain an overall minimum 2.5 grade point average, with a grade of C or better in each course.

Registration Procedure

We recommend that you register for the certificate program before you begin your third course in the program. To register, please (1) complete and submit the Program Registration Form or (2) print out and complete the form at www.unex.berkeley.edu/cert/certproginfo.html. Mail or fax it as it indicates, and include the nonrefundable registration fee.

Requirements may be updated based on new developments in the field of study; we recommend completing the program in a timely fashion.

Substitution requests: Students wishing to use a course they have previously taken can request a maximum of two courses to be substituted. All substitution requests must meet the following minimum standards: Previous courses must have been taken at a regionally accredited college or university, students must have received a B or better in the course, and the course must have been taken within the last 5 years. Please note that the above guidelines are a minimum standard, and all substitution requests are granted at the discretion of UC Berkeley Extension. A request may be denied though the course meets the guidelines outlined above.

Completion: Upon receipt of the grade report from your final course, please contact this department to request your certificate.

Grading policy: All courses must be taken for a letter grade. A grade point average of 2.5 is required in order to earn a certificate of completion, and each course must be completed with a grade of C or better. If you maintain a 3.5 grade point average or higher you will be awarded a Certificate with Distinction.

Transfer: Students may transfer up to two courses (4 units) from another regionally accredited university, if taken within the last five years with a grade of B or better; send your request and a transcript from your previous school to the address below.

Mail transfer requests to:
Accounting Certificate Program,
UC Berkeley Extension
Department of Business and Management
1995 University Avenue, Suite 110
Berkeley, CA 94704-7000

Refunds, withdrawals, and cancellations: For all refund, withdrawal, or cancellation issues, please refer to www.unex.berkeley.edu/info/enrollment.html#refunds. Note: Work obligations do not qualify as an exception in terms of the refund policy.

For more information please e-mail
, or call (510) 642-4231.

CPA and CMA Exam Preparation

To sit for the Uniform Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Examination, candidates must meet the educational requirements established by the California Board of Accountancy. These requirements include a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; if the degree is in a non-accounting major, candidates must also complete a combination of 24 semester units of accounting/auditing/taxation courses and 24 semester units of other business-related courses.

To sit for the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) Examination, candidates must meet the educational requirements established by the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA). UC Berkeley Extension offers beginning and intermediate courses for those who have little or no background in accounting and specialized courses for those who need to review specific areas covered on the examination.

License renewal
CPAs must renew their licenses every two years. A license renewal requires, within each two-year period, completion of 80 hours of qualifying continuing professional education that contributes directly to professional competence. CMAs who have successfully completed all parts of a certification program must maintain their professional competence through a regular program of continuing professional education. To remain in good standing with the Institute of Management Accountants, 30 hours of continuing education must be completed each year subsequent to passing the examination.

Full information about CPA and CMA licensing and renewal requirements is available at the following Web sites:

California Board of Accountancy, at www.dca.ca.gov/cba

Uniform CPA Examination, at www.cpa-exam.org

Institute of Management Accountants, at www.imanet.org

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