The Advanced Accounting Certificate program is designed for students who have completed the Fundamentals of Accounting program or equivalent course work. The courses in this online program provide in-depth and advanced knowledge of a range of topics, from auditing to income tax to research and communication. Students who have already completed significant course work in accounting may use these courses to complete requirements for the Illinois CPA examination or CPA exams in other states.
Students should have substantial academic experience in basic accounting or equivalent accounting knowledge before beginning the Advanced Accounting post-baccalaureate certificate. Recommended prerequisites are:
Post-baccalaureate students at Northwestern's School of Professional Studies pay per course. For more information about financial obligations and tuition, please visit the Tuition page.
Admission for the Online Advanced Accounting Certificate Program
In addition to completing an online application, you'll also need to submit a few supplemental materials. A list of requirements for admission including application deadlines and tips on how to apply can be found at the Admission page.
Advanced Accounting Registration Information
Whether you're a first-time registrant or current and returning student, all students register using our online student registration and records systems. Important information about registering for courses at SPS, including registration timelines and adding or dropping courses in which you are already enrolled, can be found on the Registration Information page.
Find out more about the Advanced Accounting Certificate Program
Program Courses:
Course Detail
Intermediate Accounting II <> ACCOUNT 211-DL
This course covers the accounting problems of a corporation's
valuation, cost allocation, stockholder equity, and long-term debt;
leases, pension plans, and income tax allocations; financial
statement construction, effect of errors, cash and other funds, and
issues relating to the analysis of financial statements; the
present-value concept. Prerequisite: ACCOUNT 210.
This course is conducted completely online. A technology fee will
be added to tuition.
This course is a continuation in the field of taxation with
particular attention to the field of corporate and business
taxation at the Federal level. Corporate formation and capital
structure, corporate income tax, other corporate levies,
consolidated tax returns, partnerships, and S-corporations are
among the topics covered. Some IRS forms will be used, but the
emphasis will be upon a deeper understanding of federal tax law.
Prerequisite: ACCOUNT 208 (Income Tax I).
This course is conducted completely online. A technology fee
will be added to tuition.
Auditing Principles and Procedures provides the foundational
concepts of balance sheet audits, allowing students to exercise the
role of an external auditor, identifying audit risks, determining
appropriate audit techniques and evidencing, and executing audits
of primary financial areas present at most companies. Students will
be confronted with common ethical issues faced by auditors, issues
of auditor independence, fraud risks, and audits of key accounting
cycles such as cash, accounts receivable, inventories, accounts
payable, debt and capital. By the end of this course, students will
be proficient in recognizing audit risks at both, the client and
financial statement line level, writing engagement letters, and
communicating results to auditees. Students will join group
discussions, complete online homework assignments, research and
write papers on various topics, and complete online quizzes and
examinations. Students are highly encouraged to share articles and
their own experiences related to auditing and auditors as part of
their assignments.
This course is conducted completely online. A technology fee will
be added to tuition.
Auditing II builds on foundational audit concepts and applies
them to real-life situations including the understanding and
analysis of company financial statements. The course also
introduces a number of internal control frameworks and standards,
explores alternatives to the traditional financial statement audit,
compares and contrasts the roles of the external and internal
auditor, and considers whether auditors can be truly independent.
By the end of this course, students will be proficient in analyzing
financial statements, including understanding a company’s strengths
and weaknesses, as well as whether a company presents a good
investment opportunity. Students will also be able to design audit
procedures to prevent or detect fraud and will have an
understanding of the differences between IT controls and manual
controls. Students will join group discussions, complete online
homework assignments, research and write papers on various topics,
participate in group projects and complete online quizzes and
examinations. Students are highly encouraged to share articles and
their own experiences related to auditing and auditors as part of
their assignments.
This course is conducted completely online. A technology fee will
be added to tuition.
Topics: International Accounting <> ACCOUNT 390-DL
This course covers accounting issues uniquely confronted by
companies involved in international business. The primary focus of
the course is to provide an overview of international accounting by
drawing on real business problems, economies, and finance in order
to understand what is contained in and how to develop and interpret
financial reports. The course includes fundamental financial
accounting concepts and methods across countries.
This course is conducted completely online. A technology fee will
be added to tuition.
There is no available section.
Topics: Research and Communication <> ACCOUNT 390-DL
CPAs are required to conduct research when performing tax,
accounting, and auditing services. The successful accountant will
not only be able to access and utilize online databases but also
concisely convey their findings to clients and third parties using
proper grammar and punctuation. This course introduces the type of
research the professional will encounter in their practice and
covers the available research databases and steps to conduct such
research. Also covered are communication techniques, grammar, and
punctuation.
This course is conducted completely online. A technology fee
will be added to tuition
This course is designed for students who wish to explore the
forensic accounting profession. Since most students have been or
will be affected by fraud on a personal and/or professional level,
this course is also designed for students who simply wish to know
more about forensic accounting so that they are in a much better
position to recognize fraud and know how to respond. Students
completing this course will have a basic understanding of forensic
accounting opportunities and career possibilities in this field.
Students will apply accounting, research, and investigative skills
and become knowledgeable about areas of the law relating to fraud
examination and litigation services. These skills, when combined
with this knowledge, will enable students to collect, analyze, and
evaluate evidential matter and to interpret and communicate their
findings.
This course is conducted completely online. A technology fee will
be added to tuition.
