Accounting and Finance
The Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance at USC is a joint degree offered by the Leventhal School of Accounting and the Marshall School of Business. This degree requires at least 128 units including USC’s General Education requirements and provides students with a comprehensive foundation in both accounting and finance, equipping them for finance-oriented careers. The program emphasizes real-world applications, including financial statement analysis, financial reporting standards, and valuation techniques.
The degree cannot be combined as an additional major in either accounting or business administration. The degree is administered by the Leventhal School of Accounting.
A cumulative grade point average of C (2.0) is required for all courses taken at USC as well as all upper-division courses applied toward the major, regardless of the department in which the courses are taken.
Admission Requirements
To be eligible for admission, students must complete BUAD 280 (Introduction to Financial Accounting) or BUAD 305 (Abridged Accounting) and BUAD 306 (Business Finance) or BUAD 308 (Advanced Business Finance). If these courses are not yet completed, please wait until they are either completed or in progress before submitting your application.
Recommended Coursework
Required Accounting Courses (12 units)
- ACCT 370 External Financial Reporting Issues Units: 4
- ACCT 416 Financial Statement Analysis Units: 4
- Complete 4 units from the following list:
- ACCT 371 Introduction to Accounting Systems Units: 4
- ACCT 405 Introduction to Sustainability Reporting Units: 4
- ACCT 451 Tax Analysis with Data Analytics Units: 4
- ACCT 456 Auditing with Data Analytics Units: 4
- ACCT 470 Advanced External Financial Reporting Issues Units: 4
- ACCT 493 Leventhal Honors Research Seminar Units: 2
- ACCT 494 Leventhal Honors Research and Thesis Units: 2
- ACCT 499: Special Topics; Units: 1,2, 3, or 4
Required Finance Courses (12 units)
- FBE 421 Financial Analysis and Valuation Units: 4
- Complete 4 units from the following list:
- Complete 4 units of upper-division elective course work - not including the courses completed to satisfy the above requirements - offered by the Finance and Business Economics department in the Marshall School, specifically 300- or 400-level courses with a prefix FBE that are available for credit toward the major.
Advisement
During advising appointments, we recommend sharing your interests with your major advisor(s) so they can support you in staying on track in fulfilling degree requirements.
Spring 2025 Mandatory Advisement: Leventhal students who have completed 24 units or less at USC are required to meet with an academic advisor prior to registering for Spring 2025. Please schedule your appointment through Advise USC, which can be found on MyUSC.
Current Leventhal Students: You can schedule an appointment with your academic advisor through Advise USC, which can be found on MyUSC. If you schedule a Zoom appointment, you will receive a Zoom link. If you schedule an in-person appointment, check-in is in ACC 101.
Non-Majors: To meet with a Leventhal advisor, please create a referral in Advise USC for your program of interest and mark yourself as “Ready for Advising.” You will then be assigned a referral advisor with whom you can meet during non-major advising.
Please review referral instructions here: AdviseUSC Navigation Tips.
FAQs
What are the gateway courses that must be completed before I can change to this major?
- BUAD 280: Introduction to Financial Accounting or BUAD 305: Abridged Core Concepts of Accounting Information (if eligible/applicable)
- BUAD 306: Business Finance or BUAD 308: Advanced Business Finance
What other resources/experiences can help students determine if this major is the right fit?
- Leventhal Faculty/Professors
- Marshall Finance (FBE) Faculty/Professors
- Marshall/Leventhal Student Organizations
- Marshall and/or Leventhal Career Services
For what careers or industries could this major prepare students?
- Investment Banking
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Venture Capital
- Commercial Lending
- Private Equity
- Corporate Finance
Why would students choose this major?
- The program equips students with a comprehensive understanding of both accounting and finance, preparing them for a variety of finance-related careers.
- Emphasizes finance theory and practice, and the methods and analysis of financial information.
- The upper-division courses are designed with financial statement analysis in mind, not financial statement preparation.
Does the Accounting & Finance degree lead to CPA eligibility?
No, the Accounting & Finance degree does not specifically fulfill the educational requirements for Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensure. If your goal is to become a CPA, we recommend pursuing the Bachelor of Science in Accounting, which is designed to meet the educational criteria for CPA eligibility in California. For other states or territories, please review the specific requirements for CPA licensure in those jurisdictions.
For International Students
This major is a STEM program.
This major has been approved by the university to be STEM-eligible. This allows students who have completed this degree to apply for the STEM OPT Extension. Please note that this extension is not guaranteed but is approved by federal departments beyond the university’s purview. We strongly advise students to carefully read the Office of International Services instructions (here and here) which explain the STEM OPT extension eligibility and proceed accordingly.