This page contains important general information regarding the Fisher School of Accounting.  Please read before continuing on to the specific programs of study.
 
 

www.cba.ufl.edu/fsoa
 

        Accounting has been one of the basic academic programs at the University of Florida for more than 60 years.  In 1977, the School of Accounting was established as a separate school within the College of Business Administration by the Board of Regents and was endowed in 1985 through the generosity of alumnus Frederick E. Fisher.

        The Fisher School’s primary mission is to provide a professional program within which students develop the knowledge, learning capabilities, professionalism, interpersonal skills and adaptability necessary to assume leadership roles in a changing professional and business environment.  The school’s degree programs are consistently ranked in the top ten in the nation by various academic and professional surveys.  Most recently (1998), the graduate and undergraduate programs were ranked seventh and twelfth respectively by the Public Accounting Report.

Programs
        All Fisher School of Accounting programs are fully accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (the AACSB).  The school was one of the first in the country to meet the new accreditation standards for all of its accounting programs.  UF’s undergraduate and graduate programs in accounting and business were re-accredited by AACSB in April 1991.

        The school offers the Bachelor of Science in Accounting (B.S.Ac.) and Master of Accounting (M.Acc.) and coordinates the accounting concentration for the Ph.D. in business administration. The Fisher School of Accounting and the College of Law offer a program of study leading to the joint awarding of the Juris Doctorate and M.Acc. degrees (JD/M.Acc.).

        Students who choose to complete the four-year undergraduate program will receive the Bachelor of Science in Accounting. These graduates will have the requisite accounting, business and general education to pursue a variety of career opportunities in accounting and business and to apply to graduate and professional degree programs in accounting, business or law.

        Students wishing to prepare for a professional career in accounting should complete the five-year 3/2 program, which results in the joint awarding of the Bachelor of Science in Accounting and the Master of Accounting upon satisfactory completion of the 152-hour program.  The recommended entry point into the 3/2 program is the beginning of the senior year. Interested students are encouraged to take the GMAT in their junior year.

        The 3/2 program allows the student to concentrate in an accounting specialty; it also provides knowledge of basic accounting and the business and related disciplines. Details concerning the 3/2 program, including the specializations in financial/auditing, systems or tax, are included in the Graduate Catalog, which can be obtained by writing the Office of Admissions, Box 114000, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-4000. Additional information also is available from the Fisher School of Accounting, Box 117166, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-7166.

        Prospective students should know about the five-year postsecondary education requirement to sit for the Certified Public Accountants examination in the state of Florida.  Contact the Florida Board of Accountancy, 2610 NW 43rd Street, Suite 1A, Gainesville, FL 32606.

Faculty

        The Fisher School of Accounting has 17 faculty members, with Ph.D. degrees from the nation’s leading universities.  The faculty is committed to excellence in teaching, research and service.  In addition to publishing the school’s own research journal, the faculty actively contribute to the accounting profession by maintaining editorial positions for major accounting journals, participating in professional organizations at the national and state levels and providing services to major corporations and public accounting firms.

Student Organizations

Beta Alpha Psi

        This honorary accounting fraternity has 115 chapters nationwide. Upsilon Chapter at UF was the 18th chapter founded (in 1938) and is recognized as one of the best chapters in the country.

        An active professional program to promote professional awareness is conducted by Beta Alpha Psi each year, including guest speakers, panel discussions, field trips and other activities. Beta Alpha Psi co-sponsors the Graduate Accounting Conference, which annually attracts more than 200 accounting practitioners, and co-sponsors the spring banquet. Members of Beta Alpha Psi provide services to the school through the tutoring program and peer counseling. Service to the community is provided in the form of the VITA (voluntary income tax assistant) program.

        Beta Alpha Psi accepts applications for memberships every semester. Membership requirements include high ethical standards and a minimum grade point average. Scholastic requirements in Beta Alpha Psi include:

Undergraduate:

•  Completion of at least 12 hours of 3000-level or above accounting courses at UF with a cumulative 3.2 average      in these courses; and
• A 3.0 cumulative average for all work completed in the junior and senior years at UF.

•  For membership, a graduate student must have completed at least one 5000-level or higher accounting course.
• A 3.1 cumulative average in 3000-level or above accounting courses at UF; and
• A 3.0 cumulative average for all work completed in the junior and senior years at UF.

        The Fisher School of Accounting Council (FSOAC) is part of the campus-wide Board of College Councils.  Student Government funds the FSOAC through student activity fees. The council serves as a liaison between accounting students and faculty.  At the beginning of the fall and spring semesters, each accounting class selects a student to represent them at FSOAC meetings and functions.  All students accepted to the Fisher School of Accounting are eligible to be nonvoting members of the council; after attending three consecutive meetings, students are eligible to vote.  Students on the council can participate on a number of committees.  Officers are elected by the voting members at the end of each semester to serve the following semester.

        The council participates in many activities throughout the year, including the school’s orientation program, Career Expo, Footnotes (weekly announcements to accounting classes) and publication of The Fisherman (the Fisher School of Accounting newsletter).  The council also is involved with UF Homecoming and Gator Expo in the fall, and the spring awards banquet.  Finally, the council presents professional programs to accounting students, often in cooperation with Beta Alpha Psi or the Florida Accounting Association. These programs expose students to accounting in public, private, industrial and government practices.

Florida Accounting Association

        The Florida Accounting Association (FAA) is a student organization that encourages professional career development and increases social interaction among accounting students.  Membership is open to all students enrolled in the Fisher School and to prospective accounting majors currently enrolled in ACG 2021C.  Application forms are available in the Fisher School office and may be submitted at any time. Dues are collected each semester.

        An executive committee consisting of the president, vice-president, treasurer, secretary and social coordinator plans FAA functions.  Elections are held early each semester. Activities of the FAA involve social events such as picnics and semiformal parties and professional programs.

Student Senate

        The Fisher School of Accounting elects one senator to the Student Senate.  The Student Senate meets weekly to handle various student concerns and business matters, including the distribution of student activity fees.

Center for Accounting Research and Professional Education

        The Center for Accounting Research and Professional Education provides an umbrella for research and professional education activities. The research component of the center encourages and facilitates theoretical and applied research by accounting faculty and students. The center publishes the Journal of Accounting Literature, sponsors research seminars and a biannual conference, produces a working paper series, and serves as a research information source for faculty and students. The professional education component of the center serves the business and professional communities and heightens the school’s visibility through quality professional education offerings. On occasion, a CPA review program is offered through the center, but the primary emphasis is on one- and two-day programs that address national issues.

Admission to the School

Submitting an Undergraduate Application

        The Fisher School of Accounting applies the same admission standards to students currently enrolled at the university (natives) and those seeking entry to the Fisher School from another academic institution (transfers).

        Native students who have selected accounting as their major upon entering the university automatically will be classified as accounting students. This classification will remain as long as the student meets the continuation requirements described below.

        All other natives who want to change their major to accounting should apply to the Fisher School Office. Transfer students apply through the university’s Office of Admissions.

Continuation Policies for Native Students

        Freshmen and sophomores with an accounting major must comply with the following to remain in the program:

• Students must complete ACG 2021C with a grade of B by completion of 60 credit hours.
• Students are allowed two attempts, including drops, to achieve a B grade in ACG 2021C.
• Comply with all universal tracking provisions.
• Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 overall GPA.*

Undergraduate Transfer Applicant Pool

        The Fisher School of Accounting uses an applicant pool for undergraduate admissions.  All applicants who meet minimum standards are placed into a pool from which the most qualified are selected for admission each term.  Because of this process, most admission decisions are not made until well after the application deadline.  It is unlikely that all students who meet the minimum standards will be admitted.  A Fisher School of Accounting faculty committee is responsible for admission decisions, which are not based solely on GPA.  Factors such as performance in any accounting courses
completed prior to application and the overall quality of the academic record are considered for admission.

Minimum Standards for the Applicant Pool

        A student will be considered for admission to the Fisher School if the following are met:

• Completion of, or in the process of completing, at least 60 semester hours of course work at an accredited institution.
• Completion of 19 semester hours of preprofessional course work.  Although a student will be considered for admission upon completion of the 12 preprofessional credit hours described below, all preprofessional courses are prerequisites for 3-4000 level courses.  Students who have not completed all 19 hours upon admission will delay progress toward graduation.

• ACG 2021C, Introduction to Financial Accounting, or equivalent, with a minimum grade of B.

• MAC 2233, Survey of Calculus 1, or equivalent.

        Students who have taken calculus at state institutions in Florida can satisfy MAC 2233 by satisfactory
        completion of  MAC 1311 or 2311.

        AND

• Two of the following four preprofessional courses may be in process at the time of application, but two courses must have been completed successfully prior to enrollment.

• A 3.0 cumulative GPA calculated on all attempts of all college-level course work.  If a student has attended the University of Florida and another institution, the GPA calculation will be based only on the UF course work.
• In the case of a transfer student from the state of Florida, an Associate of Arts degree (A.A.) is required before enrolling in the Fisher School.
• Satisfactory completion of the College Level Academic Skills Tests (CLAST).

        Meeting minimum standards is required for admission to the applicant pool; it does not guarantee admission to the Fisher School.  Admission is selective and is subject to enrollment capacity.  Priority in admission will be given to those applicants whose record indicates the greatest likelihood for success.

        Admission requirements for the Fisher School are subject to change.  Please check the Fisher School office (BUS 267) for the current standards.

        Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to the Fisher School.  Admission to the Fisher School does not constitute admission to the 3/2 program; this requires a separate application to the Graduate School.

        Admission eligibility standards for UF students apply equally to transfer students who received their A.A. degrees from Florida public community colleges and who have passed all parts of CLAST.

        Community college transfers are cautioned that ACG 2071 or its equivalent will count toward the B.S.Ac. degree as elective credit; native students must take another elective.  In addition, professional course work that is required as part of the third, fourth or fifth year should only be taken at the University of Florida. Community college transfer students should avoid such courses as Business Law, Principles of Marketing, Principles of Finance, Principles of Management and accounting courses beyond the introductory level.

        A maximum of four semester credits may be allowed for courses taken during the first two years that are available only as third and fourth-year professional courses in the Warrington College of Business Administration. Any credit granted for such work will be granted only in the form of undistributed elective credit. In no case may such courses be in accounting.

        In the case where a student wishes to waive a core course and substitute a community college course, waivers may be granted on an individual basis, but the student will be required to take another course in the area waived.  The department will identify the substitute course.  Community college students should note that a minimum of 60 hours of course work for the B.S.Ac. degree must be at the 3000 or above course level.

        These same standards apply equally to  transfer students from four-year colleges within the Florida state university system who have earned the A.A. degree and passed all parts of CLAST.  Prospective students from other than SUS institutions or applicants who have not completed the A.A. and CLAST are not guaranteed admission to the Fisher School.  These students will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will be admitted selectively when space permits.  Prospective accounting students attending other four-year institutions should follow a course of study similar to the general education and preprofessional requirements taken by freshmen and sophomores at UF.  Courses that are a part of the third, fourth and fifth-year requirements should be avoided prior to entering UF.

        The Office of the University Registrar determines the transferability of credit earned by course work at other institutions.  Credit for vocational or technical courses, repeats of previous courses taken or credits from non-accredited institutions will not transfer to UF for degree credit.

Scholarships

    Information about general financial aid can be obtained from the Office for Student Financial Affairs, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida  32611-4025.  Students who wish to be considered for scholarships awarded to fifth-year accounting students should obtain application forms from the Fisher School of Accounting and should complete them early in the spring term of their fourth year.

Fisher School Requirements

Academic Advising

        The associate director and undergraduate advisers are available for counseling on an appointment basis at the school’s office (BUS 267).  All students are advised to seek guidance well in advance of registration periods.

Universal Tracking

        It is the student‘s responsibility to be aware of academic requirements. Universal tracking audits are mailed each semester; it lists all of the requirements for a particular program and indicates whether or not the student has met each requirement.  Students should pay close attention to these audits and should seek assistance from their adviser.  Failure to do so may delay graduation.

Submitting a Course Substitution

        Students transferring into the Fisher School from other institutions will need to complete substitution forms for all of their preprofessional or degree requirements.  These forms may be obtained from the Fisher School office and should be completed as soon as the student is on campus.  Failure to do so may result in the student being dropped from a subsequent course.  Students who have been admitted to the Fisher School will have their substitution forms returned to the school’s office and kept in the student’s folder.  The substitution process is as follows:

• Complete the blue course substitution form and attach it to a photocopy of the course description from the college where the course was taken.  Often a course syllabus will assist in the approval process.
• The student must then take the completed forms for approval to the UF department that offers the course.
• The student must then return the signed forms for approval to the Fisher School.
• The substitution is not approved until signed by the Fisher School.

        Once a student has been admitted to the Fisher School of Accounting, the student may not take any preprofessional, accounting or business core course work at any other institution.

        Students who have taken 3-4000 level courses at accredited universities prior to entering the Fisher School should submit course substitution forms.  A maximum of one 3-4000 level approved business core course may count toward the student’s undergraduate degree.

        Accounting course work taken elsewhere generally is not substitutable for the accounting courses required for the B.S.Ac. degree.

Satisfactory-Unsatisfactory Grade Option

        An undergraduate student may request the S-U Option only as electives. Courses taken to satisfy preparatory course or degree requirements for the M.Acc. program may not be taken S-U.

Unsatisfactory Performance

        Students who do not make satisfactory academic progress will be dropped from the accounting program. In addition to university regulations concerning unsatisfactory performance, the school will exclude students from further registration for the following reasons:

Freshmen and Sophomores:
 

• The student does not comply with the minimum universal tracking requirements.
• The student has not earned a B grade in ACG 2021C after two attempts (including withdrawal).
• The student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 3.0 and remains there after one subsequent term of enrollment.
• The student withdraws from the university three times while classified as an AC student.

• The student earns two grades below C in accounting courses numbered above 3000 regardless of whether the student was in the Fisher School at the time they earned those grades.
• The student’s accounting grade point average, calculated on all attempts of all required accounting courses numbered 3000 and above falls below 2.0 and remains there after one term of enrollment.
• The student’s cumulative grade point average falls below 2.0 and remains there after one subsequent term of enrollment.
• The student withdraws from the university three times after admission to the Fisher School of Accounting.
• The student fails to register for a required 3-4000 level accounting course for two consecutive semesters of enrollment.

• Any term for which a student registers for courses at the university counts as a term of enrollment, even if the student subsequently withdraws from the term (after drop/add).
• Summer registration is viewed as registration for one term (e.g., whether a student registers for Summer A alone or a combination of Summer A, B or C, the student is considered registered for one term).

Undergraduate Drop Policies

        Freshman and sophomore students may drop two courses. Unused drops do not transfer to junior and senior standing. Junior and senior students are permitted to drop two courses.

        The drop policy applies to all drops at the university, regardless of whether the student was in the Fisher School at the time of the drop.

        The policy is intended to cover legitimate causes. There are no free drops and students should exercise judgment when dropping courses.

        All drops become part of the student’s official record and will be recorded on the student’s transcript (“W”).
Withdrawal in any term (fall, spring or summer) is counted as one drop for the purpose of applying the two-drop policy.

        The associate director as advised by the Professional Program Committee must act upon all other drop requests. The committee is very strict when considering such requests and will not approve drops for reasons that are not beyond the student’s control.

        This policy applies to drop requests made after drop/add and prior to the period governed by the University Senate Committee on Student Petitions.

Drop Request Prior to the Deadline

• Students pick up a pink drop form and a bubble sheet from the Fisher School.
• The pink drop form must be completed and signed by the course instructor.
• The department offering the course must initial or stamp the completed bubble sheet.
• Students return the forms to the Fisher School for approval.
• The drop is not official until the student processes the bubble sheet at Criser Hall—before the drop deadline.

        After the last day to drop by college petition (as published each semester in the Schedule of Courses), all petitions must be presented to the University Senate Committee on Student Petitions.  Such petitions should be presented to the Office of the University Registrar in 222 Criser Hall for referral to that committee.

Correspondence Courses and Registration at Other Institutions

        Courses may not be taken by correspondence. Required courses (in preprofessional, accounting and supporting fields) may not be taken outside the university.  No exceptions are permitted.
        Elective and general education courses may be taken outside the university only if:

• The student will have more than 30 hours left to graduate from the Fisher School upon completion of such courses.
• The student obtains the advance approval of the associate director.

    Refer to the university’s home page at http://www.ufl.edu or to the CIRCA home page at http://www.circa.ufl.edu/computers for general information as well as a link to the college’s web page for specific requirements for each program.

Freshman/Sophomore

If you currently own a computer
Bring it up to the following standards:
Pentium 133 MHz processor
1 gigabyte hard drive
32 megabytes of RAM*
SVGA 256 color display (800x600)
Modem, at least 28.8 kbps
Sound synthesis hardware, speakers and microphone.
*Microsoft Office 97 software will run with 16 meg of memory; however its performance is significantly enhanced with 32 meg of memory.

If you do not own a computer
Buy a notebook computer with the following specifications:
Notebook computers purchased during the first two years may require memory and/or hard disk upgrades when the student enters the junior year.
    Pentium 166 MHz processor
    2 gigabyte hard drive
    32 megabytes of RAM
    Color LCD display
    Modem, at least 28.8 kbps
    8X CD-ROM
    Sound synthesis hardware, speakers and microphone
    Infrared serial port (IRDA)
    Lithium Ion battery
    Ethernet network adapter with a “10BaseT” connector.

Junior/Senior

Buy a notebook computer with the following specifications:
    Pentium 166 MHz processor
    2 gigabyte hard drive
    32 megabytes of RAM
    Color LCD display
    Modem, at least 28.8 kbps
    8X CD-ROM
    Sound synthesis hardware, speakers and microphone
    Infrared serial port (IRDA)
    Lithium ion battery
    Ethernet network adapter with a “10BaseT” connector.
    Notebook computers purchased during the first two years may require memory and/or hard disk upgrades when
    the student enters the junior year.

Graduation Requirements

Application for Graduation

        Each student should plan to see an adviser in the semester prior to the term of planned graduation to confirm that all degree requirements will be met pending successful completion of the term.  Graduation checks will not be done during the week of drop/add.

        It is the student’s responsibility to apply for graduation at Criser Hall.  The deadline for submitting applications is published in the Schedule of Courses.  Failure to submit a timely application may prevent graduation.

Requirements for Degree Certification

        To graduate with a B.S.Ac. degree, a student must have satisfactorily completed 120 semester hours of prescribed course work, and

• The last 30 hours of course work must have been completed in residence at the Fisher School with an AC classification.
• The student must have completed a minimum of 16 semester credit hours of 3-4000 level accounting courses at the Fisher School.
• The waiving of any required course does not reduce the hours required for graduation.
• Graduation credits will not be given for repeated courses.

•  A minimum of 2.0 GPA on all UF course work.
•  A minimum 2.0 GPA on all courses taken in excess of 60 hours.
•  A minimum 2.0 GPA on all attempts of all required accounting courses numbered 3000 and above.

• If a course is repeated after an initial grade of C or better was earned in the course (e.g., to achieve the B requirement for ACG 2021C), the repeat grade and hours will not be computed in the UF grade point average.
• Except for the above, all attempts of all courses are included in the computation.  This means that a repeated course is included as many times as grades for it are recorded.

        For the fall and spring semesters, students who have earned a 3.5 or better grade point average, based on a minimum of 14 semester hours taken for letter grades, are eligible for the Dean’s List. Students receive a certificate to recognize their achievement. S-U option hours are not counted toward the 14 hours required.

        Outstanding performance is recognized by the designation of honors, high honors and highest honors. Students must earn a 3.2 grade point average (honors), a 3.6 grade point average (high honors), and a 3.8 grade point average (highest honors) on all junior and senior level course work and a 3.2, 3.6 or 3.8 in all major course work. Only course work taken at UF will be included in these computations.

• Junior and senior level course work shall include all course work in excess of 60 semester hours.
• Major course work shall include the five required undergraduate accounting courses.

        Registering for and completing ACG 4970, Honors Thesis, under the supervision of the Fisher School may fulfill the thesis.