2025-2026 Academic Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Fundamentals of accounting, the language of business, including what accounting information is, how it is developed, how it is used and what it means. Financial Accounting including the application of accounting principles for real world, complex business transactions to classify these transactions, reflect their economic value, produce basic financial statements, evaluate financial position and make fundamental interpretations. Managerial Accounting including cost behaviors, budgeting and other management reporting to assist in internal decision making and performance analysis. Attention to accountants codes of ethics applied throughout. Emphasis placed on non-Business majors becoming informed users of accounting information. No credit will be given for ACIS 1004 if taken with or after ACIS 2115 or ACIS 2116.
Overview of career options in the accounting field. Real life perspective from industry expert guest speakers. Career skills and training requirements. Job search strategies. Job search strategies. Job market analysis. Effective professional materials creation. Pass/Fail only.
Foundational data analytics using Microsoft Excel. Utilizes the data analytics framework and many Excel functions to address various business problems. Introduction to big datasets, how to navigate them, and the many complexities of using them, including relevant ethical issues. Identification and construction of various data visualizations and charts to be used in presentations.
Accounting to support starting and operating a small business. Includes setting up accounting records, creating budgets, pricing products and services, tracking revenues and expenses, planning for taxes, and accounting for borrowing, inventory, payroll, and long-term assets. Emphasis on performance evaluation using mathematical models including financial statements, budget variance models, and financial ratios. Accounting presented in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and accountant’s codes of ethics to support the prevention and detection of fraud.
Introduction to financial and managerial accounting. 2115: Emphasis on the financial accounting cycle. Discusses accounting information uses, fraud, and internal controls. Analysis of financial statement elements: assets, liabilities, stockholders’ equity, revenues, and expenses. 2116: Emphasis on budgeting and accounting information decision-making. Discusses management accounting and cost concepts. Use of job order costing and cost value profit relationships. Use of variable costing and segment reporting. Create external financial reporting documents.
Introduction to financial and managerial accounting. 2115: Emphasis on the financial accounting cycle. Discusses accounting information uses, fraud, and internal controls. Analysis of financial statement elements: assets, liabilities, stockholders’ equity, revenues, and expenses. 2116: Emphasis on budgeting and accounting information decision-making. Discusses management accounting and cost concepts. Use of job order costing and cost value profit relationships. Use of variable costing and segment reporting. Create external financial reporting documents.
Accounting to support nonprofit companies. Includes, setting up nonprofit accounting records, identifying internal controls, and tax considerations. Nonprofit tracking revenues and expenses, grants, borrowing, payroll, and long-term assets. Emphasis on nonprofit performance evaluation using mathematical models including financial statements, budget variance models, and financial ratios. Use of ethical framework decision-making. Evaluation of government funding sources. No credit will be given for ACIS 2124 if taken with or after ACIS 4124.
Design and creation of models used to perform accounting analytics. Cleansing, transformation, organization, analysis, and reporting of accounting data using analytics tools such as spreadsheets, programming, and accounting software applications. Display of accounting data using visualization techniques.
This course provides students with an international business experience. The course examines the accounting and information systems issues that impact the multinational business. It is only offered as part of a program outside of the United States. Students will learn from the structured educational experience developed by the faculty leader. Content will vary between semesters. Pre: Instructors consent and the completion of 24 semester hours with a minimum GPA of 3.0 or departmental consent. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 credit hours.
Intermediate financial accounting. 3115: In-depth analysis of basic concepts of external financial reporting. Includes asset and related transaction analysis and preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Discusses the historical development accounting theory and practice as well as discussion and exploration of international accounting standards and ongoing and potential developments in accounting practice. 3116: In-depth analysis of liability, equity, and tax related transactions and their subsequent impacts on financial reporting. Interpret financial accounting standards including requirements to adjust financial statements due to errors and corrections. Prepare the statement of cash flows in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Course credit will not be awarded for both ACIS 3115 and ACIS 4194.
Intermediate financial accounting. 3115: In-depth analysis of basic concepts of external financial reporting. Includes asset and related transaction analysis and preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Discusses the historical development accounting theory and practice as well as discussion and exploration of international accounting standards and ongoing and potential developments in accounting practice. 3116: In-depth analysis of liability, equity, and tax related transactions and their subsequent impacts on financial reporting. Interpret financial accounting standards including requirements to adjust financial statements due to errors and corrections. Prepare the statement of cash flows in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Course credit will not be awarded for both ACIS 3115 and ACIS 4194.
Introduction to federal taxation for individuals and business entities with an emphasis on effective tax planning strategies. IRS tax compliance and discussion of other tax authorities. Individual tax overview includes filing status, gross income, exclusions, and deductions. Business tax overview includes business entity types, filing requirements, business income, deductions, accounting methods, property acquisitions, cost recovery, and property dispositions. Properly classify corporate operations to compute corporate taxable income.
Examines system design concepts and methods including an understanding of basic control structures. Covers specific accounting cycles and computerized transaction processing systems. Analyzes controls for manual and computerized systems including database systems.
An introduction to the fundamentals of information systems auditing and controls. Emphasis on information systems controls and general application controls. Employment of computer assisted audit tools, techniques, and reporting languages. Implementation of different types of audit approaches including on line and continuous auditing as well as fraud and forensic auditing. Exposure to risk assessment, system-based guidelines, and professional standards in the field of information systems auditing. Examination of the implementation and deployment of information systems.
Detailed analysis of external financial reporting. Study of debt and equity investments, derivatives, and foreign currency. Proper application of Securities and Exchange Commission reporting regulations.
Detailed analysis of U.S. state and local governmental, nonprofit, and federal accounting. Focus on entity characteristics, regulatory environment, fund accounting, financial transactions, and financial statements.
Analysis of financial statements including how to interpret and assess a company’s results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows. Construction and use of financial ratios for use in various contexts. Development of reports comparing financial performance across companies and over time to aid in evaluating investments in companies’ debt or equity. Course credit will not be awarded for both ACIS 3115 and ACIS 4194.
The purpose of this course is to help the student develop an understanding of the role of accounting in the management process, an understanding of cost accounting systems, an understanding of cost behavior, an understanding of alternative accounting systems, and the usefulness of costs involved in non-routine decision-making.
Overviews income tax concepts relevant to financial planning for individuals who are investors, employees, and business owners. Topics include income tax fundamentals for individuals, taxation of the sale of property, taxation of business entities, taxation of trusts, and overview of the federal transfer tax on estates and gifts. Duplicates some material in ACIS 4314. Course credit will not be awarded for both ACIS 4314 and ACIS 4344.
Introduction to the tax issues for various operating models. Analysis from a tax perspective of formation, operation, distribution of earnings, business unit acquisitions and divestitures, and liquidation. Entity types discussed include partnerships, S Corporations, regular (C) Corporations and not for profit entities. Emphasis on how to report tax results to the applicable government(s) as well as the GAAP accounting of the tax results. Initial exposure to multistate taxation, the U.S. taxation of non-US activities, and estate and gift taxation.
Study of external financial statement auditing, professional code of conduct, audit evidence considerations, internal control, fraud, and transaction cycles, and audit reporting.
This course provides students experience in forensic accounting, commonly used computer forensic software, forensic techniques, litigation support, fraud risk management, fraud investigation, and the related audit tools.
An introduction to Artificial Intelligence to address real-world problems in accounting and auditing. Receive hands-on experience applying AI tools and processes used in auditing and assurance through class discussions, case analyses, and projects. Topics covered include the application of AI tools for analysis of financial data and internal controls. Obtain a base level understanding of how to use AI in audit and business settings, how to evaluate the impact of AI use on audit quality, and how client use of AI impacts audit risk. Overview of client confidentiality, ethics, opportunities, limitations, and challenges associated with the use of AI in auditing settings.
Application of analytics software and methodologies to address real-world based accounting activities. Examination of accounting scenarios to determine an appropriate analytic approach. Emphasis on commonly used accounting analytics software to apply the extract, transform, and load process on data. Implementation of analytics software to analyze accounting data, and evaluation and communication of the results through data visualizations.
Design and development of accounting systems using relational database management tools. Extraction and analysis of accounting data using queries, analytics, and visualization techniques. Application of accounting data analytics concepts using commercially available tools such as audit management software and current visualization tools. Proper preparation of data and use of analytics algorithms and visualization techniques to inform decision making.
Introduction to procedures for extracting and quantifying quality of corporate sustainability information and assessment of compliance with current accounting standards. Analysis of corporate sustainability data and impact on Financial Statements for corporate environmental and social justice decision-making. Introduction and differentiation of U.S. and international regulatory bodies promulgating sustainability standards. Discussion of disclosure components, frameworks, and standards concerning accounting and business-related sustainability information. Exploration of incremental decision usefulness of sustainability information for various stakeholders beyond traditional accounting financial statements. Presentation of attestation and assurance methodologies related to disclosed corporate sustainability accounting information.
An examination of the concepts, technologies, and applications of security and assurance in information systems. Topics include the security threats against information systems; tools used by intruders; computing platforms and security; encryption; securing the transaction and the server; audit tools to detect intrusions; responses to attacks; legal, ethical and international issues; and the future of information systems security and assurance.
This course explores the theories and practices of audit and control of computer-based information systems. Audit and control of information systems is examined from the viewpoint of management, systems professionals, and auditors. The rationale for controls, control theories, and audit practices are emphasized. Pre: Graduate standing.
Tax issues for various business operating models. Modeling tax consequences and impacts under varying conditions. Tax perspective of formation, operation, distribution of earnings, business unit acquisitions and divestitures, and liquidation. Entity types such as partnerships, S Corporations, and regular (C) Corporations. Numerical reporting to applicable government(s) and Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) of tax results. Application of multistate taxation and the U.S. taxation of non-US activities. Advanced individual income tax calculations including passive activities, equity awards, retirement contributions, property disposals, and estate and gift taxation including usage of trusts. Pre: Graduate standing.
Fundamentals of accounting systems as they relate to decision making. Attention is directed toward accounting for the core of management control and financial reporting systems, and as integrally related to the information system. Graduate standing required.
Detailed analysis of external financial reporting. Study of debt and equity investments, derivatives, and foreign currency. Proper application of Securities and Exchange Commission reporting regulations. Pre: Graduate standing.
An analysis of current governmental and nonprofit accounting, budgeting, reporting, and auditing concepts, models, and practices. Identification and evaluation of alternative concepts and models will also be emphasized. Graduate standing required.
Use and analysis of financial accounting information. Business decisions based on advanced statistical analysis of financial data. Estimation of company value, past performance, and forecasted future performance. Impact of operating, investing, and financing activities. Pre: Graduate standing.
Financial statement analysis as an aid to decision making. Investing and lending decisions as they affect financial statement users of domestic, global, and entrepreneurial companies. Analysis and design of control systems to accomplish short-term objectives and enable management attention on long term strategic issues.
Detailed treatment of analyzing financial statements for making lending and equity investment decisions. Forecasting financial statements using regression analysis with application to equity valuation. In-depth coverage of how to analyze a company’s industry, competitive advantages, accounting quality, profitability, and risk from quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Pre: Graduate Standing
Tax research process including analysis of fundamental tax concepts underlying interpretation and application of tax law, mechanics of tax research, written and oral communication of research results, tax planning, and practice and procedure before tax authorities. The course explores the sources and hierarchy of tax law and the interaction of law and its interpretation and application to contemporary tax issues, as well as the recognition of the impact on and opportunities for future tax planning. Pre: Graduate standing.
Tax implications of forming and operating partnerships and corporations and sale and liquidation of a partnership interest. Comparison of tax rules. Modeling financial tax consequences of partnership and corporation formation (both C and S corporations), sale and liquidation of partnership, and purchase and sale of a business entity. Calculation and reporting of taxes and financial statement implications based on variables such as tax rates, timing of tax recognition and investor impact. Pre: Graduate Standing
Covers the tax aspects of corporate redemptions, liquidations, and reorganization. The law of consolidated tax returns will also be covered.
Tax issues of business enterprises operating in multiple taxing jurisdictions; multi-state and international taxation will be discussed. Graduate standing required.
In-depth exposure to auditing concepts and real-world applications. Study of the auditing environment as well as professional and regulatory standards for the profession. Focus on audit planning and risk assessment using financial analytics and critical evaluation of both quantitative and qualitative data. Examine the use of technology and application of statistical and numerical analysis throughout the auditing process, using approaches such as data visualization and sampling. Pre: Graduate Standing
Analysis and research of potential solutions to complex accounting and financial reporting problems, including application of numerical methods and computation to financial information. Problem-solving using professional accounting standards databases and academic accounting research. Critical evaluation of accounting theories, measurement, and academic accounting research. Verbal and written communication of research findings and recommendations. Pre: Graduate standing.
Forensic Accounting is a specialized area of accounting which uses accounting methods and financial techniques to assist in solving economic-based crimes. This course will provide students an opportunity to gain experiences in forensic accounting as well as commonly used computer forensic software and techniques. The focus is on litigation support, fraud risk management, fraud investigation, and the related audit tools. Pre: Graduate standing.
This course is an introduction to design methodologies in information systems. Structured systems analysis and design methodologies are discussed. An introduction to database design methodologies is also included. Topics related to different database models and their implementation is discussed. Students are also required to design and implement information systems using appropriate computer software. Pre: MBA/MACCT standing.
This course relates database theories and practices to concepts from other areas, such as programming languages, algorithms, data structures, and information systems. The relational, network, and hierarchical models are introduced. A major portion of the course deals with data manipulation languages for the relational model, design theory for relational databases, and query optimization.
Modeling of semantically-driven information systems. Object-oriented (OO) requirements definition, analysis, modeling, and design. Application of unified modeling language (UML) techniques for development of OO designs of information systems in complex business situations. Development of use cases, activity diagrams, sequence and communication diagrams, class hierarchies, behavioral state machines, package diagrams, object persistence formats, navigation diagrams and deployment diagrams. Management of the systems development process, including the spiral construction and implementation phases of the process. Pre: Graduate standing.
Organization and management of data in the health care industry. Includes standards for electronic health records, healthcare enterprise systems architecture, health database design, existing database platforms, data integration from multiple sources, and database accessibility. Analysis of health-care-related organizations from the perspective of multiple user groups including patients, technicians, nurses, physicians, clinics, hospitals, and insurance companies.
An examination of the concepts, technologies, and applications of security in information systems. Topics include cryptography; security and threats to computers, e-mail systems, and internet networks; intrusion detection systems; and e-business security. Graduate standing required.
An introduction for practicing executives to financial accounting cycles and transactions, financial statement reporting, and internal managerial accounting and costing. This course is designed to give executives an understanding of accounting systems, and to illustrate and highlight potential points at which the systems could be manipulated. Executive MBA students only.
The management control process is designed to influence managers and other employees of an organization to implement the strategies of the organization. The activities of management control include: planning, coordinating, communicating, and evaluating. This course addresses the important role that accounting and other information play in this process. Executive MBA students only.
Cybersecurity governance and risk management programs in organizations. Governance frameworks for cybersecurity and external drivers for cybersecurity. Risk management, including existing frameworks, principles, and strategies related to risk assessment and implementation of cybersecurity policies, controls, and procedures. Budgeting and evaluation of risk management programs. Compliance with organizational cybersecurity programs, including risks of insider threats, management of security-related personnel, and establishment of cyber hygiene. Cybersecurity governance in relation to cybersecurity regulation.
Application of analytics software and methodologies to address real-world based accounting activities. Examination of accounting scenarios to determine and apply an appropriate analytic approach. Research and application of accounting analytic techniques. Emphasis on techniques available in commonly used accounting analytics software to apply the extract, transform, and load process on data. Implementation of analytics software to analyze accounting data and communicate the results through data visualizations. Recognizing the impacts of accounting analytics software across the profession including data driven analysis required in financial, managerial, and tax accounting as well as auditing and advisory services. Pre: Graduate Standing
Design and development of accounting information systems using relational database management tools. Extraction and statistical analysis of accounting data from information systems using queries, analytics, and visualization techniques. Application of accounting data analytics, statistics, and data models using commercially available tools such as audit management software, visualization tools, and statistical methods to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of activities employed in the accounting profession. Proper preparation of data and use of analytics algorithms and visualization techniques for predictive data sorting, decision making, and communication. Pre: Graduate Standing
Procedures for extracting and quantifying quality of corporate sustainability information and assessment of compliance with current accounting standards. Analysis of corporate sustainability data and impact on Financial Statements for corporate environmental and social justice decision-making. Introduction and differentiation of U.S. and international regulatory bodies promulgating sustainability standards. Discussion of disclosure components, frameworks, and standards concerning accounting and business-related sustainability information. Exploration of incremental decision usefulness of sustainability information for various stakeholders beyond traditional accounting financial statements. Presentation of attestation and assurance methodologies related to disclosed corporate sustainability accounting information. Evaluate quality and completeness of sustainability corporate disclosures. Formulation of disclosure metrics to enhance usefulness of corporate sustainability information. Pre: Graduate Standing
An overview of the theories, practices, and technologies used in the management of information systems for business decision making. Topics include use of information systems, electronic business, business intelligence tools and knowledge management, customer relationship management systems, data warehousing, virtual teams and organizations, and information security and privacy, and their role in improving organizational decision-making capabilities. Graduate standing in EMBA or PMBA program required.
This course will explore the data analytics cycle from a business perspective. Students will focus heavily on data quality and the extract, transform, and load process. This includes assessing and correcting data issues as well as evaluating data storage in relational databases. inclusive of how to extract, transform, clean, and store data. Students will also examine how to analyze data through various data models and analytical techniques including descriptive, diagnostics, predictive, and prescriptive analytics. Furthermore, students will interpret data visualizations, study data visualization theory, and utilize data visualization for both analytics applications and a communication reporting tool. Students will evaluate data ethics as it pertains to business. This course will couple theory with software applications including spreadsheets, advanced data cleaning software, and data visualization. Pre: Graduate Standing
Full time, supervised internship experience at a public accounting firm, private company or governmental or nonprofit entity to gain practical, professional experience. Focus on advanced accounting concepts, procedures, and problem-solving tools applied in real-world environment through both individual and group work. Reporting on insights obtained during internship experience.
A doctoral level seminar emphasizing the understanding and application of research methods used in Accounting and Information Systems Research. Course activities concentrate on initiating doctoral students to the perspectives, methods, techniques, and skills necessary for conducting research in the Accounting and Information Systems disciplines. Topics covered include philosophy of science, the nature of theory, research methods, study design, and measurement. Students evaluate and present research from current journals, develop research proposals, and write a literature review for a topic of their choice. Doctoral standing is required.
A doctoral level seminar emphasizing the design and evaluation of research conducted in the behavioral research area of accounting. The primary emphasis is on behavioral decision theory and its applications to the accounting function. Primary seminar material is selected from recent journal articles and current working papers on relevant topics. Requires development and presentation of research proposal related to behavioral research in accounting.
A doctoral level seminar emphasizing the design and evaluation of research conducted in the financial capital markets area of accounting. Concentrates on empirical markets-based research concepts and methodologies utilized in accounting. Primary seminar material is selected from recent journal articles and current working papers on relevant topics. Requires development and presentation of research proposal related to capital markets in accounting.
Review and critique of seminal journal articles and working papers that examine audit quality using archival research methods. Theoretical development of research questions on audit quality and application of rigorous research designs on the determinants and consequences of audit quality. Research inquiry and archival methods for audit quality. Pre: Graduate standing.
Print this page.
The PDF will include all information unique to this page.