100% Online Program

Online Graduate Certificate in Accounting Foundations

The online Graduate Certificate in Accounting Foundations helps you take the next step in your career.

Designed for graduate students who want to complement other graduate work, small business owners wanting additional accounting knowledge and employees needing to enhance current skills — all will benefit from this certificate program that does not require an undergraduate degree in accounting.

Want to learn more?

Contact a student success coach.

Among The Top In The Nation

Boise State’s online programs are specifically created for online learning and offer the same support as our traditional degree programs. Our master’s in accounting online program is ranked #56 in the nation for Best Online Master’s in Business Programs by U.S. News and World Report.

AACSB Accreditation

Boise State’s College of Business and Economics and the Department of Accountancy are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), putting them in the top tier of business schools and accountancy programs worldwide. Only 874 business institutions in 56 territories and countries have earned AACSB accreditation.

AACSB Accounting Accreditation

Boise State is also one of only 190 schools that hold AACSB Accounting Accreditation. This specialized accreditation signifies that our program meets rigorous criteria and standards for excellence in accounting education across engagement, innovation and impact.

Accounting Foundations Certificate at a Glance

What can I do with a Graduate Certificate in Accounting Foundations?

Certificate holders will gain knowledge in the foundations of accounting including financial statement preparation and analysis, tax procedures and planning, information technology and data analytics.

As a student, you will receive training in management, decision-making and business processes. You will learn how to research current accounting topics independently to stay up-to-date on new laws and technologies in your career field.

What classes will I take?

The Graduate Certificate in Accounting Foundations is offered online only with no in-person requirements. This 18-credit program includes six required courses. Review the following table for more details on course requirements.

Course	Credits
ACCT 500 Foundations of Financial Reporting I	3
ACCT 501 Foundations of Financial Reporting II	3
ACCT 504 Foundations of Financial Statement Auditing	3
ACCT 513 Foundations of Cost Accounting	3
ACCT 529 Foundations of Federal Income Taxation	3
ACCT 549 Foundations of Accounting Information Systems	3

Course Descriptions

Official course descriptions and degree plans are published on the graduate catalog website.

To find a course, click the “Courses” tab and select the drop-down list that aligns with your desired course prefix (e.g. ACCT 500). You may also use the search bar to search for the course prefix.

How much does it cost?

Boise State Online offers reasonably priced tuition, ongoing support, financial aid options and degree paths that help ensure you reach your goals quickly and efficiently. Review the following table for details on program costs.

Description	Cost
Boise State Graduate Admissions Application Fee (non-refundable)	$65
Courses (18 total credits @ $750 per credit*)	$13,500
Books (estimate)	$360
Graduation Application Fee	$25
Approximate Total Investment	$13,950
Other potential expenses may include a personal computer, webcam, headphones with mic, and internet access, which are all required for this program.	Varies
Room/Board***	$5,688
Transportation***	$1,248

How much does it cost with a 15% scholarship?**

The following table is an example of the total program cost for a student completing the 18 credits required to receive the Online Graduate Certificate in Accounting Foundations with a 15% per semester scholarship.**

Description	Cost
Boise State Graduate Admissions Application Fee (non-refundable)	$65
Courses (18 total credits @ $638 per credit*)	$11,484
Books (estimate)	$360
Graduation Application Fee	$25
Approximate Total Investment	$11,934
Other potential expenses may include a personal computer, webcam, headphones with mic, and internet access, which are all required for this program.	Varies
Room/Board***	$5,688
Transportation***	$1,248

*The per-credit fees listed above are for the 2025-26 academic year. Future academic year per-credit fees may vary slightly and are finalized each May.

***Costs for room, board and transportation are used to calculate financial aid and are included to disclose the full cost of attendance. These costs are not required for students pursuing a fully online program.

Notice to Boise State, State of Idaho and other Idaho higher education employees: Fee waivers do not apply to this program. For more information on reciprocal fee agreements, please visit the HR website.

Financial Assistance Options

Scholarships

Scholarships are available for qualified applicants. All scholarships offer the same discount—15% off tuition, saving students about $5,500. The 15% discount is applied incrementally to each course a student enrolls in; it cannot be applied all at once. Discounts and scholarships may not be combined.

With five scholarship options available, learn more about which one you may qualify for.

More Information About Online MSA Costs

What support will I have?

We’re here to help! From deciding if an online certificate is right for you to figuring out what credits transfer from previous schools, talking to a student success coach is the best place to start.

Contact the Accountancy Student Success Coach

What are the admission requirements?

To be considered for the online Graduate Certificate in Accounting Foundations, applicants must meet the following requirements:

Prerequisite Courses (or courses deemed equivalent)

ACCT 205 Introduction to Financial Accounting
ACCT 206 Introduction to Managerial Accounting
FINAN 303 Principles of Finance
Math 254 Intro to Statistics/BUSSTAT 207 Introduction to Business Analytics*
In accordance with Boise State Graduate College policy, a student MUST apply and be admitted to a graduate certificate prior to completing the requirements.

*Students should be comfortable with and have experience using Excel. Your student success coach can discuss the specific requirements for the program with you.

Standard Admission

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
Cumulative undergraduate GPA ≥ 3.00 (4.00 scale)
C- or better in prerequisite courses

This content is provided as a quick reference for planning. All official admission standards are published on the graduate catalog site.

Priority Application Deadlines by Semester

Applications may be accepted after the deadline if space is available in courses. Reach out to your student success coach for more information on the application process and timelines.

Semester	Application Deadline	Courses Begin
Spring	November 30*	Early January
Summer	April 15*	Early May
Fall	July 15*	Late August

To Apply For This Program

Step 1 – Apply to Boise State University

Complete the Boise State Graduate Admissions Application. On the Degree Path page within the application, select “Accounting Foundations Graduate Certificate-Online” from the Program or Certificate drop down list.

Submit the Boise State University Graduate Admission Application online

Step 2 – Upload Transcripts

In the Academic History section of the Graduate College Application, list all colleges and universities you have attended.

For each school you list, upload an unofficial transcript. This can be a digital transcript, a scanned copy or a photo of each page of your transcript from each institution. You may upload pages as a single- or multi-page PDF, or each page as an image file. The program will evaluate your application for admission using your unofficial transcripts.

Boise State requires that all transcripts from universities located outside of the United States be submitted as official versions. Uploaded or emailed documents from non-U.S. universities will not be considered for admission purposes. For guidance on submitting your official transcript, please see International Admissions’ official transcript guidance.

Military Service

If you have served in the military, please make sure to send your Joint Services Transcript and/or Community College of the Air Force Transcript.

Step 3 – Apply to the Accounting Foundations Program

After submitting the graduate admission application (Step 1) and uploading your transcripts (Step 2), you will complete the accounting foundations program application.

Access the program application by logging into your application account, clicking “View Application” and selecting the “Accountancy (Online Program)” orange link in the left menu. The program application includes:

A current detailed resume highlighting your professional work experience. Do not be concerned with brevity. Please include start and end dates (month and year) for each position held, and indicate full or part time.
An essay that answers one of the following questions. Your response should be limited to two double-spaced pages.

Discuss your career goals, both short-term and long-term. How will Boise State University’s Accounting Foundations Graduate Certificate program help you achieve these goals?
Discuss two or three situations in the past three years where you have taken a leadership role. How do these events demonstrate your managerial potential?
Please give a brief, candid evaluation of yourself. Include some discussion of your strengths and weaknesses. What do you consider most unique or distinctive about yourself?

Step 4 – Complete Excel Requirement

All students admitted to the Graduate Certificate in Accounting Foundations program must demonstrate proficiency in using Excel for accounting functions. This requirement can be met in one of two ways: by completing ITM 105 or taking an online course through MyEducator.

We highly recommend MyEducator because it allows you to complete the course at your own pace, offers lifetime access to the material and is a more cost-effective option.

Option 1: MyEducator Excel Course

The first option is to take an online course through MyEducator. This self-paced course can be completed at your convenience. You must successfully pass two exams: basic and advanced. Students typically spend about 1.5 hours per exam. You can choose between two options to fulfill this requirement:

Option A: Pay $10 for one attempt to take the basic and advanced exams. You must pass both with a combined score of 85%. We recommend this option only if you are confident in your Excel skills.

Purchase Option A

Option B: Pay $40 for lesson courses and $10 for exams (total of $50). This option includes unlimited practice opportunities, lifetime access to the course materials and the ability to retake the exams as many times as needed to achieve the required score. We recommend this option if you haven’t used Excel recently and want extra practice before taking the exams.

Purchase Option B

When you go to purchase either option, you will be asked to create an account with MyEducator if you do not already have one. If you already have an account, please just log in. Once your account is created and payment is made, you will be directed to the course material.

Many students and alumni have found the MyEducator course valuable not only for passing the exams but also as a reference throughout their academic and professional careers.

View the MyEducator Excel Course

Option 2: Complete ITM 105

The second option is to complete ITM 105 during one of your first semesters. This is a seven-week, two-credit-hour course offered at regular per-credit rates. Please note there is a seat limit, and enrollment is not guaranteed.

Talk to a coach for more information about ITM 105.

Authorization

Boise State maintains authorization to offer online programs in Idaho and beyond. Detailed information about state authorization is available on the eCampus Center website.

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Contact our enrollment and student success team for support by emailing us at OnlineMSA@boisestate.edu or calling (208) 426-5921.