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 #58 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

This content is provided as a quick reference for planning your academic schedule. All official course descriptions and degree requirements are published on the graduate catalog site.

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 @ $545 per credit*)	$9,810
Books (estimate)	$360
Graduation Application Fee	$25
Approximate Total Investment	$10,260
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 2023-24 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.

Note to Boise State and other Idaho higher education employees: Fee waivers do not apply to this program.

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*

*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 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 the Excel Proficiency Exam

All students admitted to the Graduate Certificate in Accounting Foundations have to complete an Excel requirement before registering for classes. This requirement is completed after successfully passing two Excel exams (basic and advanced). Students that are prepared to take the exams should spend on average about 1.5 hours per exam.

View Excel Modules

There are two options to complete this requirement:

Option 1: Take the basic and advanced exam ($10) and pass with a combined score of 85%.
If you were to score below 85% you could retake both tests to get a higher score. If you still can’t get a combined score of 85%, go to Option 2.
Option 2: If, after reviewing the module titles you decide to just purchase the lesson courses and prep, you will pay $40 for that and then $10 for the exams (total of $50). If you purchase this option, you will have unlimited test opportunities to pass the two exams.

Instructions for payment

Copy and paste the following link into your internet browser: app.myeducator.com/s/250Cn8KYK01/
Click on the “Checkout” button. Payment information will be needed ($10).
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.

Accountancy Program News

February 22, 2024

Q+A: Comparison of Online Master of Business Administration and Online Master of Science in Accounting programs

As a finance professional, a graduate degree can help you get ahead in your career...

Didn’t find what you were looking for?

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