In the second half of the intermediate accounting sequence, students may develop a greater understanding of the principles that dictate accounting applications and will apply those principles in increasingly advanced scenarios. Students will apply accounting principles to the development of individual pensions, employee benefit plans, shareholders equity, and the disposition of operational assets. The course also places emphasis on developing advanced spreadsheet techniques and research capabilities.

The purpose of this course is to familiarize students with the basic differences between accounting for profit-driven entities and accounting for governmental or not-for-profit organizations. The course will help students distinguish how fund accounting for governmental entities operates, including the general fund, capital projects fund, and special revenue fund. Students may learn to identify and implement best practices in accounting within governmental or not-for-profit organizations, in keeping with the regulatory and ethical context of such practices.

In this course, students will learn the tools and skills necessary to successfully perform data analytics and provide data-driven insights and recommendations. Students will be exposed to both a Microsoft track (Excel, Power Pivot, and Power BI) and a Tableau track (Tableau Prep and Tableau Desktop). Using multiple tools allows students to learn which tool is best suited for the necessary data analysis, data visualization, and communication of the insights gained. Students should leave this course with the skills necessary to translate accounting and business problems into actionable proposals that they can competently present to internal and external stakeholders.

This course explores the basic types of derivative instruments (forwards, futures, options, swaps) and their use in the context of financial risk management by investors, firms and financial institutions. Topics include the mechanics of derivatives markets, practical and theoretical aspects of hedging and speculating using derivatives, and methodologies for pricing derivatives.