Online Accounting Graduate Certificate
Advance Your Career in Accounting
At a Glance
The online Accounting Graduate Certificate prepares you to speak the language of business with confidence. Master the essentials of financial reporting, control systems, and tax strategy—skills that drive smarter decisions and open doors across industries.
Offered through the AACSB-accredited OU Steed School of Accounting within the Price College of Business, the Accounting Graduate Certificate is built for ambitious professionals who are ready to lead with confidence in today’s fast-evolving financial landscape.
To learn more about this certificate, contact the Price Graduate Programs office at Price.Graduate.Programs@ou.edu.
100% Online
Time to Complete:
9+ months
Credit Hours:
12
Time Commitment:
10 to 20 Hours Weekly
start dates
Fall, Spring
cost
The Online Graduate Certificate in Accounting prepares you with practical skills you can apply from day one.
Tuition and fees for the program are $12,180 ($1,015 per credit hour). Books and materials are not included. There is no application fee or deposit for this certificate.
About the Online Graduate Certificate in Accounting
The financial landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by regulatory complexity, digital transformation, and an increasing demand for professionals who can translate numbers into strategy.
The University of Oklahoma’s online Accounting Graduate Certificate is a 12-credit-hour program designed to equip professionals for careers that require financial fluency, analytical precision, and confident decision-making across industries.
Delivered through OU’s AACSB-accredited Price College of Business, the curriculum consists of six courses grounded in real-world accounting practice that empower you with the tools to lead effectively, drive smarter business decisions, and expand your impact within your organization.
You’ll gain practical skills you can apply from day one as you explore financial reporting, control systems, tax strategy, and financial statement analysis. Whether you’re advancing in corporate finance, pivoting into auditing, or sharpening your strategic edge, this flexible, 100% online certificate with interactive synchronous evening sessions prepares you to accelerate your career, wherever it takes you.
In addition, the 12 credit hours you earn through the Accounting certificate are fully transferable (subject to time limits) as electives into OU’s online Master of Accountancy, online MBA, or other graduate degree programs within business or across OU, allowing you to build momentum now and potentially shorten the time required to complete your master’s degree if you choose to continue.
To learn more about this certificate, contact the Price Graduate Programs office at Price.Graduate.Programs@ou.edu.
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Course Details
The online Accounting Graduate Certificate features a focused curriculum that explores a wide range of topics including financial accounting and reporting, auditing, cost accounting, and financial statement analysis. Whether you're moving up into financial analysis, management, or auditing, or making a pivot into finance for the first time, you'll have the credentials and skills to succeed.
Core Courses (Choose 1)
- Financial Accounting (2)
- Financial Reporting Foundations (2)
Elective Courses (Choose 5)
- Managerial Accounting (2)
- Fundamentals of Cost Accounting (2)
- Financial Reporting for Assets and Investments (2)
- Financial Reporting for Liabilities and Equity (2)
- Fundamentals of Income Taxation & Tax Accounting (2)
- Fundamentals of Taxation of Business and Employment Income (2)
- Fundamentals of Accounting Information Systems (2)
- Fundamentals of Internal Control (2)
- Fundamentals of Auditing (2)
- Financial Statement Analysis Theory and Methods (2)
Expand each course below to view more about the topics covered and how they prepare you for leadership in accounting.
Course Structure
You’ll earn 12 credit hours across six courses. Each semester is divided into two modules, and you’ll take two courses in each module (4 courses per semester). Spring and Fall courses run for 8 weeks. Summer semester courses run for 7 weeks. Synchronous and asynchronous courses allow for engaging discussions while you gain the knowledge needed to compete in a growing industry.
REQUIRED COURSES (2 HOURS)
Choose one of the following courses:
Financial Accounting
Credit Hours: 2
Students will learn to construct and analyze financial statements of for-profit corporate enterprises. The basic accounting model, including financial statement recording and preparation, will be covered. A major emphasis will be placed on using financial statements for decision-making by investors, creditors, and other users. Basic ratio analysis and valuation concepts will be introduced.
Financial Reporting Foundations
Credit Hours: 2
This course introduces the process of preparing, reporting, and using financial data reported on the income statement and balance sheet. Emphasizes complex revenue and receivable transactions, such as performance obligations, long-term contracts, variable considerations, transaction pricing, and uncollectible accounts, and assesses how these transactions are reported and analyzed by external users.
Choose 10 credit hours from the following courses:
Managerial Accounting
Credit Hours: 2
This course emphasizes the use of accounting information for internal planning and control. Introduces students to types of managerial information used to effectively and efficiently run businesses. Covers basic issues in costing (activity based and product); generation and interpretation of information for planning and strategic decision-making (pricing, make-or-buy analysis, cost-volume-profit analysis); production and use of information related to performance measurement.
Fundamentals of Cost Accounting
Credit Hours: 2
This course covers an overview of technical management accounting concepts. Topics will include process costing; rework and scrap costs; support costs, joint costs and byproducts; relevant costs; transfer pricing; inventory management; and performance measures.
Financial Reporting for Assets and Investments
Credit Hours: 2
This course introduces the process of measuring and reporting assets and investments. Emphasizes topics such as asset acquisition, nonmonetary asset exchange, internally generated assets, impairment, depreciation, debt investments, equity investments, and the use of derivatives for speculative and hedging purposes.
Financial Reporting for Liabilities and Equity
Credit Hours: 2
This course introduces the process of valuing and reporting liabilities and equities. Emphasizes topics such as private and public debt offerings, lease accounting, income tax implications, equity-based compensation, dividends, dilutive instruments, and the computation of earnings per share.
Fundamentals of Income Taxation & Tax Accounting
Credit Hours: 2
This course covers introduction to the taxation of income generally including the definition and measurement of taxable income and the recognition and taxation of gains and losses from property transactions.
Fundamentals of Taxation of Business & Employment Income
Credit Hours: 2
This course covers the introduction to the alternate organizational forms in which businesses may be conducted, the measurement and taxation of income generated by those business forms, and the impact of organizational form choice on the owners of the business.
Fundamentals of Accounting Information Systems
Credit Hours: 2
This course introduces the conceptual foundations of AIS and data analytics. Addresses issues and mitigating factors of accounting information systems' reliability.
Fundamentals of Internal Control
Credit Hours: 2
This course introduces the basic concepts of system documentation and internal controls of accounting information systems. Discusses relevant controls to the audit of financial statements and reporting in the context of the audit risk model.
Fundamentals of Auditing
Credit Hours: 2
This course will develop the perspective and knowledge necessary to understand the audit process and gain basic competency in audit risk assessment and reporting.
Financial Statement Analysis Theory and Methods
Credit Hours: 2
Intended to increase your ability to use and make decisions using information presented in the financial statements of publicly traded companies. A number of different decision contexts will be examined, including valuation of potential acquisitions, investment analysis, credit analysis, managing corporate financing policies, and analyzing business communications. Will consider the role of both accounting and non-accounting information.
Why Choose OU Online for Accounting
OU Online delivers high-quality, affordable undergraduate and graduate programs designed for working professionals. With flexible, fully online formats and instruction from a top-tier public university, you’ll gain the skills and credentials to advance your careers without putting it on hold.
Explore what it takes to thrive in today’s accounting landscape, where sharp analytical thinking, tax strategy, and financial reporting are essential skills for professionals ready to lead with confidence.
Faculty Expertise
Learn from Price College faculty and seasoned practitioners who shape the field of accounting through cutting-edge research, global speaking engagements, and high-impact consulting. From journal editors to former industry executives, our professors bring real-world insight and academic excellence straight into the virtual classroom.
Robust Student Support
OU Online offers robust student support services, including academic support, online tutoring, mental health counseling, and an online career development center. The program accommodates the needs of working professionals, allowing you to expand your skills while maintaining full-time employment.
Global Alumni Network
With more than 250,000 alumni across the world, becoming a Sooner means you’ll have access to a strong network of accounting and financial professionals to accelerate your career. As a Sooner, you’ll be part of a powerful network of leaders working in organizations across the world, helping you expand your career in accounting.
Flexible Format
The online Accounting Graduate Certificate offers a flexible format built for working professionals across the globe. Earn your certificate in as few as 9 months while maintaining full-time employment and managing personal commitments. Study from anywhere and gain specialized accounting expertise that sets you apart in a competitive industry.
Tailored Experience
Move through the program with a small, focused cohort of professionals who share your passion for accounting. Engage in dynamic online discussions with faculty and peers while building a powerful network within the industry. Learn to speak the language of business and drive smarter decisions in one of the world’s most complex and fast-evolving sectors.
Cost and Financial Aid
Earning your Accounting Graduate Certificate is an investment in your future—and OU Online is committed to making that investment as accessible and transparent as possible.
Tuition and fees for the program are $12,180 ($1,015 per credit hour). Books and materials are not included. There is no application fee for this degree.
*Please be aware that tuition and fees may change, as determined by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
