- Online
Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Financial Analysis
The expertise to lead. The credential to back it up. A California network that lasts.
Format
100% online courses
Duration
Complete in as little as two years
Optional
Optional live session once per week
Next start date
October 26, 2026
Accounting is a field for people who care about accuracy, accountability and decisions based on clear information. If you already work with numbers or keep financial details moving behind the scenes, the Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Financial Analysis can help you back up that experience with a degree. If you are new to the field, it gives you the foundation to begin with confidence.
You’ll build skills in accounting, financial analysis, information systems, tax, auditing and ethics. The Cal Lutheran curriculum is also designed to support students preparing for California’s Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Examination.
Part of Cal Lutheran’s Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals, this degree completion program is built for learners who have some previous college credit. In a program designed for adult learners, your experience is valued and you get the support to finish what you started.
At Cal Lutheran, we pride ourselves on providing personal attention to each of our students. Our classes are intentionally kept small so that you can connect with your instructors and peers. You’ll also have access to a personal academic counselor who will guide and support you every step of the way.
What You’ll Learn in the Accounting and Financial Analysis Degree
The BS in Accounting and Financial Analysis balances accounting practice with the business theory behind it. You’ll learn to present financial data as meaningful insights an organization can make decisions on. By graduation, you’ll have:
- An intermediate command of accounting principles and the systems and regulations that shape financial work
- A grounding in business strategy, organizational behavior, law and ethics
- Statistical data analysis skills you can apply directly to business decisions
- The professional and ethical judgment that sound financial work depends on
- The interpersonal skills to work well on teams and build productive professional relationships
- Writing and speaking skills that make complex financial information clear to people who aren’t accountants
See the courses you’ll take as an accounting and financial analysis student.
“My favorite thing about being in the Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals program was that I could actively work on my career at the same time that I was getting my bachelor’s degree. I was able to make the most out of my time by gaining experience while working on my major.”
Who Is This Program For?
There’s no single type of student here. Many already work with numbers as bookkeepers, accounts payable and receivable specialists, office managers who handle the finances and payroll professionals. They are ready to expand their working knowledge with a degree.
Other students are entering the field for the first time. They are drawn to an industry where the work is steady and there are always interesting problems to solve.
For students in California, the program also means faculty who know the local accounting and financial services landscape, and a network of instructors and classmates built right here. At the same time, the skills you build transfer anywhere in the country.
Our only requirements are a high school diploma or GED certificate and at least 24 credits of college credit from an accredited institution. Visit our admissions page for more information on what you need to apply.
Accounting and Financial Analysis Curriculum
This is a 100% online degree. Students complete a minimum of 124 credits to graduate. At least 78 of those credits will be from accounting and financial analysis major courses. The rest can come from general education courses and/or credits you transfer in.
All courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted
Required Foundations of Business Courses (30 Credits)
Research Writing for Professionals
Advanced Research Writing for Professionals
Microeconomics
Macroeconomics
Applied Math for Business
Principles of Professional Communication
Industrial and Organizational Psychology
Business and Society
Foundations of Business Law
Organizational Behavior
Required Foundations of Accounting Courses (42 credits)
Foundations of Financial Accounting
Foundations of Managerial Accounting
Intermediate Financial Accounting 1
Intermediate Financial Accounting 2
Cost Accounting
Information Systems in Accounting
Principles of Auditing and Assurance
Accounting Ethics and Responsibility
International Accounting
Intermediate Auditing and Assurance
Principles of Individual Taxation
Principles of Business Taxation
Data Analytics in Accounting
Advanced Financial Accounting
CPA Discipline Electives (6 credits)
Choose two tracks from the following options. Each track includes its own dedicated course.
| Track | Course |
|---|---|
| Business Analysis and Reporting | Financial Statement Analysis |
| Information Systems and Controls | Forensic Accounting and Fraud Detection |
| Tax Compliance and Planning | Individual Tax Compliance and Planning |
Total Credits to Complete the Degree
To graduate, students must complete 124 credits minimum. This total includes:
- Major courses: At least 78 credits are completed through accounting and financial analysis major courses. Out of these, at least 54 credits must be upper-division courses (these courses are identified by course numbers in the 300 and 400 ranges).
- General education and other courses: The remaining credits can consist of general education courses, additional major courses if desired and any transferred credits.
Career Outcomes With a BS in Accounting and Financial Analysis
Accounting is a field with steady, lasting demand. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of accountants and auditors to grow 6% over the next decade, double the national average, with a median salary of $81,680.
Financial analysis offers a similar outlook, with even stronger pay. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 6% growth for financial analysts through 2034, faster than average, with a median salary of $101,910.
The near-term picture is just as strong: more than 582,000 accounting jobs were posted nationwide over the past two years, including more than 63,500 in California, according to the labor database Lightcast. Of those national postings, 83% required a college degree and 66% required a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Our students go on to work in public accounting firms, government agencies, corporate finance and tech. Some of the top roles that require an accounting and finance degree include:
Find out more about where a degree in accounting and financial analysis can take you >
Attend a Class Before You Apply
Get a closer look at what it’s like to be a Cal Lutheran student by sitting in on a live online class. For more information and to reserve your spot, contact an enrollment specialist at 805-521-9856 or complete our form.
Frequently Asked Questions
A degree completion program is a bachelor’s degree built for people who already have some college credit. Instead of starting over, you transfer in the courses you’ve already earned and build your degree plan from there.
For the Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Financial Analysis, every incoming student brings at least 24 credits from a previous accredited associate or undergraduate program, and many bring more credits.
The difference from a traditional bachelor’s degree is mostly who it’s for and how it’s run — not the quality of the education. A general program is built around full-time students who are usually new to college. Cal Lutheran’s degree program is built around working adults who have some college behind them and a full life around them.
We know our students have to balance their degree around jobs, families and everything else, so the program runs fully online with the option to join a weekly live session in the evening.
Student support services are built for adult learners coming back to school too: academic advisors know your situation and personalized career counseling when you need it.
For someone who started a degree years ago and always meant to finish, a completion program is the most direct way back.
Learn more about what it’s like to return to school after some time away >>
The benefit is range. You graduate able to work across the whole life of financial information, which opens more roles and more room to grow than either skill alone.
Accounting is the practice of recording and reporting financial information accurately. Financial analysis is the work of interpreting that information to guide decisions, like whether a company can afford to expand or where it’s losing money.
Many programs treat these as separate tracks. Here they’re taught together, so you get a fuller picture of how organizations handle money.
On the accounting side, courses like Intermediate Financial Accounting and Principles of Auditing and Assurance give you the technical command to prepare those records accurately.
On the analysis side, courses such as Data Analytics in Accounting and Financial Statement Analysis teach you to interpret financial information.
That combination is what allows an accountant to advise on the numbers in addition to recording them.
Learn more about the accounting and financial analysis courses >>
The BS in Accounting and Financial Analysis curriculum is specifically designed to support students who are working toward the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Examination.
Cal Lutheran’s courses map onto the three core sections that everyone takes. We help you prep for the speciality section with our discipline tracks (you’ll choose two out of the three discipline track options).
| CPA Exam Section | Relevant Courses |
|---|---|
| Core: Auditing (AUD) | Principles of Auditing and Assurance, Intermediate Auditing and Assurance |
| Core: Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) | Intermediate Financial Accounting 1 and 2, Financial Statement Analysis |
| Core: Regulation (REG) | Principles of Individual Taxation, Principles of Business Taxation |
| Discipline (choose one): BAR, ISC or TCP | The three program tracks: Business Analysis and Reporting; Information Systems and Controls; or Tax Compliance and Planning |
A note on requirements: Passing the exam is just one step toward becoming a licensed CPA. The full requirements are set by each state, so they vary depending on where you plan to be licensed.
In California:
- You currently need a bachelor’s degree, 24 semester units in accounting subjects and 24 in business-related subjects to sit for the exam, with some additional coursework, including ethics units, required for the license itself.
- California is also moving to an updated set of rules that simplifies this, bringing the education required for the exam and the license into closer alignment and adding flexibility on the work-experience side. You can review both the current and updated rules in this CPA Exam quick tips guide.
- Because the state is in the middle of that transition, it’s worth confirming the current requirements before you plan around them. Make sure to check the California Board of Accountancy site.
If you plan to be licensed in another state, the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy maintains the requirements for every state at nasba.org.
You are welcome to apply if you have:
- Graduated from high school or possess a GED certificate
- Completed 24 credits of transferable college credit
- Earned a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.25
Visit our admissions page for more information, including an application checklist.
On average, Cal Lutheran students finish their bachelor’s in accounting and financial analysis in a little over two years when taking two courses per term.
Your personal timeline depends on a few things: how many credits you transfer in, how many of those count toward this specific degree and how many courses you take each term.
The best way to find out is to talk with an enrollment specialist. They can review your previous coursework and tell you which credits transfer and how they apply to this degree. Call 805-521-9856 or complete our info form to request a call.
Yes, from several sources. Students can apply for federal aid such as Pell Grants and Direct Loans, and other awards can bring the cost down further.
If you transferred from a California community college, you may qualify for a Cal Grant, and graduates of a PACE program at a partner community college can receive a $100 per credit tuition reduction through PACE Promise. Many employers also offer tuition assistance, and as a Yellow Ribbon school, Cal Lutheran supports students using veterans benefits.
Our tuition and financial aid page has more information on funding options.
Here Are Your Next Steps
- Download a brochure to get an in-depth look at what to expect as a student
- Talk to an enrollment specialist at 805-521-9856 to find out how your credits transfer and how long finishing would take
- Start your application and finish what you started
Request Information
To learn more about the Bachelor’s Degree for Professionals offered by the Cal Lutheran School for Professional and Continuing Studies and download a brochure, please fill out the form. You can also get in touch with an enrollment specialist directly by calling us at 805-521-9856.
