Career certificate
Program overview
Learn financial records, spreadsheets, payroll concepts, tax basics, and small-business accounting practices.
Who this pathway serves
This certificate supports students seeking entry-level accounting work, stronger small-business recordkeeping skills, or a practical foundation before advanced business study.
Program focus areas
- Financial records: Students practice accounting cycles, statements, internal controls, and the language used in business records.
- Payroll and tax basics: Coursework introduces documentation, employer responsibilities, deadlines, and careful handling of financial information.
- Spreadsheet accuracy: Students build habits for formulas, reconciliation, formatting, review, and error-checking in practical assignments.
What students learn
- Prepare basic financial statements
- Use accounting software concepts
- Explain payroll and tax workflows
Courses in this pathway
| Course | Title | Units | Prerequisite | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACCT 101 | Financial Accounting | 3 | None | Introduces accounting cycles, statements, internal controls, and financial reporting for small and mid-sized organizations. |
| ACCT 120 | Payroll and Tax Fundamentals | 3 | ACCT 101 recommended | Covers payroll records, basic tax forms, employer responsibilities, and accounting documentation. |
| BUS 101 | Introduction to Business | 3 | None | Examines business organizations, management, ethics, economics, marketing, and entrepreneurship. |
| CIS 105 | Computer Applications for College and Career | 3 | None | Builds practical skills in documents, spreadsheets, presentations, cloud tools, and workplace productivity. |
| MATH 115 | Statistics for Liberal Arts | 3 | Placement | Applies statistics, probability, data interpretation, and quantitative reasoning to real-world questions. |
Program and schedule planning
Financial Accounting should be completed early. Spreadsheet and computer application skills help students prepare for payroll, tax, and bookkeeping assignments.
Applied work students may complete
Students may complete a small-business accounting packet with journal entries, spreadsheet schedules, payroll notes, and a short explanation of controls or documentation.
Questions to discuss with advising
- Are you preparing for entry-level work, business ownership, or transfer study?
- How comfortable are you with spreadsheets and basic math?
- Should you take computer applications before payroll or tax coursework?
Career and transfer direction
- Bookkeeping assistant
- Accounting clerk
- Payroll assistant
Support for program students
Students in Accounting should use advising before registration, tutoring or lab support when assignments become difficult, and library or technology help when projects require research, data, writing, or digital production.
Students should contact an instructor or advisor early if the pathway workload, schedule, language demands, field expectations, or prerequisite sequence becomes difficult to manage.