Why study Accounting at Coastal Georgia?
The College of Coastal Georgia has an innovative curriculum, a highly-regarded and caring faculty, and a supportive business community. This degree focuses on preparing students for not just a job, but a career, by providing a curriculum that prepares students for future graduate studies or immediate entry into the profession. Students will participate in a required internship that will allow them to connect with the business community and see firsthand how their coursework relates to the profession.
What will I learn?
The Bachelor of Science in Accounting is a challenging program of study intended to prepare students to become experts in the fields of accounting or business, and is useful for a variety of objectives. The College’s program includes courses in financial, managerial, non-profit, governmental accounting, as well as auditing and taxation. The value contributed by individuals educated in these fields focuses on students’ ability to participate in the analysis and decision-making process.
What can I do when I graduate?
Accounting is the language of business and is found in almost every industry in the world. The need for accountants and their skillset continues to grow, and also provides a link into other areas of business.
Career fields that rely on an accounting and business educational foundation include banking and insurance in the finance industries, purchasing, planning and estimating in manufacturing and service organizations, and traditional accounting and finance positions for organizations in the private, public, or non-profit sectors of the economy. The following is a partial list of positions Accounting students may find available upon graduation:
- Staff accountants in private business, non-profit organizations, or government agencies
- Manager and director level positions such as controllers, director of accounting, etc.; Auditors in private, government, and non-profit sectors
- Budget or financial analysts
- Cost estimators
- Treasury and investment managers
- Personal financial advisors
- IRS agents and examiners
- Management analysts (i.e., consultants)
- Top senior level executives such as the chief financial officer (CFO) and chief executive officer (CEO).
There are also several professional certifications or licenses available to Accounting students upon graduation. They include the following:
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
- Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
- Certified Government Finance Manager (CGFM)
- Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
- Certified Financial Planner designation (CFP)
This list is not exhaustive, as there are many other, more specialized designations, depending on career goals and objectives.
Haley M. Miller, CPA:
“Coastal Georgia helped me figure out that I wanted to be an accountant. The education I got there prepared me for the rest of my career, including passing the CPA exam. In April, I finally received my license, and I know without a doubt that Coastal Georgia helped me accomplish that goal.”
Meet our Faculty:
Dr. Wanda DeLeo
Dr. Wanda DeLeo is a Professor of Accounting in the School of Business and Public Management. Dr. DeLeo came to the college in 2015 after retiring from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) where she was most recently the Deputy Director of the Division of Conservatorship where she lead all activities associated with the Agency’s conservatorships of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Before taking that role in 2013, Dr. DeLeo held multiple positions at FHFA, including Deputy Director of the Office of Strategic Initiatives, Deputy Director of the Division of Examination Programs and Support, Acting Deputy Director of the Division of Housing Mission and Goals and Chief Accountant. Before becoming Chief Accountant at FHFA in 2008, she was Examination Manager for Accounting and later Chief Accountant for the former Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), one of FHFA’s predecessor agencies.
Prior to joining OFHEO in 2002, Dr. DeLeo enjoyed a 20-year academic career teaching and conducting research in financial accounting at Winthrop University, Christian Brothers University, University of Houston – Downtown, Georgia State University and Kennesaw State University.
Dr. DeLeo holds a Doctorate in accounting from Georgia State University, a Master’s degree in accounting from the University of Central Florida, and a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from University of Georgia. She is also a licensed CPA in the state of Georgia, and a member of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Dr. DeLeo has over 50 articles and presentations. She has presentations at regional and national conferences including the American Accounting Association, the American Academy of Accounting and Finance, and the Mortgage Bankers Association Journal, in which she has published include Management Accounting, Journal of Accounting and Finance and the Journal of Education for Business. She has also received a number of outstanding achievement and teaching awards including FHFA’s Director’s Award for her role in defining and managing relationships with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac throughout the Conservatorship, Winthrop University’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Charter Advisor for Beta Alpha Psi, and Winthrop University’s Beta Gamma Sigma Excellence in Teaching Award.
Dr. James Benton
Dr. James “Jim” E. Benton is currently an Associate Professor of Accounting at the College of Coastal Georgia. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Finance and Masters of Art in Economics from Old Dominion University, a Juris Doctor, Masters of Taxation and Masters of Science in Personal Financial Planning from Georgia State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Northern Illinois University. His professional credentials include active Bar member in the state of Georgia, CPA/PFS, and CFP. Jim has worked in various law and accounting practices as well as operating his own financial planning/tax planning practices. He has taught various personal financial planning courses at a number of certified financial planning programs including Georgia State University, Western Carolina University, Duke University, Old Dominion University, and Shippensburg University. He is also the founder of The Financial Literacy Academy, LLC, a corporate training company specializing in financial literacy training and is a 28-year US Army combat veteran who retired from the US Army/Army Reserves as a LTC in the Judge Advocate General Corp.