ACCOUNTING (ACCT)

The terms indicated are expected but are not guaranteed. For the courses offered during any given term, consult the Schedule of Classes.

360 Accounting Issues and Decision Making I (3, FaSp) Understanding of decision-making, problem solving, and research skills to supplement financial accounting and taxation knowledge for accounting professionals. Duplicates credit in former ACCT 350. Prerequisite: BUAD 250b or BUAD 305x; concurrent enrollment in BUAD 302T, ACCT 361, ACCT 362.

361 Accounting Issues and Decision Making II (3, FaSp) Understanding of decision-making, problem solving and research skills to supplement financial and managerial accounting knowledge for accounting professionals. Duplicates credit in former ACCT 351. Prerequisite: BUAD 250b or BUAD 305x; concurrent enrollment in BUAD 302T, ACCT 360, ACCT 362.

362 Accounting Issues and Decision Making III (3, FaSp) Understanding of technology and how it is used to support accounting professionals in financial and managerial accounting, auditing, and taxation. Prerequisite: BUAD 250b or BUAD 305x; concurrent enrollment: BUAD 302T, ACCT 360, ACCT 361.

390 Special Problems (1-4, FaSpSm) Supervised, individual studies. No more than one registration permitted. Enrollment by petition only.

410x Accounting for Non-Business Majors (4, FaSpSm) Non-technical presentation of accounting for users of accounting information; introduction to financial and managerial accounting. Not open to students with course credits in accounting. Not available for unit or course credit toward a degree in Accounting or Business Administration.

450ab External Financial Reporting Issues (a: 3, FaSp; b: 3, FaSpSm) a: Capabilities to identify and articulate current external financial reporting problems and issues, concentrating on operating, financing, and investing activities of business organizations. Prerequisite: BUAD 302T, ACCT 360, ACCT 361, ACCT 362; concurrent enrollment in ACCT 452. b: Continuation of capabilities to identify and articulate current financial reporting problems and issues, concentrating on operating, financing, and investing activities of business organizations. Prerequisite: ACCT 450a; concurrent enrollment: ACCT 456.

451 Tax Issues for Business (3, FaSp) Capabilities to identify and articulate tax issues related to operating, financing, and investing activities of business organizations. Duplicates credit in former ACCT 451a. Prerequisite: BUAD 302T, ACCT 360, ACCT 361, ACCT 362.

452 Accounting Information Systems (3, FaSp) Issues related to the design, control, implementation and auditing of accounting information systems. Duplicates credit in former ACCT 452a. Prerequisite: BUAD 302T, ACCT 360, ACCT 361, ACCT 362.

453 Accounting Systems Design (3, FaSp) Explores the design of accounting systems. Introduction to tools and techniques for analyzing and designing accounting systems with an emphasis on system controls and reporting. Prerequisite: BUAD 302T, ACCT 360, ACCT 361, ACCT 362; concurrent enrollment: ACCT 452.

454 Accounting Systems Development (3, FaSp) Examines the fundamentals of accounting systems development. Introduction to the concepts of implementation and support, with emphasis on system quality assurance, evaluation and attestation. Prerequisite: ACCT 452, ACCT 453; concurrent enrollment: ACCT 456.

455 Internal Reporting Issues (3, FaSpSm) Capabilities to identify and articulate reporting issues related to operating, financing, and investing activities of business organizations. Duplicates credit in former ACCT 451b. Prerequisite: BUAD 302T, ACCT 360, ACCT 361, ACCT 362.

456 Auditing and Assurance Issues (3, FaSpSm) Capabilities to identify and articulate auditing issues related to operating, financing, and investing activities of business organizations. Duplicates credit in former ACCT 452b. Prerequisite: ACCT 452.

525 Intensive Accounting Principles and Practices (12, Sm) Technical accounting theory and principles necessary for graduate work. Satisfies the prerequisite requirements for intermediate, advanced, managerial accounting, systems, and auditing. Credit toward degree limited to M.Acc. students. Recommended preparation: introductory accounting courses.

535 Management Accounting and Control Systems (3, SpSm) Decision-making, uses of management accounting information; cost system design; financial responsibility centers; planning and budgeting systems; performance measures and evaluation. Not open to M.B.A. students. Duplicates credit in GSBA 518. Prerequisite: GSBA 510.

536 Advanced Cost Analysis and Management Accounting (3) Analysis and design of systems that provide cost information useful in making strategic and operating decisions. Advantages and limitations of activity-based costing methods. Recommended preparation: GSBA 518.

537 Management Control Systems (3, Sp) Study of systems and devices managers use to ensure that strategies are being implemented as intended and that assets are not being stolen or otherwise dissipated. Among the topics covered are planning and budgeting systems, responsibility centers, performance measures and evaluations, incentives, and the roles of controllers and internal auditors. Duplicates credit in former GSBA 537. Recommended preparation: GSBA 518.

543 Introduction to Tax (3) Tax issues arising during a business’ life, including formation, financing, operating, expanding, and dissolving. Cross-border transactions and non-U.S. tax systems discussed.

544 Federal Taxes (3) Study of the impact of taxation on business planning and operations, investment strategy, and personal and family wealth. Recommended preparation: GSBA 518.

546 Advanced Auditing Problems and Cases (3) Study of issues relating to auditor litigation, compliance with laws and regulations, the framework of internal controls, environmental auditing, international auditing matters and professional ethics. Prerequisite: ACCT 556.

549 Accounting Information Systems and Technologies (3, FaSp) Design and development of advanced accounting information systems including data structures, telecommunications, artificial intelligence, networking, security and controls, and other emerging technologies. Prerequisite: ACCT 525x or GSBA 530.

550T Tax Research and Practice (3, Fa) Tax law research methods; interpreting statutes, cases, and rulings; communicating research results; administration and professional responsibilities of tax practice. Prerequisite: ACCT 544 or departmental approval.

551T Taxation of Flow-Through Entities (3) Federal taxation of flow-through entities, including: partnerships, S corporations, limited liability partnerships (LLPs), and limited liability companies (LLCs). Prerequisite: ACCT 550T.

552 Knowledge Management (3) Managing knowledge using knowledge-based systems and contemporary knowledge management approaches (intranets) in order to enhance and facilitate decision making and manage accounting data and information in organizations. Recommended preparation: GSBA 530 or ACCT 525x.

553T Tax Policy and Strategic Tax Planning (3) Introduction to business taxes and their impact on management decisions. For prospective managers and business consultants, topics include discounted cash flow, financial accounting, and overall business impacts of taxes on decision making. Recommended preparation: GSBA 518.

557 Judgment Issues in Accounting and Auditing (3) Sources and costs of professional judgment and solutions to improve professional judgment are explored. Relationships to financial and managerial accounting, tax, and auditing are examined. Prerequisite: ACCT 556.

560T Tax Theory and Its Business Applications (3) Taxation and its relationship to business and investment decisions; the effects of taxation on business organization, capital structure, policies, operation and expansion. Prerequisite: ACCT 544.

561T Income Tax of Corporations and Their Shareholders (3) Concepts and principles governing the taxation of corporations and their shareholders; the effect of taxes structure, distributions, and liquidations. Prerequisite: ACCT 544.

563T Federal Estate and Gift Taxes (3) Taxation of decedents’ estates and lifetime gifts; valuation of property subject to estate and gift taxes. Prerequisite: ACCT 550T and ACCT 560T.

565T Estate Planning (3) Analysis of lifetime and postmortem estate planning theories and procedures. Prerequisite: ACCT 563T.

566T Income Taxation of Estates and Trusts (3) Concepts and principles governing the income taxation of estates and trusts; use of trusts for tax planning. Prerequisite: ACCT 550T and ACCT 560T.

567T Taxation of Transactions in Property (3) Taxation of gains and losses from sales, exchanges and other transactions involving property, especially real estate; tax planning. Prerequisite: ACCT 550T and ACCT 560T.

568T Taxation of Foreign Business Operations (3) Taxation of foreign income of U.S. citizens and corporations and of U.S. source income of foreign persons and corporations; planning for organization of foreign operations under the tax laws. Prerequisite: ACCT 561T.

569abT Taxation of Special Enterprises (3-3) Special tax concepts and principles relating to selected industries and specially-taxed forms of organization. a: For a selected industry; b: for a specially-taxed organization. Prerequisite: ACCT 551T.

570T State and Local Tax Concepts (3) State income taxes; property tax; other state and local taxes; the effect of state and local taxes on multistate operations. Prerequisite: ACCT 550T and ACCT 560T.

571T Advanced Individual Tax Planning (3) Application of tax law in areas of compensation planning, investment planning, tax shelters, and current developments relating to the individual taxpayer. Prerequisite: ACCT 550T and ACCT 560T.

572 Corporate Accounting and Reporting (3, SpSm) A study of financial reporting and disclosure issues with an emphasis on the use of corporate financial statements and their accompanying footnotes. Not open to students with credit in equivalent subjects. Prerequisite: GSBA 510.

573T Federal Tax Procedure (3) Tax reporting and collection procedures; administrative and judicial procedures governing tax controversies; the rights and obligations of the taxpayer. Prerequisite: ACCT 550T and ACCT 560T.

574 Global Perspectives on Accounting (3) Accounting in the global marketplace; foreign and international accounting standards; analysis of financial and managerial accounting issues faced by the multinational corporation. Prerequisite: GSBA 510, GSBA 518.

576T Consolidations (3) Concepts and principles of taxation of companies operating as consolidated groups. Prerequisite: ACCT 550T and ACCT 561T.

577T Compensation (3) Concepts of taxation of employers and employees from various forms of compensation, including pension plans, profit sharing plans, stock ownership plans, and deferred compensation arrangements. Prerequisite: ACCT 550T and ACCT 560T.

578T Advanced Corporate Taxation (3) Analysis of corporate divisions and reorganizations, carryovers, and other advanced topics in corporate taxation. Prerequisite: ACCT 550T and ACCT 561T.

579T Advanced International Taxation (3) Analysis of tax treaties, foreign currency transactions, international licensing, reorganization of foreign corporations, and other current topics as the law changes. Prerequisite: ACCT 568T.

580T Accounting Methods (3) An analysis of Subchapter E and related provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and of the relationships between tax and financial accounting. Prerequisite: ACCT 550T and ACCT 560T.

581 Financial Statement Analysis (3) Analysis of corporate financial reports from a decision-maker’s perspective. This course is case-and-applications-oriented. Applications include credit analysis, equity valuation, and financial distress. Prerequisite: GSBA 510.

584 Family Wealth Preservation (3, Sp) Analysis of transfer of property during lifetime or at death from a tax saving perspective.

585 Professional Accounting: Theory, Research and Policy (3) A case study approach to the integration of accounting and auditing knowledge; research, communication, and interpersonal skills developed through extensive written and presentation requirements. Recommended preparation: ACCT 572x.

587 Forensic Accounting (3) Role of the accountant in litigation matters. Identification and exploration of the analytical and communication tools necessary to be an effective forensic accountant. Prerequisite: ACCT 572x.

590 Directed Research (1-4) Research leading to the master’s degree. Maximum units which may be applied to the degree to be determined by the Leventhal School of Accounting. Graded CR/NC.

597 Business Field Project in Accounting (1-6, FaSp) Individual or team projects solving real business problems for companies; situation analyses; research proposal composition; field research techniques; statistical analysis; oral and written presentations. Graded CR/NC.

599 Special Topics (1-3, max 6) Examination of current literature and research techniques in contemporary accounting areas including tax, auditing and international accounting. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

602 Seminar on Auditing Research (3) Advanced seminar on major topics and research methods in auditing including quantitative, behavior, and systems aspects. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

603 Seminar on Accounting Information Systems (3) Advanced seminar on topics and research methods in accounting information systems including both behavioral and technical aspects. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

604 Seminar on Management Accounting (3) Advanced seminar on major topics in management accounting with emphasis on the current research methods in organizational behavioral aspects and quantitative methods. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

605 Seminar on Financial Reporting and Capital Markets (3) Advanced seminar on major topics and research methods in financial accounting including positive theory of financial reporting and efficient capital markets. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

606 Seminar on Taxation (3) Advanced seminar on major topics and research methods in business taxation including both behavioral and technical aspects. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

610 Survey of Accounting Research (3, FaSp) Advanced seminar that surveys both seminal and cutting edge research in financial accounting, managerial accounting, accounting information systems, and tax accounting. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

611 Selected Topics in Accounting Research (1, max 4, FaSp) Advanced seminar to address issues/topics covered in accounting research forums presented by USC and visiting faculty. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

613 Seminar in Accounting Research Methodologies I (3, FaSp) Advanced seminar on analytic and archival research in accounting, with emphasis on topics in financial accounting, auditing, and taxation. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

614 Seminar in Accounting Research Methodologies II (3, FaSp) Advanced seminar on experimental, field, and other research methods in accounting, with emphasis on topics in auditing, managerial accounting, and accounting information systems. Prerequisite: departmental approval.

661ab Accounting Research Methodology (2-2) Advanced doctoral seminar concerned with review and critique of accounting research forum papers and with the preparation, presentation, and defense of research proposals and papers.