Accounting
Certificate
PROGRAM SNAPSHOT
Help businesses make better financial decisions. Support responsible use of resources. Build a path toward your Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensure.
Why Study Accounting at Winona State?
You don’t need an accounting degree to explore a future in accounting.
If you already have a bachelor’s degree in another field, Winona State University’s online post-baccalaureate certificate in Accounting can help you build the skills and knowledge to take your next career step.
Accountants do more than crunch numbers. They help businesses make smart decisions, manage money, follow tax laws, and plan for the future. From helping a small business grow to finding ways that a large company can save money, accounting professionals play an important role in keeping organizations on track.
At Winona State, you’ll learn the fundamentals of accounting, explore tax preparation and auditing, and discover how to use data to solve business problems.
Whether you’re looking to start a new career, expand your professional skills, or work toward becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Minnesota, this post-baccalaureate certificate can help you turn your existing degree into new opportunities.
Learn more about the Accounting Department.
of business schools worldwide are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)—and Winona State University is one of them! This is a significant honor.
What Will You Learn as an Accounting Student?
In this program, you’ll build a strong foundation in accounting principles through coursework in financial accounting, managerial accounting, taxation, auditing, and data analytics.
You’ll also:
- understand financial statements. Learn how to track financial activity, prepare reports, and use financial information to understand an organization’s performance.
- support smarter business decisions. Explore costs, budgets, pricing, and financial planning to help companies manage resources and reach their goals.
- turn data into insights. Use tools like Excel and Tableau to analyze accounting data, solve business problems, and share findings with decision makers.
- navigate taxes and tax research. Explore federal tax laws, individual income taxes, and tax preparation methods.
- protect organizations through auditing. Learn how to review financial records, identify potential fraud, evaluate internal controls, and communicate audit findings.
- build skills for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. Complete accounting coursework designed to meet Minnesota’s educational requirements for CPA exam eligibility.
Program Highlights
Coursework is delivered entirely online, making the Accounting post-baccalaureate certificate great for anyone who wants to fit their education into their personal and professional lives.
With mostly asynchronous classes, you can complete your assignments anytime, anywhere. This means you can take your career to the next level at your own pace.
The Accounting post-baccalaureate certificate curriculum prepares you to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.
This designation through the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) is extremely valuable for getting hired and/or promoted in accounting.
You’ll receive personalized business student advising services and other support from when you enroll in this program to when you graduate.
There are also business-focused career advising services to help match you with a local organization in need of new talent.
Careers & Outcomes
Your bachelor’s degree has already helped you build valuable knowledge and skills. Now, you can accounting expertise to open new doors.
Winona State’s Accounting post-baccalaureate certificate will prepare you to explore accounting and finance careers while also building the educational foundation needed to complete Minnesota’s CPA exam.
Learn about possible job titles and salaries with this program:
- Budget Analyst
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Cost Analyst
- Financial Analyst
- Internal Auditor
- Staff Accountant
- Tax Associate
Program Admission
To become a College of Business student, you’ll need to be accepted to Winona State first.
Once you’ve been accepted to Winona State, you must meet the following admissions criteria before you can be admitted into the College of Business and apply to your business-specific program.
Admissions Criteria
To be admitted into the College of Business, you must:
- have earned 30 credits or more at the time of your application. Most students have 30 credits after their first 2 semesters at Winona State.
- have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.
- have completed all prerequisite courses at Winona State (or course equivalents at another institution) prior to starting your chosen program. You must have a grade of “C” or better in all 3-credit college level prerequisites.
Prerequisite Courses
| Course Code | Course Title | Alternative(s) |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 211 | Financial Accounting Principles | |
| CMST 191 | Introduction to Public Speaking | You can substitute CMST 191 by completing CMST 192 (Introduction to Effective Communication). Marketing majors are encouraged to take CMST 192. |
| ECON 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | You can substitute ECON 201 by completing ECON 202 (Principles of Macroeconomics). |
| ENG 111 | College Reading and Writing | |
| MATH 110 | Finite Mathematics | You can substitute MATH 110 by completing any of the following courses: MATH 112 (Applied Precalculus), MATH 115 (College Algebra), MATH 120 (Precalculus), MATH 140 (Applied Calculus), or MATH 212 (Calculus I). Math requirements vary by business major, but any of these math courses will be used for College of Business admission. |
| STAT 110 | Fundamentals of Statistics | You can substitute STAT 110 by completing any one of the following courses: STAT 210 (Statistics) or ECON 222 (Statistics for Business and Economics). Statistics requirements vary by business major, but any of these statistics courses will be used for College of Business admission. |
Completing Prerequisite Courses at Other Institutions
If it would be better for your schedule to complete these prerequisites at another institution, make sure your credits will satisfy the requirements.
If you decide to complete any College of Business prerequisite courses at an institution within the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities System, you must use eServices to confirm whether the institution offers course equivalents that Winona State will accept.
If you choose to complete any of these prerequisites at an institution outside the Minnesota State Colleges & Universities System, you can use Transferology to understand how your credits may transfer to Winona State.
You can also meet with a counselor who specializes in transfer admissions to confirm you’ve got your bases covered.
Application Process
After you complete the prerequisite courses and meet the admissions criteria, you can be admitted into the College of Business with 2 applications.
Declare Business Program(s)
Declare your business major or minor using Winona State’s Declaration/Change of Major/Minor form.
Your business program must appear on your Degree Audit Report (DARS) before you can move on to the final step.
Declaration/Change of Major/Minor FormApply to the College of Business
Submit your College of Business application—and you’re in!
You can now begin taking upper-level business courses for your selected program(s).
College of Business ApplicationHave Questions?
Learn more about College of Business program admission requirements.
If you still need assistance, you can meet with the College of Business Advisor by scheduling an online or in-person appointment.
Bachelor's, Degree Completion
Bachelor's, Degree Completion
Bachelor's, Degree Completion