Accounting Technician

Effective: Spring 2021
Certificate of Achievement Program Map
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This program map from the 2024-2025 catalog year represents one possible pathway to complete this program. Your pathway may vary depending on your transfer plans and also previous college credit, including AP Test scores, concurrent enrollment courses and high school articulated courses.

I'm ready to get started. What do I do next?

  1. Review this program map to get an overview of the required courses
  2. Meet with a counselor to develop your customized student education plan www.chabotcollege.edu/counseling
  3. Use DegreeWorks, an online student education planning tool, to track your progress toward graduation www.chabotcollege.edu / admissions / degreeworks
Program Description
The three accounting programs are stackable: you start with the Bookkeeping certificate (20 units), take 3 more classes and earn the Accounting Technician certificate (27 units). Then add 3 more major courses and the general education classes (15 units) to graduate with the AS in Accounting (60 units). The programs require a lot of time and intellectual commitment. All classes are available online, so you can complete all of these 3 diplomas fully online. This is NOT a program for transfer to a university. If your goal is to get a four-year degree in Accounting, you should complete the AS-T in Business Administration at Chabot, transfer to a university, and specialize in Accounting as part of your BA/BS in Business.

What can I do with this major?
By completing the Bookkeeping certificate, your career options include: 1) An entry-level job within accounts payable and accounts receivable department, payroll units, income tax firms, or financial service organizations. 2) Jobs are available in just about any corporate business and non-profit organization. 3) Opening your own bookkeeping business. As you start growing in your career, you will continue your studies with the next level certificate of Accounting Technician and the AS degree. After gaining some experience in an accounting career, you will usually find more career options. In some cases, you can use some credits earned in these programs to transfer to a four-year school and earn a bachelor’s in accounting, opening up many more accounting career options. All of our classes in accounting and taxation could be used to meet education requirements for a CPA (certified public accountant) license.

Learning and Career Pathway
  • Business, Economics & Information Technology

Icon Key

= Critical Course = Prerequisite for Other Courses = Prerequisite Required = Required for Major GE = General Education

Semester 1

11 units

BUS 7 - Small Business Accounting 1

Strongly recommended, not required. See info below.

BUS 3A
Taxation of Individuals

3 units
Preparation of Federal and California income tax returns for individuals through the absorption and application of income tax law, theory, practice. Completion of various tax forms, including Form 1040 (Individual), Schedules A (Itemized Deductions), B (Interest and Dividends), C (Profit or Loss from a Business), and D (Capital Gains and Losses). Other topics include depreciation, tax credits, tax planning, and tax research.
Course Details:

BUS 14
Business Communications

3 units
This course applies the principles of ethical and effective communication to the creation of letters, memos, emails, and written and oral reports for a variety of business situations. The course emphasizes planning, organizing, composing, and revising business documents using word processing software for written documents and presentation-graphics software to create and deliver professional-level oral reports. This course is designed for students who already have college-level writing skills.
Course Details:
  1. Strongly Recommended: ENGL 1
Terms Offered: Spring, Summer, Fall

BUS 8
Payroll Accounting

3 units
The laws, principles and procedures of payroll accounting in both manual and computerized environments. Concepts covered include preparation of payroll records and reports; payroll law and practices; computation of taxes, including Social Security, federal income tax, state income taxes, and unemployment taxes and voluntary withholdings.
Course Details:
  1. Strongly Recommended: BUS 1A
    2. or
  2. Strongly Recommended: BUS 7

BUS 93
QuickBooks

2 units
QuickBooks introduces the concepts of bookkeeping/accounting using the theory of double-entry bookkeeping. Learn to use the QuickBooks software for a set up, service business and merchandising business. Setting up chart of accounts, accounts receivable, accounts payable, inventory, payroll and preparation and analysis of financial statements.
Course Details:
  1. Strongly Recommended: BUS 1A
  2. Strongly Recommended: BUS 7
  • 1 - BUS 7 is required only for the Bookkeeping certificate, not for the Accounting Tech certificate or the AS in Accounting. It is, however, strongly recommended before taking BUS 1A. Only 65% of students are successful in completing BUS 1A. After first taking BUS 7, 94% successfully finish BUS 1A. It is also strongly recommended before taking BUS-92, 93, 8.

Semester 2

9 units

BUS 1A
Financial Accounting

4 units
Explores financial accounting, its importance and how it is used by internal and external users as a decision-making tool. Covers accounting information systems; application of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) to value assets, liabilities, and equity; preparation, interpretation and analysis of financial statements. Includes topics on cash flow statement, cash and accrual accounting concepts, merchandising operation, internal controls and ethics, reporting and accounting for receivables, payables, long-term assets and liabilities, inventory, depreciation, stockholders’ equity, stocks and bonds.
Course Details:
  1. Strongly Recommended: BUS 7
Terms Offered: Spring, Summer, Fall

BUS 92
Excel Spreadsheets for Accounting

2 units
Fundamentals of using electronic spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel) for accounting principles. Focus on solving accounting problems and completing accounting projects with Microsoft Excel.
Course Details:
  1. Prerequisite: BUS 1A
    2. or
  2. Prerequisite: BUS 7
  3. Strongly Recommended: CAS 54
Terms Offered: Fall, Summer, Spring

BUS 12
Introduction to Business

3 units
Survey of the private enterprise system and basic business concepts, business economics, types of business ownership, ethics, globalization, and organizational functions (management, marketing, accounting, human resources, and finance). Provides a multidisciplinary examination of how culture, society, economic systems, legal, international, political, financial institutions, and human behavior interact to influence an organization's policies and practices within the U.S. and a global environments.
Course Details:

Semester 3

7 units

BUS 1B
Managerial Accounting

4 units
Examines how managers use accounting information in decision-making, planning, directing, operating, and controlling. Emphasis on cost terms and concepts, cost structure, cost behavior, cost-volume-profit analysis, profit planning, budgeting, budgetary controls, cost controls, accounting for manufacturing costs and ethics.
Course Details:
  1. Prerequisite: BUS 1A
  • Transfers to CSU
    • Terms Offered: Fall, Summer, Spring

    BUS 3B
    Taxation of Business Entities

    3 units
    A study of current Federal income tax law as it relates to sole proprietorships, corporations (C corps, S corps), and partnerships (General and Limited Partnerships, Limited Liability Companies, and Limited Liability Partnerships. California tax law differences will be highlighted. A student does NOT need to complete BUS-3A to enroll in this class.
    Course Details:
    1. Prerequisite: BUS 7
      2. or
    2. Prerequisite: BUS 1A
    Total Units: 27 units
    This program map is not a guarantee of course availability or financial aid applicability.