Staff Accountant (formerly General Accountant)

The pathway below represents an efficient and effective course taking sequence for this program. Individual circumstances might require some changes to this pathway. It is always recommended that you meet with an academic counselor to develop a personalized educational plan.

The courses have been intentionally placed and should be prioritized in the order in which they appear. If you are unable to take all the courses in a semester, you should prioritize enrolling in the courses in the order below. Some courses have been noted as “Appropriate for Intersession” . Should you need (or want) to take classes in the summer and/or winter intersessions, the program recommends these courses as appropriate for the condensed schedule of the intersessions.

Some pathways combine a “Certificate of Achievement” and an “Associate Degree”. If you are pursuing only the Certificate of Achievement, you are only required to take the courses marked “Program Requirement” .

All pathways include at least one “Gateway Course” which introduces you to the program and/or field of study and helps you decide if you want to continue with this Academic and Career Path.

Most Associate degrees (though not Associate Degrees for Transfer) require satisfying the SMC Global Citizenship requirement. If the Program Requirements do not include a “Global Citizenship course” , be sure to select a General Education course that also satisfies Global Citizenship.

This program is for bookkeepers and accounting clerks who want to advance to a higher professional level. Business owners can strengthen their businesses with best practices and compliance with current accounting standards and laws. Students completing this Certificate of Achievement may wish to pursue the Accounting Associate Degree by satisfying additional requirements.

Upon completion of the program, students will:

1. Upon completion of the program students will effectively comprehend, record, post and summarize financial accounting information from an original business transaction through the preparation of financial statements .
2. Upon completion of the program students will effectively perform closing entries at the end of an accounting cycle.
3. Upon completion of the program students will demonstrate the ability to prepare calculations and use financial information for business management and decision making.