About Us

School of Accounting

Although the School of Accounting was formed in 2006, GGU's accounting programs began in 1908, the graduate degree in accounting being established in 1932. GGU offered the first 4-year accounting degree on the West Coast.

The School's primary objectives are threefold: First, we want to provide the most relevant professional educational experience possible, utilizing the most effective pedagogy available. Second, we want to provide job placement and internship opportunities unrivaled in our region. Third, we want to be heavily engaged with the profession to ensure the relevancy of our programs, to give students the opportunity to develop fully as professionals, to promote career opportunities for our graduates, and to play a role in the evolution of the profession at this critical time.

Benchmark Quality Curricula

At the heart of the School of Accounting are its curricula. Our primary goal is to develop professional accountants who fully meet the expectations of the public, of the profession's regulatory and standard-setting bodies, and of the profession's membership. We expend great effort to ensure that our curricula reflect the best thinking in accounting education, and we intend to take a national leadership role in accounting curricular reform.

Although we design our programs to give you the skills and technical knowledge you need immediately on the job, we also want to provide you the perspectives needed to advance and develop as a leader in the profession.

Experienced, Relevant, Committed Faculty

A quality curriculum requires qualified faculty to deliver it. The School of Accounting will seek out, mentor and deploy the finest faculty possible. Each instructor is highly competent in his or her teaching area. All faculty members are expected to be meaningfully engaged in the issues confronting the profession, from international convergence, to the implications of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, to the latest in professional pronouncements and relevant changes in the law, to the ethical implications of recent lapses in professional responsibility.

Our instructors are effective teachers who are committed to inspiring students to become skillful, creative, ethical and knowledgeable accounting professionals.

Emphasis on Source Authority

Accounting is a highly regulated profession. Much of high-end practice is subject to the authority of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). All CPAs are subject to the professional responsibility requirements of their state licensing bodies, and may be subject to similar obligations as members of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (and its state-level affiliates). Those practicing in taxation are regulated by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and, often, by state tax authorities. Most accountants in major public accounting firms and large corporations are required to comply with the promulgations the financial accounting standard-setter, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Overarching all of public accounting practice are the laws governing malpractice.

Given such an environment, the School of Accounting is committed to ensuring that you are extensively involved with the underlying authorities which govern and provide the context of professional practice. Our curriculum, especially as you move into the advanced topics, requires you to find, understand and use such authority. You will also be exposed to expert commentary on these authorities.

Opportunities to Study That Meet Your Needs

Some students will wish to move quickly through their studies. Others will need to progress in a manner that acknowledges work, family and other obligations. The School of Accounting has 3 delivery modes to meet your personal needs.

Those wishing to pursue the master of accountancy can do so in 3 ways. Our full-time, day cohort, which begins each year towards the end of July at our San Francisco campus, is an intensive program that can be completed in as few as 12 months, although for many students, 15-18 months is more likely, depending on such things as prior academic preparation in accounting. The MAc is also offered in the evening in San Francisco. Students can take up to 3 courses per trimester to accommodate their commitments. It is also offered via our CyberCampus, which provides great flexibility in establishing a study schedule. In CyberCampus, courses are divided into 16 weekly units that give students considerable latitude in choosing when to do the assigned work during the week.

Our bachelor of science in accounting in accounting is offered both in the evening format in San Francisco and via CyberCampus, as are both our graduate and undergraduate certificates in accounting.