Program Overview
Accounting is designed to enhance the student’s knowledge of managerial accounting methods that are essential to understanding and evaluating business performance and management. The Certificate in Accounting (Post-Doctoral) program places an emphasis on advanced accounting skills to address the real-world business challenges faced by business today. There is a special focus on formulating, evaluating, and interpreting accounting information for managerial decision making. Identifying, preventing, and resolving accounting fraud issues is also included, as well as exposure to the special accounting issues related to global, non-profit, and government accounting.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Analyze and evaluate information related to accounting elements, including revenues and costs, in complex organizational settings.
- Analyze and evaluate recent accounting pronouncements, concepts, and professional standards needed to make informed business decisions.
- Create strategies for detecting and preventing fraudulent activity in a business setting.
Admission Requirements
Applicants interested in the Certificate in Accounting (Post-Doctoral) program are required to meet individually in person or via telephone with an admissions representation to discuss the program and all requirements. Applicants must provide a completed South College application for admission and application to the program. Those selected for admission will provide evident of a completed doctoral degree from an accredited institution of higher education with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
Academic Participation and Withdrawal
Administrative Withdrawal Policy
If at the end of a term, the student has not completed at least 50% of one course and has been inactive for more than 60 days, the student will be administratively withdrawn from the program. If a student, who was administratively withdrawn (due to non-participation), wishes to continue with the program, the student must formally re-apply through standard admissions process. The request for readmission must be submitted to the Vice President for Competency-Based Education. Since such student did not complete at least one course within a 6-month term, if granted readmission, the student will be placed on academic probation upon re-entry into the program.
Withdrawal Policy (within term)
If a student withdraws after the end of the 4th month of any 6-month term, the student will be issued a W grade for any uncompleted courses, unless the student was on academic probation for not completing a course the prior term. In this case, the student will receive a letter grade of F for the course.
If a student withdraws after the 5th month of any 6-month term, any course that is not completed will receive the letter grade of F.
Participation Policy
Students must participate within the first 14 days of the start of any term. Failure to participate within this period will result in the student being withdrawn from the program. Additionally, students must complete one formative or summative assessment with the first 30 days of any term to remain active for the term.
A withdrawal is considered to be official when a student notifies the Registrar’s Office or the Dean of Academic and Students Services (Knoxville) in addition to the Vice President of Academic Improvement. No other college official has the authority to accept official withdrawals from the Certificate in Accounting (Post-Doctoral) program. Students are requested to submit a withdrawal request in writing via their South College email address.
Academic Standards, Candidate Progress, and Grading
Upon entering the graduate certificate program, students are encouraged to confer with their Advisor as needed. Students’ academic progress is monitored each 6-month term to ensure satisfactory progression which is considered mastery of at least one course per term after one term of probation. Students not eligible for progression to the next term will be notified of dismissal. If a student is dismissed or voluntarily withdraws from the program, a formal application for re-entry is required and program requirements in effect at that time must be met.
Student deficiencies that may impact academic standing, which may include warning, probation, or dismissal from the program, are monitored by the Advisor.
Categories of Academic Standing are:
- Good Standing: Status of a student who has met academic requirements in a satisfactory manner.
- Warning: Status of a student whose academic performance places him/her in jeopardy of falling below the minimum stated grade required or progression.
- Probation: Status of a student who has failed to receive master in at least one course within a 6-month term. Following a term of probation, the student will either return to Good Standing by satisfactorily completing at least one course in the subsequent term or be dismissed from the program. A student who is dismissed must seek readmission to the program. A student is allowed only one readmission to the Certificate in Accounting (Post-Doctoral) program.
- Dismissal: Action whereby a student is dismissed from the program due to failure to adhere to academic and program requirements and/or policies or procedures as specified in the South College Catalog, the South College Student Handbook, and/or the Graduate Program Handbook. The Program Director recommends dismissal and forwards the recommendation to the School of Business & Technology Dean who after approval forwards the recommendation to the Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement and Effectiveness.
Grading
Course Instructors determine mastery of competencies and the resulting final grade in all courses. The requirements of each course are found in the course syllabus.
| Letter Grade |
Quality Points |
Percentage Score Range |
| A (Mastery) |
4.00 |
90-100% |
Grievance Process
Students are encouraged to discuss any concern with their advisor. If satisfaction cannot be attained at this level, and the students wants to make his/her concern official at the School of Business & Technology level, the student must complete a Grievance Form. Every effort will be made to resolve the concern at the School of Business & Technology level. If the grievance cannot be resolved at that level, the students should then follow the College’s grievance process outlined in the current South College Student Handbook Catalog and Student Handbook available on the institutional website and on the student portal.
Graduation Requirements
For a student to graduate from the Certificate in Accounting (Post-Doctoral) program, the student must be in a good academic and professional standing, have had satisfactory progress in all quarters of the academic program, and satisfactorily complete the following:
- Successfully complete the required quarter credit hours of academic coursework.
- Evidence a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or above for the required coursework.
- Achieve a designation of “mastery” for all course competencies.
- Complete all required South College and program documents in preparation for graduation.
- Honor all professional and financial obligations to South College.
South College reserves the right, and the student, by the act of matriculation, concedes to give South College the right to require withdrawal at any time the college deems it necessary to safeguard the standards of scholarship, conduct, and compliance with regulations, or for such other reasons deemed appropriate by South College as set forth in the South College Student Handbook and/or the South College Catalog.
