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If you’d like to learn more about the Accounting program, we’d love to talk with you.
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Estimated Program Cost
Financial Aid
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Program Overview
Madison College students choose to pursue a degree in accounting because of the variety of exciting career paths it offers.
Accounting Careers
Accounting professionals are in high demand by companies and organizations everywhere, so you can apply your skills to work in your community or take them anywhere. Employment opportunities in accounting exist in all industries, including financial, manufacturing, retail, service, non-profit and government institutions.
Madison College's two-year Accounting associate degree will get you ready for a range of professional positions in the field of accounting, including staff accountant, public accountant, cost accountant, tax accountant, account manager, account specialist or payroll accountant.
Real-world, Hands-on Learning
Madison College's accounting program teaches you real-world accounting concepts through hands-on learning. Our expert faculty will support your academic success by providing valuable feedback on your coursework to ensure you develop your accounting skills correctly.
Accounting Year 1
In your first year, you’ll learn essential accounting principles and develop a general understanding of business, finance and taxes. In addition, you’ll be skilled in using business tools like Microsoft Office Excel and QuickBooks.
Bonus: You'll automatically earn the Accounting Assistant technical diploma after completing the first-year curriculum!
Accounting Year 2
You'll expand your accounting knowledge in your second year learning intermediate accounting concepts, and gaining experience in cost management, payroll systems, economics and business law.
In your final term, you'll confidently complete a project demonstrating the accounting knowledge and skills you acquired in the program to perform real-world accounting for a small business. This capstone project is an instant resume-builder for you to showcase your newly acquired accounting talents to prospective employers.
Flexible Course Offerings
You can attend full- or part-time while taking courses in-person or online. Study close to home, whether in Madison at Truax or Goodman South campuses or regionally at our Reedsburg, Portage, Fort Atkinson or Watertown campuses.
Start Your Four-Year Degree Here!
Your accounting associate degree credits transfer if you plan to earn your bachelor’s degree to advance to a higher-level position in the field. We have transfer agreements with many four-year colleges, both inside and outside the state of Wisconsin.
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Curriculum and Experience
Prospective program students, the information below reflects the basic requirements for students admitted for the 2024-2025 academic year. To learn more about Madison College, visit us.
Current and newly admitted program students, go directly to your Degree Progress Report to view:
- Progress toward your specific requirements
- Alternative (in lieu of) courses to meet specific requirements
If you have questions after reviewing your degree progress report (advisement report), please see Advising Services.
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Admission
To Apply
Earning a degree is a great way to advance your career development opportunities, so apply today!
International students who wish to apply for, maintain, or transfer their F-1 student visa status to Madison College are required to complete the International Admission Process.
Note: It is recommended to only apply for a semester that has already started if you are currently enrolled in classes or you have verified that classes are still available for that semester.
Application Dates
Spring 2024
- Application open
- Application completion deadline is April 15, 2024
Summer 2024
- Application open
- Application completion deadline is July 15, 2024
Fall 2024
- Application open
- Application completion deadline is November 15, 2024
Spring 2025
- Application open
- Application completion deadline is April 15, 2025
Admission Requirements
All materials must be submitted by the application deadline.
1. Admission Application
The online application allows you to save your work as you complete it and ensures fast, secure delivery to our office.
2. Education Completion
Official transcripts must be sent from the institutions you attended and indicate one of the following:
- High school (current high school seniors may submit an in-progress transcript)
- GED/HSED transcript
- College transcript(s) showing:
- Completion of an associate degree or higher, or
- At least 30 credits completed with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4-point scale
- The credits must be completed at a single college and cannot be combined with other transcripts
- Any transfer credit listed on a transcript does not count toward the 30-credit minimum
All high school and/or college transcripts are recommended to be submitted for Credit for Prior Learning evaluation.
Additional Notes
- Class capacity is limited and is available on a first come, first served basis.
- Course prerequisites differ from admission requirements; admission into a program does not guarantee eligibility to enroll in courses or success in the program. Refer to program curriculum for details.
After Acceptance
Once you are admitted into your program, review the Start of Semester Checklist to prepare for your first day of classes at Madison College.
Questions?
Contact the Enrollment Center at EnrollmentServices@madisoncollege.edu or 608.246.6210.
Get Started!
Apply to Madison College and take the first step towards your Accounting career.
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Transfer Opportunities
UW System Schools
The terms of the Leadership & Org Studies agreement are limited to students who complete an associates of applied science degree and are admitted to the Organizational Studies emphasis of the Leadership and Organizational Studies at UW O. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher.Wisconsin Private Schools
A student who completes an associate of arts, associate of science or associates of applied science is considered part of the ‘advanced core‘. The Advanced Core requires students to have earned at least 64 credits of transfer. If students transfer prior to completion or with less than 64 credits they will be considered part of the standard core and credits will be evaluated on a course by course basis.Students will be granted admission to a bachelors degree program upon completion of an approved transfer program at Madison College. Students must have earned a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater while at Madison College. Regardless of the number of credits transferred students must complete at least 25% of their baccalaureate degree credits at Herzing University University University.Student who earn an Associate Degree from Madison College can transfer a minimum of 60 credits and a maximum of 72 credits to Lakeland College to be applied to the requirements of the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Sciences degree.Any Madison College student who has successfully completed an associate degree in applied science after 2015, and meets admission requirements for the Rader School of Business (RSOB) at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) can earn a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Technical Sales at MSOE by successfully completing the AAS to BBA Technical Sales Transfer Track in the Business Administration program. --- In particular, any Madison College student who successfully completes all technical courses and general education courses in their AAS program with a grade of C or better (not C-) in each course; successfully completes all other specified courses, as defined in this transfer agreement, with a grade of C or better (not C-) in each course; and meets the MSOE admission requirements for transfer students into the BBA Program at MSOE, minimum 2.75/4.0 cumulative GPA from the last regionally accredited school will be admitted into the AAS to BBA Technical Sales Transfer Track in the Bachelor of Business Administration program at MSOE.Students who complete the accounting program can transfer up to 64 credits toward the Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Leadership offered through the College of Adult and Graduate Studies.Out-of-State Schools
Students who complete any associate degree at Madison Area Technical College will have no additional general education core curriculum requirements to meet but must satisfy the Kirkpatrick Signature Series requirement. This applies to students who are pursuing a bachelors of arts, bachelors of science or bachelors of fine arts at Bellevue University.Per the agreement, students must complete the associates of arts, associates of science or associates of applied science with an overall GPA of a 2.0 prior to transferring. Articulation agreement is for students who graduate from appropriate program and wish to pursue one of the following degrees at Capella: Bachelor of Science in Business specializations, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Bachelor of Science in Public Safety specializations, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (must hold a valid RN license) and Bachelor of Science in Psychology.Students graduating with an associate degree from MATC with a 2.0 GPA or higher are guaranteed admissions into CSU-Global and can transfer up to 64 semester credits from MATC to be applied toward earning a Bachelor’s Degree at CSU-Global.Franklin University will guarantee acceptance of all Madison College graduates with an Associate in Arts, Associate in Science or Associate of Applied Science. Madison College graduates will have junior standing at Franklin University and may transfer additional credits (up to a maximum of 94) toward their baccalaureate degree. -
Career Outcomes
After completing the Accounting program at Madison College, you will be able to:
- Process financial transactions throughout the accounting cycle.
- Analyze financial and business information to support planning and decision-making.
- Perform payroll preparation, reporting, and analysis tasks.
- Perform cost accounting preparation, reporting, and analysis tasks.
- Perform individual and/or organizational tax accounting preparation, reporting, and analysis tasks.
- Identify internal controls to reduce risk.
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Graduate Summary
Graduate Report Summary Overview
2020 2021 2022 Number of Program Graduates 54 50 42 Number of Surveys Sent 54 50 41 Number of Surveys Returned 35 31 22 Percent of Surveys Returned Available for Employment 31 31 21 Percent Available for Employment 88.60% 100.00% 95.50% Not in Labor Market Percent Not in Labor Market 11.40% 0.00% 4.50% Available for Employment
2020 2021 2022 Graduates Employed 26 27 20 Percent of Graduates Employed 83.90% 87.10% 95.20% Employed in Related Occupation 18 21 16 Percent Employed in Related Occupation 69.20% 77.80% 80.00% Employed in Unrelated Occupation 8 6 4 Percent Employed in Unrelated Occupation 30.80% 22.20% 20.00% Employed - No Response 0 0 0 Percent Employed - No Response 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% Seeking Employment 5 4 1 Percent Seeking Employment 16.10% 12.90% 4.80% Reaction To Training at Madison College
2020 2021 2022 Student satisfaction Mean (Out of 4) 3.6 3.5 3.5 Number of Satisfaction Responses 35 31 22 Very Satisfied (4) 21 20 10 Percent Very Satisfied 60.00% 64.50% 45.50% Satisfied (3) 14 9 12 Percent Satisfied 40.00% 29.00% 54.50% Unsatisfied (2) 0 0 0 Percent Unsatisfied 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% Very Unsatisfed (1) 0 2 0 Percent Very Unsatisfied 0.00% 6.50% 0.00% Primary Reason for Attending Madison College
2020 2021 2022 Number of Primary Reason Responses 35 31 22 Preparation for Getting a Job 18 17 5 Percent Preparation for Getting a Job 51.40% 54.80% 22.70% Career Change 12 8 5 Percent Career Change 34.30% 25.80% 22.70% Improvement of Existing Skills 1 3 7 Percent Improvement of Existing Skills 2.90% 9.70% 31.80% Preparation for Further Education 3 2 3 Percent Preparation for Further Education 8.60% 6.50% 13.60% Personal Interest 1 1 2 Percent Personal Interest 2.90% 3.20% 9.10% Other 0 0 0 Percent Other 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% When Employment was Obtained
2020 2021 2022 Number of When Employment Obtained Responses 26 27 20 Before Enrollment 2 3 6 Percent Before Enrollment 7.70% 11.10% 30.00% While Attending the College 12 9 8 Percent While Attending the College 46.20% 33.30% 40.00% After Training at the College 12 15 6 Percent After Training at the College 46.20% 55.60% 30.00% Location of Employment (related and unrelated)
2020 2021 2022 Number of Employment Location Responses 24 26 17 In College District 23 25 17 Percent In College District 95.80% 96.20% 100.00% In Wisconsin, Not in District 0 0 0 Percent of In Wisconsin 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% Outside of Wisconsin 1 1 0 Percent Outside Wisconsin 4.20% 3.80% 0.00% Employer Location Unknown 0 0 0 Percent Location Unknown 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% Salary Trend 2020 2021 2022 Full Time Employment (Related Job) Full Time Salary Count 14 18 14 Average Monthly Wage $3,338 $3,551 $3,900 Average Hourly Wage $19.41 $20.64 $22.67 Average Work Hours per Week 40.9 40.7 40.7 Part Time Employment (Related Job) Part Time Salary Count 2 3 2 Average Hourly Wage $15.75 $17.50 $26.50 Average Work Hours per Week 15 22.3 22.5 -
Graduate Employers
Graduate Employers for academic year: 2022 Employer(s) Job Title City* State** Positions Blackhawk Transport Clerical Worker Beloit Century 21 Affiliated Staff Accountant City of Middleton Utility Billing Manager Middleton Congress Glass Inc Office Manager & Bookkeeper Janesville Holtz Builders Staff Accountant Lake Delton Hound Huddle Assistant Manager Oregon InterCon Construction Inc Accounts Payable Associate Waunakee Kollath CPA Accoutant Kollath CPA Staff Accountant Positively Booked (Self employed) Bookkeeper PPi Payment Specialist Lead Verona Racine County Payroll Accountant Racine Riverstone Machining Accounting Assistant Fox Lake TASC Staff Accountant Teel Plastics Inc Administrative Assistant Baraboo The Suby Group Accounts Payable Specialist * - Only cities outside of Madison will display.
** - Only states outside of Wisconsin will display.
*** - If you have a position to post, please contact Career and Employment Services at jobpostings@madisoncollege.edu