The Accounting and Finance: Financial Services curriculum is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and growth in the accounting and finance profession. Accountants and finance professionals assemble and analyze, process, and communicate essential information about financial operations. Interested in learning more about careers in finance? Explore this guide to
Course work may include accounting, finance, ethics, business law, computer applications, financial planning, insurance, marketing, real estate, selling, and taxation. Related skills are developed through the study of communications, computer applications, financial analysis, critical thinking skills, and ethics.
Accounting & Finance: Financial Services AAS Curriculum (PDF)
Financial Services is a track under the curriculum title of Accounting and Finance. It is designed to provide students with the knowledge necessary for employment in various financial industries and services.
In addition to our Financial Services AAS degree, we also offer a Basic Financial Services Certificate.
This certification will attest to a basic level of achievement in financial services, which can enhance the career of those either currently in the financial services profession, or provide basic understanding and skills needed to start a career in the financial services sector.
The coursework involved in pursuit of the certificate is basic and effectively a subset of the requirements of the broader Financial Services AAS degree. These are academic courses and are not a part of continuing education.
Students successfully completing the certificate can choose to go on and work towards the full 2-year degree.
Basic Financial Services Certificate Curriculum (PDF)
Professionals with an associate degree in finance can earn solid salaries that increase over time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, financial clerks made a median annual salary of $41,520 in 2020, while bookkeepers and auditing clerks earned $42,410. Some degree-holders work as real estate brokers, who average a median annual salary of $51,220 in 2020.
Students can find works in roles such as:
Banks and credit unions
Insurance companies
Mortgage companies
Brokerage firms
Associate in Finance Program Guide – Best Colleges
All Pitt Community College students should consult with their advisors to determine which order courses must be taken. Courses include:
Principles of Financial Accounting
Principles of Managerial Accounting
Financial Planning
Business Insurance
Personal Finance
Investment Analysis
Fraud Examination
Introduction to Business
Business Law
Business Finance
Statistical Analysis
Introduction to Computers
Spreadsheet
Database Utilization
Principles of Microeconomics
Principles of Macroeconomics
Business Ethics
International Business
Application dates are ongoing and start dates are in Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters. The length of the program is five semesters.
Students will understand the preparation and presentation of financial statements, such as the Income Statement and Balance Sheets.
Students will be able to analyze and interpret investment alternatives and report findings to users of financial information.
Students will be able to review a customer’s financial picture and recommend strategies to achieve the customer’s objective.
Students will learn specialized topics like Fraud Examination, Business Law, Database Utilization, Finance, and Statistical Analysis.