Accounting and Bookkeeping Skills Guide


Business Math	Bookkeeping	*Economics
*Algebra I	Accounting	*Composition
*Algebra II	General Business	Speech
Recordkeeping	Business Law	Keyboarding
* Courses available in the Academic Achievement Center or High School Completion Center

Strong reading skills are important in this program. The accounting texts, which are a central part of the course work, are written at a college level. Tests are based on a combination of text and lectures. Texts are accompanied by practice sets which require following sequential instructions. In addition to their texts, students will read spreadsheets and use computer software manuals for spreadsheet and word processing programs. They may be required to read articles from business magazines and trade journals such as the Journal of Accountancy. In the work place, they will also refer to source documents and input documents for financial data. View more information on reading skills in the Accounting and Bookkeeping program. Speaking activities in the program may include oral reports on accounting-related magazine articles. In the work place, bookkeepers will interact on a one-to-one basis with coworkers. They may also be required to explain their bookkeeping procedures to an auditor. Two semesters of English are required. For the first course, students may select either Composition I (ENG105) or Business English (ADM 157). For the second, they may choose Composition II (ENG106), Composition II: Technical Writing (ENG 108), or Communication Skills (COM 703). Composition I and Composition II: Technical Writing are strongly recommended. These courses involve extended writing assignments ranging from personal experience essays to technical reports. In their other courses, students may be required to write brief summaries of journal articles. They will prepare resumes and letters of application in Accounting Career Seminar. On the job, bookkeepers may compose memos and supporting documentation to accompany financial statements. View more information on language skills in the Accounting and Bookkeeping program. A strong general math background will be helpful for the required math courses in this program: Business Math (BUS 112) and Office Calculators (ADM 131). In Principles of Accounting students will learn to solve simple linear equations such as the basic A = L + OE (Assets equals liabilities plus owner's equity). On the job, basic arithmetic is used to calculate and adjust entries on financial statements and to calculate interest. Simple linear equations are used to estimate inventory. View more information on math skills in the Accounting and Bookkeeping program. Good time management skills are crucial to this program, as accounting courses require three to four hours of homework for each hour spent in class. Strong reasoning skills are also important. Students must learn to follow sequential instructions carefully; the accounting cycle proceeds in a specific order, and accounting-related software also requires a specific sequence of steps. Students use observational and comparison skills to red-flag errors in financial statements. They must then use cause-effect reasoning to find the source of the problem and correct the statement. Inferential thinking is used to consider the implications of irregularities in statements. View more information on learning skills in the Accounting and Bookkeeping program. In the program, students will take either typing or keyboarding, Accounting Spreadsheets (ACC 361), and Introduction to Computers (CSC 110). In the work place, bookkeepers will use spreadsheet programs extensively, including the graphics component to present financial data pictorially. View more information on computer skills in the Accounting and Bookkeeping program.
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Des Moines Area Community College
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Ankeny, Iowa 50021-3993
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