Accounting Program Overview
Our AACSB-accredited online Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting delivers a broad skillset in analyzing and solving financial problems and provides expert guidance for accounting careers in non-profit, government, public, or private organizations, with many graduates working as CPAs.
Designed with working professionals in mind, this flexible and cost-effective online program can be completed at your own pace. The knowledge and skillset you’ll gain from our online BBA in accounting program will help you adapt and thrive within the rapidly evolving field of accounting and gain a competitive advantage in your career.
Careers for BBA in Accounting Graduates
An online BBA in accounting from UT Permian Basin can help prepare you to take on a wide variety of careers, including:
- Accountant
- Auditor
- Financial Manager
- Financial Advisor
- Government Analyst
- Anti-Money-Laundering Officer
- Credit Analyst
- Financial Analyst
- Controller
- Forensic Accountant
Accreditation
UT Permian Basin’s College of Business is accredited by the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).
42 out of 44 credits required. All 3 credits of SOCI 1301 are needed for the degree; however, only 1 credit issued to fulfill the university's Common Core requirement. The remaining 2 credits are added to the total lower-level credits from lower level courses.
21 Lower Level Business credits are required
24 Credit Hours
9 Credit Hours
9 Credit Hours
Admission Requirements
In order to prevent delays in processing applications, UT Permian Basin is temporarily modifying the freshman admission process by moving to a test-optional policy that will apply through Spring 2022. See the Test-Optional Policy section below for additional details.
Transfer Student Admission Requirements
- Minimum of 24 transferable credit hours from a regionally accredited college or university
- GPA of 2.0 or higher in previous college coursework
- Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended
- Dual-credit high school courses must be included
- Completed application
Freshman Admission Requirements
If you have completed less than 24 hours of transferable college-level work from a regionally accredited college or university after graduating from high school or receiving your GED, please provide the following:
- Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended (including dual-credit work while in high school)
- Official high school transcript showing GPA, class rank, and expected graduation date or GED scores
- SAT and/or ACT scores from within the last five years (see below for minimum score requirements)
- Completed application
Transcripts
Copies of official transcripts must come directly from the school in a sealed envelope and can be mailed to:
UT Permian Basin
Office of Admissions
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762
Transcripts in electronic format can be sent to admissions@utpb.edu. High school transcripts can also be sent electronically or via mail as noted above.
Minimum Score Requirements for Freshman Admission
| High School Graduation Class Rank | SAT | ACT |
| Top 25% | No minimum score | No minimum score |
| 2nd Quarter | 1020 | 20 |
| 3rd Quarter | 1160 | 24 |
| 4th Quarter | 1280 | 27 |
Application Fee
The application fee is $40 and must be paid when you submit your online application.
If you are a freshman applicant, you may request a fee waiver when you apply by sending us your official college application fee waiver form provided by the SAT or ACT. You may also request a fee waiver if the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) listed on your Student Aid Report is zero.
Test-Optional Policy
Students will be reviewed on a holistic basis focusing on the strength of the high school record, overall grade point average, grades within the core subjects, dual credit work, and additional information (resume and/or extracurricular activities, leadership opportunities, and work experience provided with the Apply Texas application). We also recognize the value of standardized tests as a piece of the review process and will consider scores alongside the other required application credentials, if provided.
Faculty Bios
Associate Dean
Associate Professor of Accounting
College of Business
counts_r@utpb.edu
Roy Wayne Counts, PhD, is an associate professor of accountancy and associate dean within the College of Business at The University of Texas Permian Basin. Graduating from Texas Tech University with his PhD in 2005, he joined UTPB from 2004-2010 and rejoined in Spring 2015. Prior to this, Dr. Counts served as faculty and taught at Oklahoma City University and Youngstown State University between 2010 and 2015. His research interests focus around income wages, social security, and factors affecting finance. His work has been published in the Journal of the Academy of Business and Economics, International Journal of Business Research, and the Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance. Dr. Counts currently teaches the following courses within the accounting undergraduate program and the MPA program: Intermediate Accounting I, Federal Income Tax, and Energy Accounting.
“My interest in financial planning is what inspired me to specialize in tax accounting. Helping students to see how they can provide value-added services to clients is very rewarding. My passion is helping students get prepared for taking and passing the CPA exam.”
Associate Professor of Accounting
College of Business
PhD, Texas A&M University
MSEd, Texas A&M University
MS, Texas A&M University
sullivan_c@utpb.edu
Dr. Carol Sullivan is an associate professor of accounting at UT Permian Basin and teaches the Accounting for Healthcare course. She is a CPA and has done professional financial accounting for doctors and dentists. Dr. Sullivan has made over 50 academic presentations and has published more than 20 articles over the years. Her favorite healthcare article is titled “Eradicating Fraud in Healthcare: Possibly a Matter of Life and Death.”
Assistant Professor of Accounting
College of Business
PhD, University of North Texas
MAAC, University of Hawaii at Manoa
MA, University of Hawaii at Manoa
MS, University of Hawaii at Manoa
nie_d@utpb.edu
Dongfang Nie, PhD, is an assistant professor of accountancy at the University of Texas Permian Basin. He started in the role of assistant professor at the College of Business in 2019 after having served as a research assistant and teaching fellow at the University of North Texas. His educational background includes a Master of Accountancy, Master of Arts in economics, Master of Science in financial engineering, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance, all earned from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His research interests include voluntary disclosures: non-GAAP reporting, management earnings forecasts, and auditing (fraud, bankruptcy, and audit committees). He has presented a conference paper at the American Accounting Association and has publications in Oil, Gas & Energy Quarterly.
“My interest in accounting comes from my business education. Accounting information, as a byproduct of business, plays an important role in business evaluation. Accounting information is the only public channel outsiders learn about a business. When I teach accounting, I always like to highlight the above important roles of accounting information and how students can make decisions based on accounting information.”
Assistant Professor of Accounting
College of Business
PhD, Texas Tech University
MS, University of Florida
MS, University of Alaska
xu_c@utpb.edu
Chunhao (Howard) Xu, PhD, is an assistant professor of accounting at The University of Texas Permian Basin. He started in the role of adjunct of the College of Business in 2020 after serving as a professor at Texas Tech University in 2019. His research interests include accounting information systems, auditing and data analysis; earnings management; financial statement disclosure; corporate governance; and tax archival. His research includes publications in the Journal of Information Systems, the Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, Cold Regions Science and Technology, and the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. He has presented at conferences including the Society for Marketing Advances’ annual conference. He has served as a financial advisor, international audit manager, and senior associate for an analytic forensic technology team.
Lecturer in Accountancy
College of Business
MBA, The University of Texas Permian Basin
holmes_n@utpb.edu
Narita Holmes, MBA, CPA, CIA, is a lecturer of accountancy at The University of Texas Permian Basin. She started in the role of director of audit and compliance at UT Permian Basin in 2004, and began as a lecturer of accountancy in 1999. Currently, she is a lecturer in accountancy, the Title IX coordinator, and assistant compliance officer. Her educational background includes an MBA in management from UT Permian Basin and a BBA in management from UT Austin. Her professional experience includes being a co-founder of N&C Procurement Consulting Service and a purchasing agent for Ector Country. She has publications in County Magazine, The Model Purchasing Manual for Texas Cities and Counties, and Emerging Issues in State & Local Government. Narita is also an advisor for the UT Permian Basin Accounting Association and is a member of various state and national accounting associations.