FAQs
Enrolling for These Courses
IMPORTANT DEADLINES FOR NEW ONLINE STUDENTS:
New online students must (1) be accepted for admission or re-admission by the TTU admissions office, and (2) have an official transcript delivered directly to the Accounting department NO LATER than the following deadline: Six weeks prior to start of classes, as shown on the TTU Academic Calendar.
Academic Advising:
Students seeking an Accounting degree or seeking a 2nd degree in Accounting are assigned an Accounting professor as their academic advisor. An accounting department advisor (along with the Accounting departmental office) assists accounting majors in meeting the requirements of the Accounting degree, informing students about the broad variety of departmental adtivities and events, and by making students aware of the department's job market and recruiting activities. Accounting majors are automatically included on the department's electronic (email) distribution lists and will receive all Accounting department email sent to Accounting majors.
Students not seeking an Accounting degree will be classified as "Special Program - Non Degree." Since these students are interested in only one, sometimes two, courses, they are assigned a General Curriculum advisor with limited knowledge of the workings of the Accounting department and its many events and activities. The email system is not programmed to include these students on the department's electronic distribution lists that are used to send information of interest to Accounting majors.
All individuals interested in TTU's online courses must become thoroughly familiar with TTU's Accounting program by studying the "flowsheet" at http://www.tntech.edu/files/accounting/pdfs/Accounting_Flowsheet2007.pdf and by studying full details of our courses at http://catalog.tntech.edu/content.php?catoid=8&;navoid=1406.
Difficulty / 2.80 GPA Recommended:
TTU's online Accounting courses are academically demanding. Success generally requires a high level of motivation and a self-starter mentality. Success will require a significant time commitment. Absent a minimum 2.80 GPA (on a 4.00 scale), success in these online courses will be very difficult to achieve.
How do I enroll in the TTU's online Accounting Career Education courses?
Apply for admission to TTU and indicate whether you are seeking a 2nd degree in Accounting or will be a non-degree seeking student. Then notify the department ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) for a list of further instructions.
What are the prerequisites for taking your junior and senior-level online accounting courses?
Six hours of accounting principles, which is the basic accounting requirement at most universities for a business degree. Six hours of accounting are available via most all Colleges of Business and also via Tennessee's Regents Online Degree Program (RODP).
If I enroll in the RODP program to accumulate additional hours, should I list TTU as my home campus?
We prefer that you list Tennessee Technological University as your home campus.
Is a formal application for admission required?
Yes. Apply for admission and indicate whether you are seeking a 2nd degree in Accounting or are applying as a non-degree seeking student. Then notify the department ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ), giving the same information. If applying as an Accounting major, the department will assign an advisor and provide your registration codes. If a non-degree seeking student, your advisor will be in General Curriculum. You will contact that office for advising and registration codes.
Can the accounting department admit me to TTU?
No.
Can I speak to an advisor prior to actually enrolling in the program?
Yes. You may initially provide unofficial transcripts for evaluation and speak with an Accounting advisor. However, an official transcript will be required before you may enroll in Accounting classes (see deadline in first Paragraph above). If your previous coursework was entirely at Tennessee Tech, transcript information in TTU's student information system will be considered the equivalent of an official transcript.
What are the requirements for a 2nd Degree in Accounting?
Details are at: http://catalog.tntech.edu/content.php?catoid=8&navoid=1329&hl=%22second+degree%22&returnto=search. Note that 24 of your last 30 hours of 3000 and 4000 level credit must be completed at TTU (via traditional, online, or RODP courses) to obtain a 2nd degree from TTU.
I have an Associate's Degree from a 2-year institution. May I apply your undergraduate accounting courses toward a BS degree?
Yes, but students transferring to TTU from 2-year institutions should make an appointment with the College of Business' Student Success Center for evaluation of work completed to date and recommendations on how to complete TTU's degree requirements.
Where can I find information on TTU's graduation requirements, transfer credit policies, and other registration and records requirements?
A wealth of information is available at TTU records and registration and via TTU's Undergraduate Catalog.
How can I tell if online learning is right for me?
This is a very difficult question and there is no easy answer. However, some guidance is available on this issue via Mississippi Gulf Coast University.
Questions Relating to the CPA Exam
What are Tennessee's general requirements to sit for the Uniform CPA Examination?
Thirty semester hours of accounting (of which 24 hours must be at the junior, senior, or graduate level), twenty four semester hours of other business courses, and 150 total semester hours.
How do I get an authoritative answer as to just what is required to sit for the CPA exam in Tennessee?
The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy currently administers the exam for Tennessee and provides a wealth of educational and other information online. Some questions may be answered by the Tennessee State Board of Accountancy web site. In addition, you may phone the State Board at 615-741-2550.
Where may I complete the 24 hours of business (non-accounting) courses required to sit for the CPA examination? Or accumulate the total 150 semester hours required by the State Board to sit the CPA exam?
There are several options. You may take on-ground or online courses at an accredited university near you. Alternatively, you may take Courses via Tennessee's RODP program. Some non-accounting business courses are offered by TTU's EF&M (Econ, Finance, and Marketing) and DS&M (Decision Sciences & Management) departments. See TTU's Listing of Courses and select the appropriate term, where online courses are marked as 500 or as M10.
Scheduling of Courses
May I commence taking TTU's online undergraduate courses at any time of the year?
Our courses are offered consistent with TTU's Academic Calendar. TTU's fall semester begins in mid-to-late August, the spring semester begins in mid January, and summer courses begin in late May or very early June. See TTU's online Schedule of Courses for courses offered each semester.
Is there a long-range schedule of just when the online undergraduate courses will be offered by TTU?
There is not a strict schedule. However, the tentative plan is to offer several courses each summer and one or two courses during regular semesters (fall and spring). See the online Schedule of Courses linked in the preceding paragraph to see exactly what will be offered during a given semester.
About the Courses
Are these courses totally online?
Yes. No on campus contacts are required. Video and/or narrated slideshows are all available online. Homework assignments are submitted online. Quizzes and examinations are all totally online. Instructors are available to interact with you (email) online.
What is the general format for these courses?
The courses are similar to on-ground courses in that you will be required to purchase a textbook (and sometimes other materials). Generally, there is an online multimedia show (lecture) provided that serves as a substitute for a traditional lecture in a classroom. Many professors give an open-book quiz for each chapter covered. You are required to submit assignments online at specified due dates. Online exams replace traditional in-class exams.
Are online tests really valid?
Much like highly technical real-world accounting work, your tests will all be open book and open other resource materials. Examination questions are generally drawn from a database of questions which results in your exam being different from that of all other students in the online courses. You are provided a window of time to complete exams, say 7 till 11 PM at night for example. We consider online testing in step with the way highly technical accounting work is completed in business, and therefore, valid.
What about interaction with professors?
Your professor will be available via email. Most of our professors answer emails within 24 hours and departmental policy requires that emails be answered within 2 working days.
Will my professor keep me informed of my grades?
All of our online courses make use of electronic gradebooks that allow students to conveniently check grades at any time.
What are the qualifications of your online faculty?
Online students can count on highly qualified professors since the TTU accounting department has separate AACSB accounting accreditation (which requires highly qualified faculty). Accreditation wise, TTU is unsurpassed by any university in Tennessee.
Are online accounting courses more difficult than on campus accounting courses?
Departmental policy is that our online courses are neither more nor less difficult than traditional on campus courses. However online courses differ from traditional courses in several respects.
What about interaction with other students?
Some courses will include online discussions where students can present differing views or go so far as to debate different views.
Costs
What is the cost of taking a three-hour undergraduate accounting course online?
Basic fees are at http://www.tntech.edu/bursar/fees. In addition to these basic fees, there is a differential maintenance fee for each hour of credit of $25 and an alternative delivery fee of $20 per hour of credit. Accordingly, the basic cost of a three hour course (Fall 2009) would be $720 + (3) (25) + (3) (20) = $855.
Out of State Tuition?
See the table of basic fees at http://www.tntech.edu/bursar/fees . Out of state students must also pay the differential maintenance fee of $25 per hour and the alternative delivery fee of $20 per hour.
I live in an out-of-state county on, or near the Tennessee border. Can I get out-of-state tuition waived?
Iindividuals living in Clinton, Cumberland, McCreary, Monroe, Wayne and Whitley counties in Kentucky can have their out-of-state fees waived because of special approval granted by Tennessee Board of Regents. All other out-of-state students are required to pay out-of-state tuition.
Moving On
What procedures are required after completion of my first semester of online classes?
Email the department ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) giving your final grade in your current class. State that you intend to continue next semester, and ask that she email your registration codes.
Do your online undergraduate programs satisfy entrance requirements for accredited MBA programs?
Yes. Since TTU has the highest accreditation possible, our online courses are evaluated exactly the same as are traditional on-ground courses. You may research entrance to TTU's MBA and Distance MBA programs at http://www.tntech.edu/mba/.
