Tradition and
Experience
Mountain State University was
founded in 1933 in Beckley, West
Virginia. MSU is an independent,
not-for-profit, regionally
accredited- university offering
traditional classroom-based
education as well as a number of
online degree programs. Mountain
State University believes in the
value of lifelong learning and
the power of knowledge to
transform lives. We respond to
educational needs by providing
accessible, innovative
undergraduate and graduate
programs that lead to
opportunities for personal and
professional success.
Convenience and Accessibility
Mountain State University's
online degree format allows
students to experience all the
benefits of a traditional
classroom setting, including
personal interaction with
instructors and classmates, from
the comfort of their own home.
Our courses run in eight-week
sessions. Students have the
flexibility to complete those
sessions through either
part-time or full-time study,
with no group projects and NO
scheduled meeting times!
Students can log in at whatever
hour is most convenient
depending upon their individual
schedule. In addition, each
student is assigned a permanent
enrollment coordinator who works
with them in planning their best
path forward.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Mountain State University has
one of the least expensive
tuition rates of any college
offering online degrees. We
participate in federal financial
aid programs (Pell Grants and
Stafford Loans), and online
students are eligible to apply
for financial aid by completing
a FAFSA (Free Application for
Federal Financial Aid). More
than 80% of all undergraduate
students at Mountain State
University receive some form of
financial aid.
Accreditation
MSU is accredited by the Higher
Learning Commission and a member
of the North Central
Association. Regional
accreditation means that your
credits will be recognized
nationwide.
Hospitality (Bachelor's)
Business Administration -
Hospitality - With the rise of
the service industry,
opportunities abound. The
hospitality program covers every
aspect from food and beverage
planning to hospitality
operations and resort
management. Companies are
increasingly emphasizing
specialized training in hotel,
restaurant, or hospitality
management for most hotel
management positions, so college
graduates with degrees in this
area will have the most job
opportunities.
Healthcare Management
(Bachelor's)
According to the U.S. Department
of Labor, there are new jobs
created in healthcare than in
any other industry. And Mountain
State’s Bachelor of Science in
Business Administration —
Healthcare Management will help
you qualify for many of these
new employment opportunities.
The B.S. Healthcare Management
program provides both the
theoretical knowledge and
practical skills needed to enter
a professional business career
in the healthcare industry. The
program offers an intensive
examination of the planning,
organizing, and controlling
functions of a management
professional in the healthcare
field.
Medical Assisting
(Associate's)
The outlook for Medical
Assisting is very bright.
According to national labor
statistics, Medical Assisting is
the fastest-growing allied
health profession in the US.
The Mountain State University
medical assisting program trains
students to perform both
clinical and administrative
(business) skills-thus, the
program is housed in both the
School of Health Sciences and
the School of Business and
Technology.
People who want to help and care
for others, but are not drawn to
being physicians or nurses, are
good candidates to enter the
field of medical assisting.
People who have a business
background or an interest in
management enter medical
assisting because they can build
on their skills, possibly
leading to a clinic management
position.
The medical assisting program
comprises general studies in the
humanities, business, and the
natural sciences along with
preparation for clinical and
administrative health care
positions. Medical assistant
positions often include such
tasks as:
Reception
• Appointment scheduling
• Medical coding and
transcribing
• Computer use
• Taking patient histories
• Taking and recording vital
signs
• Administrating medication
• Assisting the physician with
minor procedures
• Venipuncture and giving
injections
Students learn to run the
"front" office and can schedule
appointments, answer the phone,
call in prescriptions, prepare
and maintain patient charts, do
billing and collections, process
insurance claims, transcribe
medical documents, and perform
many other administrative
duties.
Students also learn to assist
the physician in the "back"
office, which is the clinical
area. They take patient
histories, screen patients, take
and record vital signs, do basic
laboratory tests, do EKGs,
perform venipuncture, give
injections, and assist the
physician with different
procedures.
Graduates are then eligible to
sit for the Certified Medical
Assisting exam, a national test
which, when passed, give the
privilege of using the
credential CMA (Certified
Medical Assistant).
Accounting (Associate's)
Mountain State University offers
both an online Associate's
Degree and an online Bachelor's
Degree in Accounting.
Accounting is a demanding
profession that provides its
professionals with both economic
and psychological rewards.
Although there is a popular
impression that accountants deal
with numbers only, the truth is
that accounting is primarily a
people business. The best
accountants enjoy working with
people and are excellent
communicators; they are also
team players, and logical and
creative problem solvers.
Employees already working as
bookkeepers and tax preparers
are drawn to an Accounting
degree as a way to further their
knowledge. Members of the
banking industry, and federal
and state employees working in
related fields, also seek
Accounting degrees to expand
their career options.
An Accounting degree provides a
base from which to build broad
knowledge about all business
functions - purchasing,
manufacturing, wholesaling,
retailing, and marketing.
The MSU online Accounting degree
programs are designed to prepare
students for leadership
positions in the business
community.
The Bachelor's degree qualifies
graduates for a career in
Accounting on either a basic or
a CPA track. The basic track is
recommended for those who do not
plan to take the CPA exam and is
also suitable for those who plan
to complete additional credit
hours in a master's degree
program. While there are
state-to-state variations in CPA
exam requirements, Mountain
State University's CPA track
meets most state requirements.
A Bachelor's degree in
Accounting can lead to several
different career paths,
including:
• Public Accounting: You may
become an employee of a public
accounting firm or you may
become a CPA in business for
yourself.
• Industrial or Managerial
Accounting: In this case, you
are employed by a for-profit
company to provide a variety of
financial and managerial
accounting services. You are
part of the "team" and the
financial information you
analyze and interpret is used by
corporate executives to make
business decisions.
• Not-for-Profit Accounting:
Still other accountants are
employed by a governmental or
other organization that is not
profit motivated. These
accountants provide a variety of
financial and managerial
accounting services including
processing payroll and reviewing
regulatory reports and tax
returns to determine compliance.
Graduates of the MSU Accounting
programs are working in public
accounting, private industry and
governmental accounting.
The B.S. in accounting qualifies
graduates for a career in
accounting on either a basic or
a CPA track. The basic track is
recommended for those who do not
plan to take the CPA exam. Since
it meets all CPA exam
requirements except the 150-hour
requirement, however, it is also
suitable for those who plan to
complete additional credit hours
in a master’s degree program.
The CPA track meets all CPA exam
requirements.
An A.S. in accounting is also
available. Both the B.S. and A.S.
are offered online as well as
through traditional classroom
study.
CPA Exam Eligibility
Requirements
Eligibility for the CPA exam
requires 150 semester hours,
including the following:
• Accounting—27 hours, including
6 hours of financial accounting
and 3 hours each of auditing;
accounting information systems;
tax; and cost, managerial, or
fund accounting
• Business law—6 hours
• Business electives—27 hours,
including 3 hours each of
finance, economics, marketing,
management, and statistics
Accounting (Bachelor's)
Mountain State University offers
both an online Associate's
Degree and an online Bachelor's
Degree in Accounting.
Accounting is a demanding
profession that provides its
professionals with both economic
and psychological rewards.
Although there is a popular
impression that accountants deal
with numbers only, the truth is
that accounting is primarily a
people business. The best
accountants enjoy working with
people and are excellent
communicators; they are also
team players, and logical and
creative problem solvers.
Employees already working as
bookkeepers and tax preparers
are drawn to an Accounting
degree as a way to further their
knowledge. Members of the
banking industry, and federal
and state employees working in
related fields, also seek
Accounting degrees to expand
their career options.
An Accounting degree provides a
base from which to build broad
knowledge about all business
functions - purchasing,
manufacturing, wholesaling,
retailing, and marketing.
The MSU online Accounting degree
programs are designed to prepare
students for leadership
positions in the business
community.
The Bachelor's degree qualifies
graduates for a career in
Accounting on either a basic or
a CPA track. The basic track is
recommended for those who do not
plan to take the CPA exam and is
also suitable for those who plan
to complete additional credit
hours in a master's degree
program. While there are
state-to-state variations in CPA
exam requirements, Mountain
State University's CPA track
meets most state requirements.
A Bachelor's degree in
Accounting can lead to several
different career paths,
including:
• Public Accounting: You may
become an employee of a public
accounting firm or you may
become a CPA in business for
yourself.
• Industrial or Managerial
Accounting: In this case, you
are employed by a for-profit
company to provide a variety of
financial and managerial
accounting services. You are
part of the "team" and the
financial information you
analyze and interpret is used by
corporate executives to make
business decisions.
• Not-for-Profit Accounting:
Still other accountants are
employed by a governmental or
other organization that is not
profit motivated. These
accountants provide a variety of
financial and managerial
accounting services including
processing payroll and reviewing
regulatory reports and tax
returns to determine compliance.
Graduates of the MSU Accounting
programs are working in public
accounting, private industry and
governmental accounting.
The B.S. in accounting qualifies
graduates for a career in
accounting on either a basic or
a CPA track. The basic track is
recommended for those who do not
plan to take the CPA exam. Since
it meets all CPA exam
requirements except the 150-hour
requirement, however, it is also
suitable for those who plan to
complete additional credit hours
in a master’s degree program.
The CPA track meets all CPA exam
requirements.
An A.S. in accounting is also
available. Both the B.S. and A.S.
are offered online as well as
through traditional classroom
study.
CPA Exam Eligibility
Requirements
Eligibility for the CPA exam
requires 150 semester hours,
including the following:
• Accounting—27 hours, including
6 hours of financial accounting
and 3 hours each of auditing;
accounting information systems;
tax; and cost, managerial, or
fund accounting
• Business law—6 hours
• Business electives—27 hours,
including 3 hours each of
finance, economics, marketing,
management, and statistics
Human Resource Management
(Bachelor's)
Business Administration - Human
Resources Management - Many
human resources managers not
only manage the administrative
function of their departments,
but they also consult top
executives regarding strategic
planning and lead the company in
suggesting and changing
policies. More than ever, senior
management is recognizing the
significance of the human
resources department to their
financial success.
In the Human Resources track,
students learn:
• Compensation Management
• Recruitment and personnel
selection
• Strategic human relations
management
Marketing (Associate's)
Business Administration -
Marketing - The marketing
concentration includes an
intensive examination of
campaign planning and execution
including formulating an initial
business plan, pricing,
advertising, and distribution.
Students will also learn the
critical thinking and the
research necessary to evaluate a
conceptual idea.
Marketing (Bachelor's)
Business Administration -
Marketing - The marketing
concentration includes an
intensive examination of
campaign planning and execution
including formulating an initial
business plan, pricing,
advertising, and distribution.
Students will also learn the
critical thinking and the
research necessary to evaluate a
conceptual idea.
Finance (Bachelor's)
Business Administration -
Finance - Every firm, government
agency, and organization has one
or more financial managers who
oversee the preparation of
financial reports, direct
investment activities, and
implement cash management
strategies. With the increasing
power of computers to provide
financial forecasting, many
financial managers spend more of
their time quantifying
strategies and implementing the
long-term goals of their
organization.
Business Management
(Bachelor's)
Business Administration -
Management - The management
concentration fosters skills to
help you build a successful
team, manage people effectively
and learn what it takes to
become a great decision-maker
and leader. Students receive
in-depth training on the
financial, marketing,
operational, and human resource
development skills that are
needed to manage profitable
companies.
Management (Associate's)
Business Administration -
Management - The Business
Administration associate degree
program with the management
concentration fosters skills in
achieving the efficient and
effective completion of
organizational work activities
through people. It includes an
intensive examination of the
planning, organizing, leading,
and controlling functions.
