This one-year program teaches the student basic accounting and payroll skills and offers more accounting theory than the bookkeeping certificate program. It augments a student’s basic writing skills as well. With electives, the student may pursue additional knowledge in income tax, business law, business report writing, and/or accounting software packages. The certificate prepares the student to be a full charge bookkeeper in an accounting department and equips the student with the skills needed to advance beyond that level. The program gives the student the necessary academic background to complete an associate or bachelor’s degree in accounting, if one so desires.