Bar none: moulding a broader curriculum for accounting

Abstract

The AICPA cites the need for a 'complete education' as one of its rationales for the institution of the 150-hour rule. The liberal arts college provides a broadly educated student with critical thinking skills, making it a natural fit for such a 'complete education'. Unfortunately, there is often resistance to incorporating accounting courses into the curriculum at a liberal arts college. We offer an interdisciplinary course that unites the natural sciences with accounting concepts. While the overall goal of this particular course is for students to experiment with materials in producing soap, they are also expected to demonstrate basic skills in accounting in order to produce their soap profitably. Since students are making real world commodities, this approach provides them with a vivid picture of the manufacturing process and broadens the educational experience.