ETHICAL AND PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS FOR ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE

Catalog description

The primary objective of this course is to emphasize the standards conceived for the American capital markets and American accounting firms. The course will focus on the development of a practical understanding of ethical issues and the practical skills required to deal with issues pertaining to the capital markets and accounting firms. International ethical behavior is also discussed especially the concept that differing cultures call for differing standards. In most professional associations today, especially those which are self-regulated, ethical standards are developed by the organization itself and not by the government. Examples are the AICPA (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants) and the CFA Institute (Chartered Financial Analyst). This course will help prepare students for the ethics questions on the respective tests (CPA & CFA). Members of professional accounting and finance organizations are called upon to create a culture of integrity and become agents for ensuring trust. Trust in business is the cornerstone in stakeholder relationships; customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders and the community. This trust demands an understanding of the relationship between applicable law and professional standards. This course will carefully examine the law and the standards.