Business: Account Clerk and Payroll Certificate Business Total Units: 16.0

Term Effective: Fall 2019

The requirements for this program of study are effective beginning the semester shown above. If you began working on this program before the effective semester, you may not be affected by the changes. Consult with the program contact person or the department chair to determine your eligibility to complete the program under previous requirements.

Term Inactive: Fall 2021

Previous Versions:

Account Clerk - effective Fall 2013
Account Clerk - effective Spring 2012
Account Clerk - effective Fall 1981

Description:

The Business: Account Clerk and Payroll Certificate of Achievement prepares the student as an entry-level accounts payable/accounts receivable clerk, with responsibilities including data entry. The curriculum includes basic accounting concepts, records management, spreadsheets, specialized payroll accounting and reporting procedures, and other entry-level skills.

Payroll is a specialized area of accounting with complicated federal and state government reporting and legal requirements. Employment opportunities exist in various business and government sectors, payroll service companies, and accounting firms. The payroll assistant generally reports to the payroll supervisor or accountant and will be involved in activities such as time tracking, record keeping, balancing payroll accounts, and tax returns. Account Clerks perform tasks such as recording daily transactions in journals, posting figures into ledgers, handling payments and receipts, and computing payrolls. It requires skill in the operation of 10-key calculators, computers, and other office equipment. Programs encompass the integration of 21st Century workforce skills emphasizing communication, teamwork, project management, and problem-solving.

Students desiring more advanced skills may wish to pursue the Bookkeeping Certificate of Achievement. Completion of the Business: Account Clerk and Payroll Skills Certificate fulfills a portion of the Bookkeeper Certificate of Achievement program. The employment outlook is very good. With additional training, individuals can progress to bookkeeper, accountant and CPA (Certified Public Accountant).

Program Student Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of this program, the student will be able to:

  1. Analyze, categorize, calculate, record and report selected financial information and commonly used financial statements and related reports, using generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP);
  2. analyze, categorize, calculate, record and report basic advanced payroll information including payment of wages along with associated payroll tax liabilities; for both and state tax entities;
  3. calculate, analyze, and interpret a variety of mathematical business problems, comparisons, and elementary statistics;
  4. demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills to record and report various Human Resource, Payroll benefit, and financial information and job seeking skills;
  5. use a computer to tabulate, calculate, record, organize and report financial information; and
  6. effectively use computer keyboard, 10-Key, and other modern devices to calculate, tabulate, and assist in reporting and recording of financial information.

Program Requirements:

The requirements for the Business: Account Clerk and Payroll program are:

  • Complete 16.0 units from
    • Payroll/Account Clerk Requirements

Payroll/Account Clerk Requirements - complete 16.00 units
BBK 50Computerized Bookkeeping and Accounting 13.00
BBK 52.1Payroll Record Keeping and Reporting3.00
BBK 53.1QuickBooks Level 11.50
BGN 81Practical Business Math Skills3.00
BGN 20310-Key Skills0.50
CS 60.11AMicrosoft Word, Part 11.50
CS 61.11AMicrosoft Excel, Part 11.50
Complete any combination totaling at least 1.50 units from the following:
CourseDescriptionUnits
BGN 110Exploring Business Careers1.00
BGN 111Soft Skills for Business3.00
BGN 112Marketing Your Skills3.00
BGN 205Basic Filing0.50
CS 63.11AMicrosoft Access, Part 11.50
CS 167.11Microsoft Outlook0.50
HR 62Human Resource Records1.00
HR 64Human Resource Salary Administration1.00
HR 65Human Resource Benefits Administration1.50
Complete any combination totaling at least 0.50 units from the following:
CourseDescriptionUnits
BGN 101Typing1.50
BGN 102Typing-Skill Building1.50
BGN 201Basic Keyboarding0.50

Course Prerequisites and Advisories:

Courses in a program of study may have prerequisites or advisories; that is, courses that must or should be completed before taking that course. Please check for prerequisites or advisories by clicking on the course numbers in the Program Requirements section.

It is important that students who are completing an Associate Degree and desire to transfer to a four-year institution meet with a counselor to plan their lower division coursework. While many majors at SRJC are intended to align with lower division major preparation required by California public universities, specific lower-division major requirements vary among individual campuses. See a counselor, visit the Transfer Center, and check Guides For Transfer in Specific Majors, and ASSIST to review transfer preparation guides for specific schools and majors.

Notes:

Recommended preparation: BGN101 (Typing) or equivalent.

Contact
Information
Phone Email Website
(707) 527-4435
bad-admin@santarosa.edu