Course Information

Course No:  144520

Course Name:  The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and Corporate Governance

Field of Study:    Accounting

Course Description:  

A corporate scandal involves alleged or actual unethical behavior by people acting within or on behalf of a corporation. Since the turn of the century,the U.S. has seen some largecorporate collapses and scandals due to shoddy and deceptive accounting practices. Many companies, shareholders and employees suffered as stock prices felland reputations were tarnishedwhen businessessuch as Nokia, Lucent Technologies, energy, and internet-related businessesconducted questionable practices.

This course examines developments in finance and accounting and a series of corporate accounting scandals on the heels of the Enron debacle thathave led to currentsweeping accounting guidelines, proposals, and legislation—most notably, the Sarbanes-Oxley(SOX) Act. Many of the issues surrounding the SOX Act—especially Section 404, Internal Control over Financial Reportingand Sections 302 and 906, Management Certifications—are discussed. The general issues on corporate governance and corporate social responsibility (CSR), including stock option expensing, are also covered. The illegal practice of stock option backdating isdescribed as well.

Learning objectives: After completing this section, you should be able to:

Course Material: Online Material

Program level: Overview

Prerequisites: None

Advance preparation: None

Type of delivery method: QAS Self-study

Recommended CPE credits:   6.0

Final examination expiration date:   The program participant will have one year from the date of purchase to complete the course and final examination.