Payroll Practice and Management

Certificate Program

The California State University, East Bay Certificate in Payroll Practice and Management gives aspiring payroll professionals the fundamental training they need to excel in this constantly changing field. The certificate also will appeal to existing payroll professionals as a way to refresh their knowledge and bring it up to date.

Cal State East Bay's nationally recognized program also helps students prepare for the Certified Payroll Professional test given by the American Payroll Association.

The course instructor is a veteran payroll professional, author and lecturer with 30+ years of multi-state payroll experience and dozens of books to her credit. Coursework covers all facets of payroll, from the basics of wage and hour law to the complexities of fringe benefits, taxation and garnishments. Topics in the latter category include Section 125 and 129 plans, different types of stock options, expatriate employee compensation and many others.

Offered in partnership with Gatlin Education Services, the program's online-only format makes it convenient for professionals anywhere in the world, not just those who live or work in the San Francisco East Bay Area. All course materials are available online.

Program Objectives

• To prepare graduates for entry-level payroll positions and increase their marketability to potential employers.
• To familiarize graduates with year-end reporting, employee classification per the IRC and FLSA and other payroll requirements.
• To give graduates skill and confidence in reading, interpreting and applying IRS tax requirements.
• To give graduates a strong grounding in federal taxation regulations as they pertain to payroll preparation and the proper taxation of wages under state regulations, along with multi-state taxation and federal and state-specific tax deposit requirements.
• To equip graduates with a basic understanding of how to manage a payroll staff, how to organize a year-end season in a payroll department and the technological side of managing payroll.
• To familiarize graduates with each type of fringe benefit, including qualified and nonqualified deferred compensation, third party sick pay, relocation and personal use of a company vehicle and proper federal taxation of such benefits.
• To give graduates knowledge and skill in writing payroll procedures and manuals and using resources on the Internet related to payroll.
• To give graduates skill and comfort in completing and processing the Form W-4.
• To provide graduates an understanding of supplemental wage taxation.
• To provide students an understanding of expatriate and non-resident alien taxes.
• To help student prepare for the CPP exam.

Who Should Attend

• Individuals seeking to become payroll specialists.
• Individuals with payroll experience who want to refresh their knowledge or bring it up to date.
• Individuals who seek to prepare for the CPP exam and need a good overall review.

Program Highlights