• Payroll concepts
• Payroll calculations
• Fringe benefits
• Payroll reporting and employment taxes
• Record keeping and payroll practices
• Payroll accounting
• Management and administration

• A foundation of knowledge for starting or advancing your payroll career
• An understanding of payroll essentials through hands-on exercises
• Improved job performance by increasing accuracy and compliance
• The guidance and expertise of an experienced facilitator
• Access to a network of peers to learn about payroll practices in other organizations
• Solid grounding in compliance issues related to tax and regulatory information
• Preparation for the FPC and CPP exams
• Recertification credit hours (RCHs) or continuing education units (CEUs) to maintain FPC or CPP credentials.

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Printed Workbooks

All students will receive a printed workbook and access to the online components. The text is divided into seven modules

Module 1: Payroll Concepts
Module 2: Payroll Calculations
Module 3: Fringe Benefits
Module 4: Payroll Reporting and Employment Taxes
Module 5: Record Keeping and Payroll Practices
Module 6: Payroll Accounting
Module 7: Management and Administration

Online Components

The online components are essential to the learning process. These interactive tools will help participants determine their initial level of knowledge, create a study plan based on individual need, reinforce their studies with games, application exercises and tests, and track their learning through progress reports. The online portion of the course consists of the following components.

• Overview: The overview will guide you through the program. Read the overview now.
• Pre-Test: The timed pre-test, comprised of 50 multiple-choice questions, will measure your existing level of payroll knowledge by topic, and help you develop an efficient study plan. Correct answers are provided after each question.
• Lesson Quizzes: After reading each lesson from your workbook, complete the related lesson quiz to test your comprehension and retention of topics studied. Correct answers and links to the appropriate section of text are provided after each question.
• Module Game: On Track provides a fun and interactive way of reinforcing learned materials at the end of each module.
• Application Exercises: A number of application exercises, including Excursions, Whistle Stops, and Grand Tours, will help you apply the concepts learned in the text to a series of job-based scenarios. Correct answers and links to the appropriate section of text are provided after each question.
• Course Game: The Great PayTrain Robbery and Workin’ on the Railroad provide an entertaining and challenging review of the topics covered by the entire course.
• Final Test: The timed final test, consisting of 50 multiple-choice questions, covers content drawn from the entire course. Correct answers and links to the appropriate sections of text are provided after answering each question. The final test results will measure the progress you’ve made throughout the course and will provide an indication of areas that require further study.
• Online Glossary: Accessible any time during the program, the pop-up glossary allows you to look up definitions of terms without leaving your current activity.
• Reports: Track your course progress through a reporting feature that compares your pre-test and final test scores.

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As a payroll professional, you know how important it is to maintain your company's compliance by keeping up with changing regulations and procedures. Staying current is not only important to your company's bottom line but also to your continued professional development.

In cooperation with the American Payroll Association, George Mason University presents the Payroll Professional Certificate: APA's PayTrain^® certificate program for payroll professionals. Comprised of two professional development courses, Payroll PayTrain^® Fundamentals and Payroll PayTrain^® Mastery, this program is designed for all levels of payroll administration. Whether you are interested in preparing for the Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) or Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) certification exams, or are new to the industry and need to learn the basics of payroll, our courses will help you meet your goals.

To receive a Certificate of Participation, participants cannot have more than two absences. Participants also must complete the Pre-Test & Post-Test PLUS all Module tests with a 75% score or better on learnpayroll.com online by the deadline specified by your instructor.

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• Experienced and entry-level payroll professionals
• Managers and supervisors providing strategic payroll management
• Sales professionals and consultants serving the payroll industry
• Systems analysts and engineers writing payroll programs
• Payroll service bureau client representatives

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Please click here for a list of George Mason’s payroll instructors.

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“I can’t express how rewarding the experience has been. I have been out of school for many years and this experience has given me confidence to do more with my career.” –Fall 2008 student

“Definitely worth the time and money.” –Fall 2008 student

“It’s a good course for those wanting to increase their knowledge and their professional career.” –Fall 2008 student

“For someone with no prior knowledge of the payroll process this class has given me the knowledge to start my own small business payroll company.” –Fall 2008 student

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• Payroll Paytrain^® Fundamentals
• The Essentials of Human Resource Management
• Global Professional in Human Resource Management Certificate Program
• Timekeeping and Labor Regulations for Federal Contractors

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