Notre Dame’s accounting programs take top rankings

In a just-released ranking by The Public Accounting Report, the Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA)
program at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business jumped
two spots to No. 4 in the nation, while the undergraduate accountancy program
retained its No. 5 spot.

For the first time, the report included an additional
ranking based on the number of full-time faculty. In its category (16-21
faculty members), the Notre Dame MSA program ranked No. 1; the undergraduate accountancy
program ranked 2nd in the nation.

“The department benefits from excellent students and incredible
support from the University, College, accountancy professors and staff,
employers, and alumni,” said Fred Mittelstaedt, Deloitte Foundation Professor
of Accountancy and Department Chair. “Our alumni are leaders in business and
the accounting profession.  I am honored
to be chair of the department.”

The Public Accounting Report (PAR) 32nd Annual Professor
Survey ranks the top 25 programs based on professors’ rankings of accounting
programs at American colleges and universities that offer master’s degrees in
accountancy and/or tax. The survey, which was conducted during May and June
2013, highlights undergraduate and graduate programs offering degrees in
accounting that most consistently produce students capable of someday attaining
partner status.

The Notre Dame MSA program enrolls about 100 students
annually. The one-year, two-semester degree-program satisfies the 150-hour
educational requirements adopted by more than 48 states and jurisdictions for
certification and licensure as a CPA. Its broad-based curriculum allows
students to choose from two tracks: 1) tax services, and 2) financial reporting and assurance services. Its
signature curriculum integrates the study of ethics throughout in accordance
with the Mendoza College mission, and provides the opportunity for an
international immersion. Admission is granted on a rolling basis for fall or
spring semester entry.

MSA graduates are heavily recruited by the world’s
most prestigious and competitive firms. Historically, the program’s average
placement statistics range between 95-100 percent, with more than 80 percent of
the students choosing employment with the Big 4 accounting firms.

Undergraduate students at the Mendoza College can select
accountancy as their major at the end of their sophomore year. In addition to
being ranked 5^th in the PAR survey, the undergraduate accountancy program
is currently ranked No. 2 by Bloomberg
Businessweek and 6^th by U.S.
News and World Report. Approximately 150 to 180 students graduate from this
program each year. Generally, two-thirds of the students work immediately in
public accounting or industry, with 80 percent going to the Big 4 accounting
firms. The remaining third continue to graduate school, with the largest
percentage entering the Notre Dame MSA program.

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