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Our Strengths

Accreditation

Our Master of Science in Accounting Program is one of only five programs in New England to have been awarded separate national accreditation by the AACSB, the international association for the advancement of management education. Accreditation is designed to promote excellence in business education, and is granted based on rigorous standards of quality relating to the breadth, depth and relevance of curricula, the qualifications of faculty, availability of computer and library resources, and the intellectual climate of the program. We are confident that you will find the rigorous demands of accreditation reflected in the quality of our programs.

In its most recent accreditation report, the AACSB identified the following strengths of our department and programs:

  •  The quality of the student educational experience
  •  A faculty committed to the success of its programs and students
  •  Successful graduates who praise the program and its faculty
  •  Strong alumni support
  •  Excellent placement results

The Program and Curriculum

A high quality curriculum, a first-rate faculty, and the flexibility to meet your needs are the cornerstones of our Master of Science in Accounting Program. The Program, developed in consultation with our Alumni Advisory Council , is designed to accommodate the needs of individuals embarking on a career in accounting. Students can complete the degree in a fifteen-month period, while holding a full-time career position. Courses are offered primarily during two summer semesters, minimizing the academic demands during the traditional "busy season" of the public accounting profession.

The curriculum was developed to be relevant to contemporary expectations concerning the reliability and competence of CPAs, and the growing and changing demands for client service. In that light, the curriculum was designed to expand the breadth and depth of knowledge in substantive areas of practice, to include taxation, financial reporting, information management, organizational dynamics and investments, and to enhance essential skills, such as financial research and analysis, communications, ethical behavior, and interpersonal dynamics.

We are proud of our curriculum, both in terms of its content, and the manner in which we deliver it. As noted by the AACSB accreditation team, the faculty is committed to our programs and students, and has a reputation among both students and alumni as highly competent and caring. We are committed to providing our students with a full range of learning experiences (e.g., individual and group work, academic and field experiences, the development of communication, research and critical thinking skills), leading to a first-rate education.

To ensure that our curriculum continues to meet the needs of students and employers, department faculty meet regularly with our Alumni Advisory Counsel to review and critically assess the content and delivery of our programs. In addition, members of the faculty are engaged in professional development activities. For example, several have been recent recipients of Lilly Teaching Fellowship Grants through a highly selective university-wide competition to promote innovation and excellence in education. Such grants are used to encourage the development of new courses, and major changes in the content or delivery of existing ones. Further, faculty members regularly attend continuing education programs and interact with academic and business colleagues at professional meetings.

Innovation and Dedication

The Department of Accounting & Information Systems has a long-standing tradition of innovation in programs and curricula. In 1990, we were one of only five programs, nationally, to receive a grant from the prominent Accounting Education Change Commission , established by the public accounting profession to foster innovation in accounting education. The grant was made in support of our innovative approach to integrating writing and communication into the accounting curriculum. In addition, in 1999, we received the prestigious Joint AICPA/AAA Collaboration Award . The award was given in recognition of a conference, entitled "Achieving Balance: Facing the Challenges of a Professional Career." The conference, developed and presented jointly with PricewaterhouseCoopers, brought students from across New England to meet with academics, practicing professionals and representatives of national and state accounting institutions, to share perspectives on this very important topic.