Accountancy
Accountancy is the language of business, providing a way to describe and report business transactions. Accountants organize, analyze, and interpret the business information necessary to make decisions and plan for the future. They prepare profit and loss statements, balance sheets, cost studies, and tax reports, and they advise clients on other accounting and tax problems.
Distinctive Features at Miami
Top ranking: The Public Accounting Report ranks Miami's undergraduate accountancy program 11th in the nation for 2007.
Skills-oriented: Miami's accountancy program focuses on the skills that result in highly recruitable graduates. The program is designed to emphasize oral and written communication, computer technology, critical thinking and problem solving, professional research, and working in teams.
Target school: Miami has traditionally been a target school for corporations and the Big Four accounting firms. Approximately 45 percent of our accountancy majors are hired by the Big Four firms—Deloitte & Touche LLP, Ernst & Young LLP, KPMG LLP, and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the Farmer School of Business is limited, and the criteria for admission are subject to change as enrollment demands vary.
Freshman Admission: Entering freshmen who are admitted to and participate in the School of Business Honors Program are afforded regular business standing upon initial enrollment.
Regular Admission: All other entering freshmen are admitted to the School as "pre-business" majors and advance to regular business upon successful completion of all admission requirements.
Visit the School of Business for more information about program requirements.
Your Program of Study
The accountancy major begins with courses in the principles of accounting. Then you will take courses in financial and managerial accounting, accounting systems, and taxation and auditing.
The State of Ohio has adopted legislation that requires you to have 150 hours of education to become a CPA. Similar legislation has been adopted in almost all other states.
To meet these requirements, Miami's accountancy program offers a five-year program consisting of a four-year bachelor's degree and a one-year master's degree. Five-year program students graduate at the end of four years with a bachelor's degree and continue on for a fifth year to earn a master's degree, providing enough hours to take the CPA exam.
Alternately, students may graduate at the end of four years with a bachelor's degree and find employment with accounting firms, corporations, and nonprofit organizations where undergraduate education is sufficient. You may also choose to continue your graduate education elsewhere or in the MBA program at Miami, or build toward 150 hours of undergraduate education.
Facilities
In recognition of its national reputation, firms and individuals have made significant financial contributions to the department. Corporations and public accounting firms such as Baxter International, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Deloitte & Touche LLP, and KPMG LLP have provided classroom furnishings and technology. Ernst & Young LLP funds a tax library containing current resources on tax laws (updated each year).
Business Studies at Miami
Miami's Farmer School of Business has been ranked as one of the top 50 undergraduate business programs in the country. It is fully accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the sole accrediting agency for programs in business administration and accounting. Only 22 percent of American business schools have all of their programs accredited by the AACSB.
Miami's national reputation attracts nearly 400 corporate recruiters to campus each year. The Fortune 500 and Big Four accounting firms are well-represented in this group. More than 92 percent of Miami business students secure employment within months of graduation, while five percent continue with graduate education.
Our alumni prove the quality of their career preparation. More than 2,000 Miami business graduates are presidents, CEOs, or owners of companies.
Careers
Accountants have a variety of career paths from which to choose. Within public accounting, you can work for any size firm, ranging from a large international CPA firm to a small, local accounting practice. You can also work directly for any type of business from a corporate giant to a small operation. Accountants can also work for nonprofit organizations or federal, state, or local government. In addition to public accounting firms, recent Miami graduates have gone to work for companies such as Banc One, Baxter International, Cinergy, General Electric, the Kroger Company, National City Bank, Procter & Gamble, and Sherwin-Williams.
Student Organizations
Accountancy Club acquaints students with the field of accounting and its many career opportunities.
Alpha Kappa Psiis a professional fraternity open to both men and women that educates members about business issues and professionalism.
Beta Alpha Psiis a national honorary fraternity where accounting majors can learn about the accounting profession. Student members and pledges participate in numerous activities including professional meetings with accounting practitioners, tours to corporations and public accounting firms, mock interviews, service projects, and social events with faculty and practitioners.
Black Business Student Support and Nurturing System (BBSSNS) is an informal support network established in the business school to encourage African American students to participate and use the resources and services available to all students. Activities include knowledge and skills building sessions in scheduling classes, interviewing, e-mail and internet use, and team building.
Buck Rogers Business Leadership Program is a self-designed program where students choose activities in leadership reflection, leadership action, community service, communication, and diversity. Students also interact with business professionals.
Business Student Advisory Committee (BSAC) is a student organization that works with the dean and students of the business school to open avenues of communication and provide students with the best support and services. The Presidential Forum, consisting of the presidents of all the business school organizations, meets twice annually with the BSAC.
Delta Sigma Pi is a professional fraternity organized to foster the study of business in universities; encourage scholarship, social activity and association of students for their mutual advancement by research and practice; promote closer affiliation between the commercial world and students of commerce, and further a higher standard of commercial ethics, culture, and the civic and commercial welfare of the community.
Ingenuity, Inc.: The Student Entrepreneurial Society promotes entrepreneurial opportunities for students in any major. Annual events include presentations, workshops, and panel discussions with successful entrepreneurs.
KEYS focuses on women and their role in the business world, creating fellowship among female students in the business school and other students with interest in business; promoting professional ideals; and encouraging individual growth through social and academic instruction.
Multicultural Business Student Network introduces students to department chairs, faculty, academic advisers, and other staff. Activities include guidance in interviewing, business dress, team-building, and other tips to a successful Miami experience.
Minority Students' Professional Association helps develop the professional skills of its members through active participation and sponsorship of workshops dealing with career opportunities and development, compiling a resume book to be distributed to interested companies and organizations, coordinating a fall trip to talk with leaders in a variety of fields and a spring trip to visit graduate schools, and sponsoring a career fair.
For More Information
For general information about Miami University, please contact:
Office of Admission
301 S. Campus Ave.
Miami University
Oxford, OH 45056-3434
513-529-2531 (v/t)
www.muohio.edu/requestinfo
For specific information on the Accountancy major, please contact:
Department of Accountancy
310 Laws Hall
Miami University
Oxford, OH 45056
513-529-6200
www.fsb.muohio.edu/departments/accountancy
