Date of Defense

Spring 4-20-2001

Department

Accountancy

First Advisor

Jerry Kreuze, Accountancy

Second Advisor

David Rozelle, Accountancy

Third Advisor

Camille Hoekstre, Plante and Moran

Keywords

student retention, degrees, qualifications

Abstract

Promoting the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) profession, a career that lays the foundation for the ubiquitous capital markets of the world, may not seem like a difficult and daunting task. After all, accountants are people whose judgments are trusted, opinions sought, and competencies expected. Professionals can provide immeasurable value for clients because of their knowledge. Without their assurance services, investors can not trust the numbers, and financial markets which rely on strong, high-quality reporting, would quickly cease to exist. Higher demands and greater needs for real-time, meaningful information constantly redefine the roles and tasks of CPA's. They are expected to take on a host of new responsibilities and have a broad business background stemming from relevant experience. There is an obvious need for finding new ways to attract future accounting students, and revise the education given to them. Institutions need to review their current curricula, understand the profession and the skills necessary in the field, and find an appropriate balance between a broad education and sufficiently specialized accounting education. The recent glut of information in the diverse, changing economy has created a fundamental transformation in business practices. These changes create the challenge to renovate current accounting education and develop new skills and competencies.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Campus Only

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