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Accounting Major

Carmel Boyer School of Business

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OVERVIEW

Advisor. Analyst. Allocation manager. Accountants play a critical role in the success of today's businesses by offering insights and strategies that can lead to effective decision-making, policy development and financial operations.

As an accounting major, you'll gain technical accounting and financial skills in addition to business insights applicable to diverse career settings.

BW business faculty are scholars and practitioners. They have decades of corporate, government and nonprofit experience that is national and international in scope. You'll gain professional insights that are diverse and career relevant.

Internships are a key part of the program. BW alumni and student interns can be found at top accounting firms, renowned corporations and government agencies in Cleveland and beyond. Through BW's on-site Tax Clinic, you'll gain real-world experience in preparing tax returns, working with clients and learning business operations.

Accounting students provide free tax preparation services to the community through the BW Tax Clinic

BW accounting students gain resume-building experience and provide free tax preparation services to the community through the BW Tax Clinic.

Accounting Program Highlights

  • 100% of Master of Accountancy prerequisites satisfied.
  • Dedicated BW Career Center support for networking and mentoring to assist with job placement.
  • Student-led Accounting Association organization.
  • Annual Meet the Accountants Night for recruiting of internships and full-time job opportunities.
  • Annual Spring Scholarship Banquet.

Career Opportunities

  • Financial analyst
  • Corporate accountant
  • Stock broker
  • Forensic accountant
  • Tax specialist
  • Auditor

Five Reasons to Major in Accounting at BW

Technology-driven curriculum, networking opportunities, full-time accountants as your teachers and mentors, small class sizes, and internship and career opportunities top the list of reasons why you should major in accounting at BW. Learn more.

CURRICULUM

A comprehensive and rigorous program, accounting is offered as a major and minor.

The accounting major prepares students to:

  • Recall business terms, concepts, and principles and effectively communicate these, through both oral and written means, using the language of business
  • Utilize critical thinking skills to analyze information and produce improved business decisions and generate effective recommendations for better course of action or opportunity for improvement
  • Demonstrate relevant application of business knowledge
  • Exhibit high standards of ethical awareness and conduct and recognize ethical issues businesses/people face in today's world
  • Demonstrate an in-depth understanding of the accounting content areas necessary to work in the accounting profession
  • Analyze business decisions using information technology tools commonly used by accounting professionals

Master of Accountancy (MAcc) 4+1 Option

The Master of Accountancy program prepares students for careers in the accounting profession, including public accounting, industry, and government agencies and for candidacy to sit for the CPA exam.

Eligible accounting majors can apply for the full-time MAcc program as an optional fifth year of studies at BW. Successful applicants will graduate with their bachelor's degree and begin the full-time program in the following fall or spring semester. The program is also available as a part-time program for students with other plans after graduating.

The innovative MAcc curriculum combines advanced accounting education with powerful CPA exam preparation and state-of-the-art technology. Learn more about the MAcc.

Course Catalog

Course Descriptions

Course descriptions, requirements for the major and additional information can be found in the University Catalog.

STUDENT EXPERIENCES

Our world-class faculty will help you tailor your educational experience to your personal and professional goals. Small class sizes and an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio offer exceptional mentoring opportunities with BW professors.

Experiential learning bridges classroom study with real-world opportunities. You can enhance your studies through internships, fellowships, study abroad and a variety of co-curricular and other learning opportunities.

Accounting Roadmap to Success

At BW, success is at your fingertips in achieving both career and academic readiness. You can realize your goal of securing a full-time internship and job offer upon graduation. Learn more.

ACCOUNTING CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS

Accounting Association

Networking and learning opportunities are a key part of this organization. Students interact with professionals through informative programs and guest speakers. Over 20 firms attend "Meet the Accountants Night," where many students make first connections for internships and jobs.

Tax Clinic

Under the supervision of faculty, the Tax Clinic allows students to gain valuable, real-world tax preparation experience while providing a valuable service to the community.

View all business student organizations and experiential learning programs.

ALUMNI SUCCESS

Baldwin Wallace has long championed the success of its students. Evidence of this can be seen in the extraordinary achievements of its alumni spread throughout the United States and the world.

Ninety-seven percent of BW accounting graduates from the class of 2017 reported being in rewarding jobs or in graduate school within six months of graduation.

Gabe AdamsGabe Adams '14 is financial representative with Northwestern Mutual in Cleveland, and was named 2015 Northern Ohio representative of the year. He interned at the company while at BW. Gabe was profiled in Cleveland Magazine's 2015 "Faces of Cleveland" representing the financial industry. He is from Hudson, Ohio.

Ally SmithAlly Smith '13 is fund accountant at The Townsend Group in Cleveland. She is a graduate of BW's 3/2 program, earning bachelor's degrees in accounting and finance and an MBA in 5 years. Study abroad in Iceland gave the Strongsville, Ohio, native international experience that has distinguished her in job interviews.

Jaclyn LeeJaclyn Lee '12 is senior associate in the risk assurance practice at PwC in Charlotte, N.C. She graduated from BW's 3/2 program, earning a bachelor's degree and MBA in five years. Internships, campus leadership positions, faculty mentoring and study abroad prepared the Euclid, Ohio, native for a successful career.

James EbertsJames Eberts '11 is continuous improvement analyst for Sherwin-Williams Company in Cleveland. He has worked in the company's São Paulo, Brazil, office. From North Canton, Ohio, the liberal arts education he received at BW gave him a global perspective to expand his career into Latin America. He also holds an MBA from BW.

Justin NovakJustin Novak '11 is manager in the assurance practice at Ernst & Young in Cleveland. He holds an MBA and bachelor's degrees in accounting and finance from BW. Justin interned at Ernst & Young and obtained a full-time position with the company two years prior to graduation. He is from Strongsville, Ohio.

FACULTY

Lynn Schulte

Chair, Accounting and Business Law
MBA, Entrepreneurship, Baldwin Wallace University

Lynn Schulte

Lora Harley

Assistant Professor
MBA, Malone University

Lora Harley

Dan Schrag

Associate Professor
MBA, Cleveland State University

Dan Schrag

Full-Time Faculty

Lynn Schulte
Chair, Accounting and Business Law
Professor
MBA, Baldwin Wallace University

Linda Chase
Professor
Ph.D., Kent State University

Lora Harley
Assistant Professor
MBA, Malone University

Peter Kwiatkowski
Associate Professor
J.D., The University of Akron

X. Gloria Liu
Professor
Ph.D., Northwestern University

Dan Schrag
Associate Professor
MBA, Cleveland State University

Adjunct Faculty

Michael A. Delczeg
Lecturer
MBA, Baldwin Wallace University

Thomas A. Reynolds
Lecturer
MBA, Mount Vernon Nazarene University