BYU School of Accountancy
Encyclopedia
The School of Accountancy (SOA) at Brigham Young University
is a department within the Marriott School of Management
. The school offers one bachelor's degree
and one master's degree
.
. Bookkeeping
classes were taught at Brigham Young Academy (which later became BYU) in its Commercial College (the Marriott School of Management
's predecessor).
In 1976, under the direction of dean Merrill J. Bateman
, the Marriott School of Management
created the Institute of Professional Accountancy within its jurisdiction. Then in 1990 faculty from the Information Management Department joined the school to consolidate the faculty and form a nucleus for program development. However, on August 12, 2005 the Marriott School announced the division of the School of Accountancy and Information Systems into two parts: the School of Accountancy and the Information Systems Department.
Douglas F. Prawitt started a Ph.D. prep track informally in 1994. Prawitt noticed several students who had a desire to enter a Ph.D.
program but realized that they understood very little about what earning a Ph.D. entailed; moreover, since academia
is suffering from a significant shortage of accounting professors and is projected to face even more significant shortages in the future, the program seemed ideally suited for the situation., The program was formalized in 2000, as Prawitt required application to the program and more formally recruited students into the program. In 2002, seven students finished the program and entered Ph.D. programs. Thereafter, the program has placed between four and nine students each year into Ph.D. programs across the country. The Ph.D. Prep Track has been successful in placing into doctoral programs 100 percent of its graduates who have submitted applications. The school has become the largest single provider of students into Ph.D. programs in the United States.
in Accountancy requires that students complete a core curriculum during their junior year that comprises 24 credit hours of accounting classes over the course of the fall and winter semesters. Students work in a team of five or six for the entire year and stay in the classroom for a three hour block while professors rotate in and out.
The Master of Accountancy (MAcc
) graduate degree has two emphases, a tax emphasis or a professional (auditing) emphasis. Within either emphasis, students can apply to enter the Ph.D. Prep Track, which focuses on preparing students to apply for and enter a Ph.D. program upon graduating from BYU.
Many undegraduate students at the SOA opt in to a dual-degree BSAcc/MAcc, which takes five years to complete.
Under the direction of Norm Nemrow and with the assistance of BYU’s Center for Instructional Design, the SOA has also developed the "Value-Added Teaching Model", a CD
-based program used to teach accounting that employs vector-based technology from Macromedia Flash. The reduction in lectures due to the CD supplement has proven effective in doubling student's interest in accounting as a major, and over 90 percent of students prefer the CD based approach over a traditional textbook/lecture approach.
BYU accounting faculty members and students, in conjunction with a Utah State University
faculty member, developed a new set of accounting research rankings. The rankings are based on the authors' research and separately rank accounting institutions and accounting Ph.D. programs. The rankings build on prior research by (1) breaking accounting rankings into separate topical area and methodological rankings, (2) giving institutions research credit only for publications of faculty currently employed at the institution, and (3) providing rankings for three time windows.
and the other by U.S. News & World Report
. The same two reporting agencies also ranked the school's MAcc program #3 and #9 in the nation, respectively.
The SOA is the only accounting program in the country to twice receive the American Accounting Association
's Innovation in Accounting Education Award. The first award, received in 1993, was for the development of the Junior Core, and the second (2007) for development of the Ph.D. prep track.
accounting firms as well as many national and regional firms recruit graduates. The Ph.D. Prep Track has been successful in placing into doctoral programs 100 percent of its graduates who have submitted applications.
Ph.D. Prep Track alumni are invited back to BYU to participate in the School of Accountancy's annual Accounting Research Symposium.
BYU alumni include many corporate executives, partners in CPA firms, and entrepreneurs.
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
is a department within the Marriott School of Management
Marriott School of Management
The Marriott School of Management is a business school located in Provo, Utah at Brigham Young University , a private university in the United States owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. The school offers one bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
and one master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
.
History
The SOA has roots that date back to the beginnings of Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping
Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions. Transactions include sales, purchases, income, receipts and payments by an individual or organization. Bookkeeping is usually performed by a bookkeeper. Bookkeeping should not be confused with accounting. The accounting process is usually...
classes were taught at Brigham Young Academy (which later became BYU) in its Commercial College (the Marriott School of Management
Marriott School of Management
The Marriott School of Management is a business school located in Provo, Utah at Brigham Young University , a private university in the United States owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
's predecessor).
In 1976, under the direction of dean Merrill J. Bateman
Merrill J. Bateman
Merrill Joseph Bateman is an emeritus general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . From 2003 to 2007, Bateman was a member of the Presidency of the Quorums of the Seventy of the church...
, the Marriott School of Management
Marriott School of Management
The Marriott School of Management is a business school located in Provo, Utah at Brigham Young University , a private university in the United States owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
created the Institute of Professional Accountancy within its jurisdiction. Then in 1990 faculty from the Information Management Department joined the school to consolidate the faculty and form a nucleus for program development. However, on August 12, 2005 the Marriott School announced the division of the School of Accountancy and Information Systems into two parts: the School of Accountancy and the Information Systems Department.
Douglas F. Prawitt started a Ph.D. prep track informally in 1994. Prawitt noticed several students who had a desire to enter a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
program but realized that they understood very little about what earning a Ph.D. entailed; moreover, since academia
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
is suffering from a significant shortage of accounting professors and is projected to face even more significant shortages in the future, the program seemed ideally suited for the situation., The program was formalized in 2000, as Prawitt required application to the program and more formally recruited students into the program. In 2002, seven students finished the program and entered Ph.D. programs. Thereafter, the program has placed between four and nine students each year into Ph.D. programs across the country. The Ph.D. Prep Track has been successful in placing into doctoral programs 100 percent of its graduates who have submitted applications. The school has become the largest single provider of students into Ph.D. programs in the United States.
Degrees and programs
The School of Accountancy offers two degrees. The Bachelor of ScienceBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Accountancy requires that students complete a core curriculum during their junior year that comprises 24 credit hours of accounting classes over the course of the fall and winter semesters. Students work in a team of five or six for the entire year and stay in the classroom for a three hour block while professors rotate in and out.
The Master of Accountancy (MAcc
MACC
MACC is an acronym that can stand for the following items:*Master of Accountancy, a graduate professional degree designed to prepare students for public accounting....
) graduate degree has two emphases, a tax emphasis or a professional (auditing) emphasis. Within either emphasis, students can apply to enter the Ph.D. Prep Track, which focuses on preparing students to apply for and enter a Ph.D. program upon graduating from BYU.
Many undegraduate students at the SOA opt in to a dual-degree BSAcc/MAcc, which takes five years to complete.
Conferences and endeavors
Since 2004, the SOA has hosted an annual Accounting Research Symposium. The purpose of the symposium is “to unite BYU alumni and friends in our efforts to foster relevant and consequential accounting research.” One of the explicit purposes of the symposium is to bring back students who have graduated from the Ph.D. Prep Track to network and receive feedback on research ideas.Under the direction of Norm Nemrow and with the assistance of BYU’s Center for Instructional Design, the SOA has also developed the "Value-Added Teaching Model", a CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
-based program used to teach accounting that employs vector-based technology from Macromedia Flash. The reduction in lectures due to the CD supplement has proven effective in doubling student's interest in accounting as a major, and over 90 percent of students prefer the CD based approach over a traditional textbook/lecture approach.
BYU accounting faculty members and students, in conjunction with a Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
faculty member, developed a new set of accounting research rankings. The rankings are based on the authors' research and separately rank accounting institutions and accounting Ph.D. programs. The rankings build on prior research by (1) breaking accounting rankings into separate topical area and methodological rankings, (2) giving institutions research credit only for publications of faculty currently employed at the institution, and (3) providing rankings for three time windows.
Rankings and awards
For 2009, the bachelor's degree in the SOA received two #3 rankings, one by Public Accounting ReportPublic Accounting Report
' is a semi-monthly eight-page newsletter that covers competitive intelligence and the business side of the public accounting profession. Among its proprietary features are the PAR Top 100, an annual ranking of the 100 largest accounting firms in the United States; and the PAR Professors Survey,...
and the other by U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
. The same two reporting agencies also ranked the school's MAcc program #3 and #9 in the nation, respectively.
The SOA is the only accounting program in the country to twice receive the American Accounting Association
American Accounting Association
The American Accounting Association is an "organization of persons interested in accounting education and research". It was formed in 1916. Its main publication, The Accounting Review, was first published in 1926. It is the principal professional association of accounting academics in the United...
's Innovation in Accounting Education Award. The first award, received in 1993, was for the development of the Junior Core, and the second (2007) for development of the Ph.D. prep track.
Faculty
- W. Steve Albrecht served as President of the American Accounting AssociationAmerican Accounting AssociationThe American Accounting Association is an "organization of persons interested in accounting education and research". It was formed in 1916. Its main publication, The Accounting Review, was first published in 1926. It is the principal professional association of accounting academics in the United...
(1997–1998) and as the first president of the Association of Certified Fraud ExaminersAssociation of Certified Fraud ExaminersEstablished in 1988 the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners is the professional organization that governs professional fraud examiners. Its activities include producing fraud information, tools and training. It also governs the professional designation of Certified Fraud Examiner...
., - Douglas F. Prawitt served as a Board member on the Auditing Standards BoardAuditing Standards BoardIn the United States, the Auditing Standards Board is the senior technical committee designated by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants to issue auditing, attestation, and quality control statements, standards and guidance to certified public accountants for non-public company...
(2006–2008) - Lee H. Radebaugh served as Editor of Journal of International Accounting Research (2004–2007) and as president of the World Trade Association of Utah (1994–1995).
- Scott L. Summers served as president of the Information Systems Section of the American Accounting AssociationAmerican Accounting AssociationThe American Accounting Association is an "organization of persons interested in accounting education and research". It was formed in 1916. Its main publication, The Accounting Review, was first published in 1926. It is the principal professional association of accounting academics in the United...
(2006–2007) - Dave N. Stewart served as president of the American Taxation Association (2003–2004)
- Kevin D. StocksKevin D. StocksKevin D. Stocks is the president of the American Accounting Association and the director of the BYU School of Accountancy since its formation in 2005. He was previously director of Brigham Young University's School of Accounancy and Information Services from 2003-2005.Stocks has a B.S. and an...
served as president of the Federation of Schools of Accountancy (2000)
Alumni
The School of Accountancy has been highly successful at placing students upon graduating. In 2007, 97% of MAcc students had a job at the time of graduation and 100% of the MAcc students had a job within 3 months after graduation. In 2007, 89% of undergraduates had a job at the time of graduation and 97% had a job within 3 months after graduation. All four of the Big FourBig Four auditors
The Big Four are the four largest international professional services networks in accountancy and professional services, which handle the vast majority of audits for publicly traded companies as well as many private companies, creating an oligopoly in auditing large companies...
accounting firms as well as many national and regional firms recruit graduates. The Ph.D. Prep Track has been successful in placing into doctoral programs 100 percent of its graduates who have submitted applications.
Ph.D. Prep Track alumni are invited back to BYU to participate in the School of Accountancy's annual Accounting Research Symposium.
BYU alumni include many corporate executives, partners in CPA firms, and entrepreneurs.