In Business Week’s annual “Undergraduate Specialty Ranking,” published this February, Carroll School of Management’s (CSOM) Accounting Department was ranked number one. The survey was based on seniors’ satisfaction with their college’s departments.

Senior majors ranked all CSOM departments, including popular majors such as Marketing (third) and Business Law (fifth). Students based their vote on factors such as job preparedness and class curriculum.

“I take particular satisfaction in the thought that the people who can best evaluate the quality of the program form the basis of the ranking,” Accounting Department Lecturer Billy Soo says.

Following finance, the Accounting Department shifts between the 2nd and 3rd largest concentration in CSOM. The department offers three major concentrations, including Traditional Accounting, Corporate Reporting & Analysis, and Accounting and Information Systems. The varying concentrations allow students expansive career options as certified public accountants (CPAs), firm employees, finance specialists and more.

“Our CPA pass rates are 30- 40% higher than the national average,” Soo affirms. “I think that provides objective evidence of the quality of our product.”

About 50-60% of accounting graduates go on to work for a public accounting firm. Approximately 90% of such graduates are employed by one of the largest accounting firms in the world, known as the “Big Four.” Another 10-15% end up working in financial firms like commercial and investment banks. The remaining graduates work in consulting or internal accounting for large corporations such as Macy’s and GE.

“I attribute the ranking to the fact that we have outstanding faculty who care not only about what happens to you in the classroom, but also what comes after. This is reflected in the large cadre of loyal alumni who recruit our majors because they know we teach our students very well and provide them with the necessary skills to succeed,” Soo said.

Supplementing the Accounting Department is the Accounting Academy, a student run organization overseen by faculty adviser Ed Taylor. The academy sponsors many events throughout the year, including events that introduce students to popular firms to assist seniors with the difficult career search.

In keeping with the high reviews of the Accounting Department, BusinessWeek’s annual “undergraduate business program” rated the Carroll School seventeen. The ranking included categories such as cost, recruiter survey, median starting salary and the “Undergraduate Specialty Ranking.” As Soo accents, BC excelled in faculty grading. CSOM received an overall A+ in Teaching Quality and an A in Facilities and Services.

In his BusinessWeek article, “The Best Undergrad B-Schools,” Geoff Gloeckler addresses changing rankings due to the declining job market. Students expressed decreased satisfaction in prestigious universities that previously had distinguished business ratings. Gloeckler asserts, “the schools that excelled in our surveys have put an intense focus on guiding students through the career search.” As evidenced by the success of the Accounting Department, CSOM excelled in helping students plan for future employment.

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