Get a taste for business in the real world in Saint Mary’s accounting program. Professors contribute stories about their own work experiences to make concepts interesting and pertinent. They take you into the field to experience corporate offices and meet with recruiters. Most years, 100 per cent of accounting majors are offered jobs before graduation.
“I keep in touch with my students and receive 20 to 30 phone calls and e-mails a month from alumnae,” says accounting professor Claude Renshaw, who maintains an impressive network of strong relationships.
Writing in the major
Learn to effectively communicate with a variety of audiences and distinguish yourself as a skilled business writer through your senior writing proficiency requirement. You’ll submit a portfolio of three papers from business courses, at least one of which should come from an accounting class. You’ll be able to use this work to demonstrate your knowledge to prospective employers and for graduate school applications.
Senior comprehensive examination
In your senior year, you’ll take the B.B.A. comprehensive examination formatted as a case study. As part of a team of students, you’ll prepare a case report, give an oral presentation, discuss your results, offer recommendations, and answer panelists’ questions about your presentation. It’s an integrated learning experience that tests technical competencies, problem-solving skills, and analytical skills, as well as awareness of ethical issues, communication skills, and quantitative skills. Other hands-on opportunities include:
Hands-on learning
As an accounting student, you can speak with accountants and recruiters from top firms in Indianapolis or Chicago during the annual field trip for advanced accounting classes. You can begin networking with professionals while you’re still in college through the alumnae networking system and the Saint Mary’s chapter of the American Woman’s Society of Certified Public Accountants (AWSCPA), the first student chapter to be established.
Careers
Imagine working for some of the largest U.S. companies such as Ford, Johnson & Johnson, and Zimmer; and top international accounting firms, such as Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, KPMG, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Numerous alumnae hold top-level executive positions in these companies and firms.
Visit the Career Crossings Office to explore many great career opportunities for Saint Mary’s graduates.
