MSUM students rock CPA exam
Achieve higher pass rates than other Minnesota, North Dakota schools
MSUM students who took the 2015 Uniform CPA Examination within one year of graduating achieved a pass rate of 73.5 percent, higher than all colleges and universities in both North Dakota and Minnesota.
The pass rate measure refers to “…sections taken within 1 year (365 days) of graduation from a given program. This tighter filter allows the (NASBA-National Association of State Boards of Accountancy) book to more closely associate a candidate’s performance with his/her most recent educational institution.”
The CPA Exam protects the public interest by helping to ensure that only qualified individuals become licensed as U.S. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs).
“Our students are challenged by faculty who are dedicated to providing a top notch learning experience for our students,” said Sheri Erickson, professor of accounting. “Our small class sizes likely contribute to student success and our unique master’s of science in Accounting and Finance program prepares our students not only for success on the CPA exam, but for challenging professional careers.”
Bradley Ostendorf, a 2012 accounting graduate, was one of 39 winners of the 2012 Elijah Watt Sells Award given by the American Institute of CPAs. He credits MSUM’s professors and the rigorous accounting curriculum for preparing him so well for the CPA exam.
“It may sound cliché, but the fact that you are able to develop personal relationships with your professors makes a world of difference. Knowing, at a personal level, that the people who are meant to guide you through your formative collegiate years makes the transition from high school to college, and ultimately college to the professional world, much easier,” Ostendorf said.
“MSUM’s Accounting program, and the Paseka School of Business in general, provide an unbelievable value for what you pay,” he said. “As all incoming freshman see and hear when they turn on the tv, listen to the radio, or talk to buddies, college is expensive. But being able to turn the tuition you pay for your education into an immediate career (and significant paycheck) in your field of study is worth its weight in gold (figuratively, and almost literally).”
Fifteen MSUM accounting majors took 34 sections of the 2015 exam.