Accounting

An accounting student meets with an employer.

Marquette University’s distinguished accounting curriculum is one of only three AACSB-accredited programs in Wisconsin. Our mission is to prepare students to be responsible, competent and ethical leaders in accounting, business, government and not-for-profit careers.

Marquette’s undergraduate degree in accounting emphasizes oral and written communication skills, ethical behavior, analytical reasoning, computer competency and technical knowledge sufficient for attaining a relevant accounting profession.

The Master of Science in Accounting degree focuses on: 1) enhancing the student’s knowledge in finance, management, and specific accounting areas; 2) preparing the student for professional examinations (e.g., CPA, CMA, CIA, CPFO); and 3) qualifying students for positions in public, corporate or government/not-for-profit accounting.

Program highlights

  • The program is consistently ranked in the top 30 nationally for large schools in terms of first-time pass rates on the CPA Exam.
  • Graduates are recruited at some of the region’s and nation’s top firms, including KPMG, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, Accenture, Grant Thorton, Baker Tilly and more.
  • Beta Alpha Psi, the honors organization for accounting professionals, has recognized the Marquette chapter internationally as a Superior Chapter each year for more than 20 consecutive years.

Preparing for the CPA exam

Those who wish to engage in public accounting practice in most states as certified public accountants should familiarize themselves with the rules and regulations issued by the various state boards. For example, most states (including Wisconsin and Illinois) require prospective CPAs to complete 150 semester hours of education. The Department of Accounting offers a master of science in accounting degree which meets the 150-hour requirement.

Mission

To deliver an applied curriculum that develops accountants who are bold, life-long learners that provide service-oriented, ethical leadership to organizations and communities across the world.