April 01, 2019

By Kate Andrews ’03 Weller

Exceptional job placement rates and first-rate preparation for the CPA exam continue to be the hallmarks of Susquehanna’s accounting program.

Nearly all accounting majors earn the necessary 150 credit hours to sit for the CPA exam in just four years—one year faster than most other colleges. It often takes five years and a master’s degree to be ready for the CPA exam, but more than 90 percent of our accounting majors choose to pursue our manageable path to get their 150 hours in four years.

“This not only saves them a year of tuition but gets them into the job market that much sooner,” says Mike Ozlanski ’05, assistant professor of accounting. “Because they don’t have to finish a master’s to attain the 150 hours, they can wait and focus on what’s meaningful to them. They’ll appreciate their master’s coursework even more once they have work experience.”

Graduates are landing at elite firms in big markets like New York City; Washington, D.C.; and Philadelphia; and also smaller boutique firms. One–hundred percent of graduates have been placed in jobs in the last three years, with nearly one-third of those offers coming before starting their senior year.

Cameron Dougherty ’14 received one of those offers, going right to work at Deloitte in Philadelphia and passing his CPA exam within a few months.

“Susquehanna definitely gave me this opportunity. It taught me that I am truly the author of my own life story. SU provided the tools, the facilities and the guidance. All I needed to do was go for it!” he says.

Kerstie Blue ’15 accepted a job as an audit associate at KPMG in San Diego.

“The people I work with here in San Diego weren’t able to take the time to complete study abroad programs at their schools, complete internships for credit, or even finish their 150 hours in less than five years,” she says.

In addition to being able to study abroad through our award-winning GO program, students benefit from studying at a liberal arts institution with an AACSB-accredited business school—a rare combination. Not only are graduates well-versed in the tools of the accounting trade, they excel at sought-after “soft skills” such as writing, teamwork, presentations, critical thinking, interpersonal relationships and leadership.

“Given the post-graduation success of our students, it is clear that top companies recognize the high quality of our accounting degree,” Ozlanski says.