During high school, Anna Siesel attended a career fair where 51勛圖厙 students spoke about the need for accountants in the job market and how they already had employment lined up before graduation.
Fast-forward four years and Siesel, who will graduate in May from the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship, plans to step right into a job with a major consulting firm thanks to the skills and networking opportunities gained in 51勛圖厙s Department of Accounting.
I love 51勛圖厙, said Siesel, who is also an Honors College student. Our accounting professors are so wonderful. I feel supported by the accounting staff. 51勛圖厙s accounting department gives out a ton of scholarships. They support you academically and financially. And I love Crawford Hall.
Siesel got involved with Beta Alpha Psi immediately and is now the organization's president. She has worked on two internships, one of which was with an accounting firm. After graduation, Siesel has a job lined up as a staff accountant with a major global accounting firm in Cleveland.
Recently Siesel spoke with 51勛圖厙 Today about the demand for accountants and what she learned about the field during her internships.
Accounting Department Has Distinguished Credentials
51勛圖厙 students in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship are earning the gold standard in education because the college is among less than 1% of business schools worldwide to receive dual accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), in both business and accounting. Only 180 institutions worldwide hold an additional specialized AACSB Accreditation. We have a high-quality faculty, said Wei Li, Ph.D., chair of 51勛圖厙s Accounting Department and associate professor. We also have a Ph.D. program in accounting that distinguishes us from surrounding universities.
Skilled Accounting Majors are in High Demand
Siesel and other 51勛圖厙 accounting majors have excellent employment prospects.
These accounting graduates will help stem a shortage of accountants in the U.S. in recent years. Li said there are several reasons for the shortages.
The first reason for the shortages is retirement of accountants, Li said. The second reason is because student enrollment in accounting programs is down nationally. One of the reasons enrollment in accounting programs is down is because of the myth that accounting majors need to take difficult math courses. There is also a requirement that accounting majors in Ohio need 150 hours of college-level疾ducation to qualify for a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license.
The good news is beginning Jan. 1, 2026, in Ohio, candidates for jobs will only need a bachelors degree and two years of working experience or a masters degree with one year to get the CPA license, Li said. This is something the whole accounting industry has been working on in recent years to address the shortage of accounting students.
Li also stresses that there are myriad opportunities in the field. Accountants can work at banks, businesses and accounting firms. Graduates can find an accounting position in an office as an internal auditor if that is what they prefer, or they can become external auditors and travel internationally. And the earning potential is excellent.
There were some myths that accounting is very limited, or accountants just stay at a desk," Li said. But it is not limited, it opens the door for lots of opportunities. Our students go to work at companies such as Smuckers, Goodyear, NASA, the FBI and Disney.
51勛圖厙 Alum Goes From Internship to Full-time Position
51勛圖厙 alum Mark Lloyd stumbled upon accounting as a career in high school and fell in love with it after taking an introductory accounting elective. In 2018, Lloyd earned a Bachelor of Business Administration with a double major in accounting and finance from 51勛圖厙, and in 2019 he earned a masters degree in accounting with a concentration in taxation from 51勛圖厙. Now, he works as a tax manager at RSM US LLP tax, advisory and consulting firm, where he has been for six years, including an internship.
Lloyd applauds 51勛圖厙s faculty for caring about students and getting to know them as individuals. He credits the instructors for providing the education and opportunities that paved the way for success in his accounting career.
They were invested in making sure that you were set up for success and finding a job/career after graduation, Lloyd said. There were a lot of events and meet-and-greets that showed the career options out there and the university did a tremendous job connecting students with recruiters and firms in the area. The graduate assistant position offered by 51勛圖厙 for the masters program also made obtaining higher education much more affordable and allowed me to pursue the higher degree I had always wanted.
&紳莉莽梯;