Accountancy

The Department of Accountancy at Weatherhead School of Management offers curriculum innovation in a superior learning environment that develops skills in professional and ethical behavior, communication and critical thinking. The Department creates this environment through its active engagement with teaching, practice and research. Faculty members work closely with individual students – and cultivate relationships that endure.

Our graduates go on to secure starting positions at leading organizations, including public accounting firms, investment banks, corporations, consulting firms, private equity firms and government agencies.

The Department of Accountancy’s programs are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)—fewer than 10% of all accounting programs globally receive this recognition. The AACSB’s accounting accreditation recognizes a school’s commitment to learner success, thought leadership and societal impact

Our Programs

We develop students with outstanding financial, analytical and communication skills. We believe that students with strong accounting skills, and the ability to understand the challenges and opportunities surrounding an organization’s financial position, are well-positioned to conquer business challenges and to achieve professional success. Our programs integrate technology and business analytical skills that are key to a successful professional career. 

Our programs prepare students to enter accounting fields and to obtain desired professional certifications, including the certified public accountant (CPA), certified management accountant (CMA), and others.

See the General Bulletin for specific degree requirements.

PhD in Management—Accountancy

Through our four-year PhD in Management—Accountancy program, which emphasizes academic research and writing, we train thought leaders who will influence accounting scholarship, education, and practice over their careers.

Our Faculty

Our faculty members have impressive accomplishments outside of the classroom. Members of the faculty have been partners in international accounting firms, served as C-suite executives of companies, led business turnarounds, provided financial planning to high wealth individuals, and served on the boards of both corporate and non-profit organizations. All of our faculty members hold either a CPA or CMA qualification.

Members of our faculty actively participate in national and international professional and academic organizations, including the following:

• American Accounting Association
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Institute of Management Accountants
• Financial Executives International
• The Institute of Internal Auditors

With this deep and extensive experience in the “real world,” our faculty members help students become business professionals ready for the rigors and challenges of employment. Close to 100% of our students eligible for employment in the United States get internships and full-time employment at organizations around the country, with many of our students obtaining their first internship before their sophomore year. 

Our Alumni

An Accounting degree from Weatherhead School of Management prepares our graduates for a wide range of opportunities and for diverse long-term careers. Our alumni can be found in leadership roles within public accounting and consulting organizations, from beginners to senior partners. Alumni also hold leadership positions in corporate finance organizations within healthcare, manufacturing, and other industries—Chief Financial Officers, Controllers, Business Analysts, and more. When you speak the language of business, the sky’s the limit.

Our Research

Our faculty members have published in leading academic and practitioner journals, displaying their expertise in various methods to address professional judgment, critical thinking, student learning and growth, advancing technology in the field, sociological and psychological affects on accounting organizations and processes, and much more.

Learn More About Our Research

Give

Donors to the department of Accountancy support the advancement of the profession through student scholarships and the advancement of research. When you pledge to Weatherhead, please consider directing your contribution to Accountancy Scholarships or Accountancy Research and Operations.

Accounting Curriculum

Because we recently completed a major upgrade to our undergraduate and MAcc programs, Weatherhead’s accounting curriculum is among the most up to date of any peer university. We have integrated the use of technology and analytics into our curriculum. Our MAcc program was one of the first in the U.S. to have achieved STEM designation.

The schedule of classes contains comprehensive information on course offerings. See the General Bulletin for specific degree requirements.

Historical Achievements

Get to know some of our department’s accomplishments since our founding nearly a century ago.

• 1928: The Weatherhead School’s accounting department was first established.
• 1930: The Beta Alpha Psi honorary student organization was founded as the 12th chapter in the world. There are over 300 such chapters today.
• 1981: Case Western Reserve University was among the first universities to develop a Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program.
• 2011: Professor Gary Previts was inducted into the Accounting Hall of Fame.
• 2016: Ally Zimmerman, a 2016 PhD graduate, won the best dissertation award from the American Accounting Association. About 100 universities in the U.S. offer a PhD in accounting.
• 2018: The department rolled out a STEM-designated curriculum for the MAcc program.
• 2019: Tim Mayer (BS/MAcc 2019) won the Elijah Watt Sells Award for outstanding performance on the CPA examination. He was one of 137 awardees out of roughly 75,000 candidates who took the exam that year.  
• 2020: Emily Ahlstrom (CWR ‘20) was one of 89 people to win the Elijah Watt Sells Award.

Departmental News 

Keep up to date with the Department of Accountancy at Weatherhead School of Management by reading the latest editions of our newsletter. 

• Academic Year 2021–22
• Academic Year 2020–21
• Academic Year 2019–20

Departmental Awards

In the Department of Accountancy, we sponsor the Braden Award. Named in honor of longtime professor Andrew Dale Braden, it is given to an outstanding leader in the professional practice community who has made distinctive contributions to the knowledge and advancement of the discipline of accountancy. 

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