Accounting

The advantages of studying accounting at a liberal arts college may not seem obvious, but dig a little deeper and you’ll discover why it’s a win for you — and why employers seek out Augustana accounting graduates.

In fact, most of our accounting majors have full-time jobs before they graduate.

Augustana has won over both the public and private accounting worlds of accounting because our accounting majors are not only technically prepared but also well-rounded people. At Augustana, you go beyond the numbers. The liberal arts setting helps you become a critical thinker, creative problem-solver and effective communicator, with an eye on ethics and integrity.

Your hard work and our accounting program’s reputation can help you land an internship at one of the Big Four firms (Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG, PwC) and other Top 10 national and regional firms. Or you may choose to intern with a large company. Deere and Company, with its world headquarters less than 15 minutes from campus, recruits heavily from Augustana.

By choosing a liberal arts college, you develop skills and gain experiences that make you stand out as an accounting professional. It’s the Augustana edge.

Distinctions

• Augustana offers a major and minor in accounting. Majors study a core group of courses in accounting, and then shape their curriculum based on their career goals. Most students double major with other disciplines, such as Spanish for professional use or business administration, to complement their accounting skills.

• Augustana students earn internships with the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) and Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) — the “Super Bowl” of accounting internships. Our students vie for these positions with students from other top U.S. accounting programs.

• At Augustana, you can serve the community through VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance), a federally approved program designed to help people who cannot afford professional tax preparation. You also can conduct audit projects for local businesses and non-profit organizations.

• Our engaged accounting alumni fund scholarships, offer advice, and recommend internships and positions at the companies where they work. They share a deep appreciation for their preparation in the classroom and faculty mentors. In return, they welcome opportunities to pay it forward with current students.

• Candidates for the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) exam must have 150 hours of college credit. Through the Accounting Extended Learning Program, Augustana offers coursework beyond the accounting major, at discounted tuition rates, for students planning to take the CPA exam.

Recent graduates

Zach Gooding '23 is pursuing an MBA in business analytics at the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

Michaela Magee '23 is an audit/assurance intern at Ernst & Young in Tysons, Va.

Maeve Sheridan '23 is a tax associate with Andersen in Chicago.

Rachel Murray  '22 is an audit and assurance senior assistant at Deloitte, Milwaukee, Wis.

John Hayes  ’21 is a risk consulting associate at RSM in Chicago.

Lucas Simon  ’20 is a senior internal auditor at Aon Financial Services in Chicago.

Thao Chu  ’19 is an audit and assurance senior at Deloitte in Davenport, Iowa. 

Yemurai Mapurisa  ’19 is a senior associate with PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) in Hamilton City, Bermuda.