Undergraduate and graduate accounting programs of the Mason School of Business at the College recently garnered recognition by ranking in the Top 25 programs in the country, according to the Public Accounting Reports Annual Professors Survey, released in October.
Among undergraduate programs, Masons accounting ranked 23rd. In the graduate program category, the Colleges Master of Accounting program came in 24th. The survey is based on responses from a national sample. According to the P.A.R. newsletter, "the survey asks accounting professors, department heads and department chairs to name the … programs that offer degrees in accounting they feel most consistently turn out students capable of someday attaining partner status."
With one-sixth of all William and Mary undergrads choosing to major or minor in business, this ranking is significant. The undergraduate program was one of four schools to make the Top 25 without being ranked in 2005 (The other three were the University of Missouri, the University of Iowa and Bentley College).
For the graduate program, the recent rank is an indicator of continued success; in 2005, the Colleges graduate accounting program earned an honorable mention. These accomplishments are particularly satisfying, seeing as the Master of Accounting program is relatively new.
Furthermore, the Public Accounting Report stated that this years graduate ranking was the most competitive yet, in 25 years of surveys.
"The survey is unscientific but nonetheless is a very strong confirmation of the quality of our undergraduate and graduate accounting programs, students and faculty," said Business School Dean Lawrence Pulley. "It is noteworthy that we receive this strong confirmation even though our programs are relatively very small in size."
The Mason School of Business is named for alumnus and founder of Legg Mason, Inc., Raymond A. Mason. The School intends to expand; construction of a new building will begin in 2007.
Other recent successes have also contributed to Mason School pride. In mid-November, grad and undergrad teams competed in the Deloitte Tax Challenge in Orlando, Florida. The undergrad team received first place for the third consecutive year, and the grad team received first place for the second consecutive year. This is the second time in the history of the Tax Challenge that teams from the same university simultaneously won first place – the Colleges teams did this last year for the first time.
The Tax Challenge teams earned the College $20,000 in prize money for accounting student scholarships.
Alongside the P.A.R. survey, the Tax Challenge exemplifies, as Dean Pulley said, a "program renowned for its excellence as well as the career success of its graduates."
The P.A.R. survey is the only published survey of accounting programs and is presented each fall.