C:\Documents and Settings\MDARROUGH\Desktop\Acctg Dpt\AACSB\Mission statement
Stan Ross Department of Accountancy
Mission Statement
The missions of the Stan Ross Department of Accountancy are (1) to offer undergraduate,
master's, and doctoral programs in accountancy and a master’s program in taxation (2) to
provide accounting education to students with majors in areas other than accounting, and
(3) to serve its student, academic, and business constituencies through engagement in high
quality research. Consistent with the Zicklin School’s mission, the Department seeks to
provide high quality, high value education to enhance the professional aims of its
students.
The undergraduate program is the largest of the Department's programs and receives the
majority of the Department's resources. Undergraduate students obtain both the technical
tools and general background necessary for successful careers in accounting. Much of the
program's emphasis is directed to enhancing the students' ability to understand the business
environment and to alert students to the broad implications of accounting principles,
procedures and decisions.
The Department’s master's programs seek to expand the knowledge and skills that students
bring from undergraduate courses and the workplace. The MS in Accountancy is designed
for students with undergraduate degrees in business, including Accountancy. It provides
advanced coursework in preparation for financial and accounting positions in diverse
areas. The MBA in Accountancy appeals, generally, to students with either non-business
degrees or business degrees in fields other than Accountancy. This program seeks to
provide students with both a broad business base and the accounting and managerial tools
necessary to function effectively as accountants and manage others in public accounting,
private industry, and not-for-profit organizations. Both the MS and MBA programs in
Accountancy meet New York State’s 150 hour educational requirements for sitting for the
CPA exam.
The Department launched a new executive master’s degree with specialization in Financial
Statement Analysis and Securities Valuation to provide students with a thorough
knowledge of financial statements, internal operations, and risk assessment. The program
uses an interdisciplinary approach by combining subject matters including financial
reporting and analysis, managerial accounting, portfolio management, investments, risk
management, statistics, and economics.
The MS in Taxation appeals to students who wish to specialize in this area. The MBA in
Taxation is for students who, in addition, desire a broader business education. The goal of
both the MS and the MBA is to provide students with an understanding of concepts, rules
as well as legal and ethical issues necessary for effective practice in the field.
The PhD program in Accountancy develops prospective professors of accounting who
possess the tools necessary for future research. PhD students are expected to conduct
C:\Documents and Settings\MDARROUGH\Desktop\Acctg Dpt\AACSB\Mission statement
meaningful, imaginative, and rigorous research in the field as a requirement for
graduation.
In administering these programs, the Department provides students with an appreciation of
relevant concepts and theories and their relationship to society, an appreciation for the
integrity required of accountants by considering ethical issues in business, and the
opportunity to interact with accounting and tax practitioners as well as business
executives.
The Stan Ross Department of Accountancy intends to build on its tradition of excellence in
public higher education in accountancy. With a rededication to quality, the Department
seeks to realize the fullest potential of its educational mission by energetically responding
to the strong aspirations of its students, faculty, and alumni.
The Stan Ross Department of Accountancy draws its students from Baruch College’s
diverse student body. This circumstance provides the department with an opportunity and
a challenge. In an increasingly globalized economy wherein individuals of different
nationalities, ethnicity and cultures are interacting, it is vitally important that the
interactors have a sense and feeling for persons of diverse backgrounds. The department
has as an objective the establishment of discourse between and among its students as a
way of easing the entrance of the students into the globalized economy. This situation
offers the department an opportunity to go beyond the standard accounting courses by
integrating into its course offerings the life experience of the students.
The challenge for the department is in overcoming differences in language so that students
can communicate both orally and in writing. Communication is a critical skill that is
needed by business professionals across the spectrum of business specialties. In this
respect the department in conjunction with the Zicklin School of Business at large, has
undertaken efforts to expand the communication skills of its students.
The Stan Ross Department of Accountancy believes that diversity enhances the
educational experiences of students and faculty, reduces barriers and brings about
teamwork, increases competitiveness while boosting ethical behavior, creates
understanding and diminishes the sense of uneasiness with differences thereby fostering a
more tolerant world. We believe that our programs provide the tools necessary for a
diverse student body to contribute to the development and prosperity of New York City,
the country, and the world. Our graduates have become leaders in business, not-for-profit
organizations, and government.