A Proposal to Enhance the
Wisconsin Lutheran College
Accounting Program
Isaac Hill
David Parez
Current Status of Accounting
Program
 Accounting
is a possible emphasis of the
Business Administration Major.
 Students take at least 8 semesters to
complete the emphasis.
 Program employs one full-time professor,
with several adjunct professors.
 Program has been growing over the last
few years.
Our Basic Desires
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Creation of an Accounting Major
Design a track to CPA exam
requirements
Improve internship opportunities
Hire more adjunct professors
Move towards AACSB accreditation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Creation of an Accounting Major
Design a track to CPA exam
requirements
Improve internship opportunities
Hire more adjunct professors
Move towards AACSB accreditation
Process of Creating an
Accounting Major
 Four
major criteria go in to proposing a
major:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why is this major being proposed?
What is the level of student interest and
probable demand in this major?
How common is this major at other
colleges and universities?
How does this major adhere to Wisconsin
Lutheran College’s academic goals?
Why is it being proposed?
 Advertising
to future students to increase
enrollment
 Personalizing education toward
accounting majors
 Matching massive credit hours with title of
degree
 Improve resumes and job outlook postgraduation
What is the level of interest or
demand?
 Advanced
Accounting enrollment of 8-10
per semester
 Intermediate Accounting (1 and 2)
enrollment of 15-20 per semester
 Demand of accounting jobs and empty
positions
How common is this major?
College
Undergrads
Accounting
Major
Marquette University
8400
Yes
Cardinal Stritch
6000
Yes
Concordia University Wisconsin
4300
Yes
Carroll University
3300
Yes
Carthage College
2500
Yes
Edgewood College
2000
Yes
Mount Mary College
1200
Yes
Wisconsin Lutheran
College
1100
No
Lakeland College
950
Yes
How does this major adhere to
college’s academic goals?
 Assists
students to spread Lutheran
message
 Encourages students to actively learn and
pursue Truth
 Enhancing learning opportunities by
adding more academic material
 Attracting prospective students
 Fulfilling Vision 2020
What classes would need to
be added to the curriculum?
 Information


Systems classes
Classes addressing the use of common
accounting software in the business field
Gives students hands-on experience with
business software
What are the implications of
adding this major…
…on the staff and students?
 Additional


staff would be required
Instructing new courses
Preparing for influx of students
 Staffing
distribution would not be harmed
 Ideal class size already exists
What are the implications of
adding this major…
…on the budget?
 Minimal
hiring of staff
 Purchase of software for information
systems
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Creation of an Accounting Major
Design a track to CPA exam
requirements
Improve internship opportunities
Hire more adjunct professors
Move towards AACSB accreditation
What is a CPA?


CPA stands for Certified Public Accountant
Acquired upon:



Passing a comprehensive exam
Attaining a certain amount of work hours
Benefits:


Ensures professional competence of an
accountant
Provides recognition of credibility to accountant
CPA Exam
 Requirements:


150 overall credits
24 credits within accounting
 150
credits can be achieved through
either undergraduate or post-graduate
credits
Track to the CPA Exam
 Students
can complete the accounting
degree in 8 semesters, including a full-time
internship
 Two paths to 150 required credits:


Applying to post-graduate program
Completing all credits in undergrad
Master’s Program
 Students
can enhance accounting
education through achieving a Master’s


Master’s in Accounting
Master’s in Taxation
 College
can form relationships with local
Master’s programs



UW-Whitewater
UW-Milwaukee
Marquette
Undergraduate Track
 In
5th year of studies, students can
complete a minor or other business
emphases:



A
Finance
Management
Marketing
minor or any combination of two
emphases would complete 150 credit
requirement
Wisconsin Lutheran
College Accounting Path
UW-Milwaukee’s
Accounting Path
SEMESTER
COURSE
COURSE TITLE
Year 1
English 101
Introduction to College Writing
Fall
Bus Adm 230
Introduction to Information Systems
Math 105
Intermediate Algebra
Humanities
General Education Requirement
Social Science
General Education Requirement
English 102
College Writing and Research
Math 211
Communication 103 or 105
Survey in Calculus and Analytic
Geometry
Communication requirement
Econ 103
Principles of Microeconomics
Natural Science/Lab
General Education Requirement
Year 2
Bus Adm 201 (B or better and 3.00 GPA)
Fall
Bus Adm 210
Economics 104
Introduction to Financial
Accounting
Introduction to Management
Statistics
Principles of Macroeconomics
Humanities
General Education Requirement
English 205
Business Writing
Bus Adm 301 (B or better)
Intermediate Accounting
Bus Adm 300 (1 credit)
Art
Career and Professional
Development
General Education Requirement
Natural Science
General Education Requirement
Social Science/Cultural Diversity
General Education Requirement
Spring
Spring
SEMESTER
COURSE
COURSE TITLE
Year 3
Bus Adm 402
Advanced Financial Accounting
Fall
Bus Adm 405
Income Tax Accounting I
Bus Adm 350
Principles of Finance
Bus Adm 330
Organizations
Bus Adm 360
Principles of Marketing
Bus Adm 406
Income Tax Accounting II
Bus Adm 408
Accounting Information Systems
Bus Adm 391
Business Law
Bus Adm 450
Intermediate Finance
General Elective
Business or non-Business Course
Bus Adm 370
Operations Management
Business Elective
Elective Business Course
General Elective
Business or non-Business Course
Year 4
Bus Adm 404
Cost Management
Fall
Bus Adm 409
Auditing: Procedures and Applications
International Business Component
Choose 1: Bus Adm 456, 465, 496, 498,
535, 541, 551
Business Elective
Elective Business Course
Business Elective
Elective Business Course
Bus Adm 400 (Business Elective)
Accounting Internship
Bus Adm 600
Management Analysis
Spring
Summer
Spring
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Creation of an Accounting Major
Design a track to CPA exam
requirements
Improve internship opportunities
Hire more adjunct professors
Move towards AACSB accreditation
Current Direction of Internships
 Professor
Stelzer is currently working on
attracting local firms


Target individual firm, rather than multiple
Achieve ongoing relationship with one or
two firms
 Bring
in individual firms to meet on
campus with prospective interns
Issues Facing Accounting
Internships


Accounting internships are harder to find than
general business internships
Little rapport with local firms



Over 25 local accounting companies, ranging
in size
Currently two interns at Baker Tilly
Difficult to draw attention from multiple firms


Size of student body
Age of program
Future Direction of Internships
 Continue
to build rapport with Milwaukee
firms
 Attempt to host accounting firms on
regular basis
 Use professors’ histories at local
companies


Professor Wagner at Deloitte
Professor Derouin at Baker Tilly
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Creation of an Accounting Major
Design a track to CPA exam
requirements
Improve internship opportunities
Hire more adjunct professors
Move towards AACSB accreditation
Adjunct Professors in the
Accounting Program
 Wisconsin
Lutheran College employs 3 or
4 adjunct professors each semester
 Benefits:


Monetarily efficient
Bring work experience to classroom
Future of Adjunct Professors
 Continue
to utilize adjunct professors for
the good of the school and the students
 Diversify adjunct professors



Accounting firms
Small businesses
Tax services
 Enhance
breadth of experience
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Creation of an Accounting Major
Design a track to CPA exam
requirements
Improve internship opportunities
Hire more adjunct professors
Move towards AACSB accreditation
What is the AACSB?
 Association
to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business
 International organization founded with
mission of accrediting business schools
 Benchmark statistic of good business
schools


Under 700 schools worldwide
Marquette and UWM are both accredited
Accreditation Process
 Institution
must first be a member of
AACSB through an application process
 Accreditation is achieved through
subsequent application process


Adhere to AACSB standards
Approval by committee
 Many
categories of standards to be met
Benefits of Accreditation
 International
recognition as a business
school
 Appeal to recruitment offices of major
businesses
 Only two schools in Milwaukee area with
accreditation
 Attract better students, professors, and
opportunities
Reality of Accreditation
 AACSB
goal


accreditation is not a near-future
Difficult for small schools
Requires a lot of changes
 Accreditation


is a positive long-term goal
Focus on reaching the standards
Work with what we are blessed with
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Creation of an Accounting Major
Design a track to CPA exam
requirements
Improve internship opportunities
Hire more adjunct professors
Move towards AACSB accreditation
Conclusion
 Pleased
with the overall progress of
accounting program
 Proposal evidently shows areas of
potential growth
 Improving accounting program would
ultimately improve Wisconsin Lutheran
College
Questions?