BYU’s Graduate Accounting Program Ranked No. 1 in Nation

PROVO, Utah – Dec 8, 2008 – Accounting professors from across the country selected Brigham Young University's graduate accounting program as best in the nation - unseating the University of Texas­­-Austin which had held the top spot for more than a decade.

Some 1,557 accounting educators weighed in to pick BYU as the No. 1 graduate accounting program in the 2008 survey administered by Public Accounting Report, an independent newsletter of the accounting profession.

BYU's undergraduate accounting program ranked third, making it the 12th consecutive year that both the undergraduate and graduate programs have been ranked among the top three in the nation. Both programs were ranked No. 2 in 2007.

"We're delighted with the recognition," says Kevin D. Stocks, director of the School of Accountancy. "The rankings reflect a team effort of faculty, administration and external supporters. Together we continue to work to make the best program possible."

The School of Accountancy's mission is to educate students with accounting skills, leadership abilities and ethical values that will enhance their opportunities for success in organizations worldwide.

"BYU's accounting program empowers students with the skills they need for a flexible, fulfilling career," Stocks says. "The flexibility of the profession appeals to many students — including the growing number of women in our program."

The rankings are based on a survey of accounting professors and department heads around the nation who were asked to name programs that produce students capable of attaining partner status in the future.

"The largest voter turnout in the history of PAR's Annual Survey of Accounting Professors yielded additional historic results on top of the highest professor participation level," states the report.

The top five 2008 graduate accounting programs are BYU, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Texas-Austin, University of Southern California and University of Michigan. The top five undergraduate accounting programs are University of Texas-Austin, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, BYU, Notre Dame and University of Southern California.

"I feel very fortunate to be in a program that's ranked so high," says Rachel Zackrison, a second-year MAcc student from La Canada, Calif. "It opens a lot of doors for students like me going out into the work force. It's also been wonderful to have professors that are involved in outside work with major firms and the FASB. They're able to bring changes to the classroom almost immediately after they're made in the profession."

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems and entrepreneurship. The school's mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School's graduate and undergraduate programs.