Whitewater’s College of Business and Economics (CoBE) takes yet another step to achieve its goal of being the best business school in southern Wisconsin. UW-W’s Accounting Department helps advance the school’s reputation by earning an additional Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation (AACSB). 

Less than five percent of colleges offering business degrees hold AACSB accreditation, but Whitewater has held this title since 1974. By earning the additional accounting accreditation, Whitewater is now within the top two percent of business schools to hold both titles.  

“The accreditation says that every business program that we run fits into their guidelines,” says Dean of the College of Business and Economics John Chenoweth. “Our Accounting Department has always been a part of our overall accreditation, but we just got awarded the supplemental accreditation. There are only three other schools in the state that have the supplemental AACSB accreditation. We assume that this accounting accreditation will make us stand out to students who are looking for a business degree. Hopefully they’ll look at this accreditation as one more indicator of how strong our program is.”  

AACSB accredited schools hold the best faculty while presenting its students with challenging and pertinent educational programs. Many of these schools hold career opportunities past graduation that other non-accredited schools do not. To earn the additional accreditation for accounting, a school must first hold and manage an overall business accreditation. The key to earning the accreditation is holding onto quality faculty. 

“All of the professors are very willing to meet with you to help you fully understand the concepts,” says Brianna Krantz, a recent December graduate with a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting. “They also talk about their experiences in real life versus what the textbook says. In my experience, my accounting professors actually cared about getting you to understand the concepts and not just memorize things. While the Accounting Department certainly is tough, the professors are great.” 

Alongside the faculty’s work to educate their students, the accreditation boosts opportunities aimed toward accounting students. With such an outstanding program, its placement rate is the highest among the colleges offered at Whitewater. 

“Our placement rate is over 95 percent,” says Accounting Department Chair D’Arcy Becker. “In accounting, every grad gets the job. Most students get at least three or four job offers. I think the accreditation will help with better job offers. It will bring more employers to campus who didn’t necessarily have Whitewater on their radar. This gives you a way to stand out and say we’re a good program.” 

It is no secret that Whitewater is lauded for its business program, and with this additional asset, the school can only improve. Because of great job opportunities and demand in the field, CoBE has many accounting majors ready to jump for a chance at a great career. 

“We have great accounting students,” says Becker. “Our employers would not keep coming back if our students weren’t great. Our whole program is based around trying to help our students know as much as they can and learn as much as they can. Even though the foundation is having a good faculty to teach the classes, the truth is you have to have great students in the classes. That is what makes us successful.” 

To learn more about the Bachelor’s of Business Administration degree in accounting visit https://www.uww.edu/cobe/bachelors/degrees-and-majors/accounting.