Study accounting at the Eberhardt School of Business

Personal – Relevant – Professional

The Eberhardt School of Business at the University of the Pacific is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) – the highest standard of achievement for business schools around the world, and a testament to the Eberhardt School’s success as a leader in business education.

Since its establishment in 1977, the Eberhardt School has provided comprehensive education in accounting, leading to licensure as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the state of California. Counting from the early days of its inception, around 47 percent of the school’s qualified accountants have gone on to find employment with the top international, national, regional and local CPA firms, receiving starting salaries well-above the national average.

The Eberhardt School’s Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Master of Accounting programs launched in 2013, contributing to the already outstanding reputation of their accounting and business portfolio. Not only do these degrees meet the state of California’s new requirements, which request that accounting professionals have a minimum of 150 hours of classroom education before qualifying for a CPA license, but they are also specifically designed to meet the needs of all types of accounting careers.


Pic: Eberhardt School of Business

“As the Associate Dean and Program Director, I review the transcripts of every applicant and create a personalized plan of study that will help them achieve their goals,” says Dr Cindy Eakin. “Some students want to become a CPA, others desire to become leaders in large corporations or not-for-profit organizations. A personalized plan of study is the key to academic success,” she notes.

The Eberhardt School’s Bachelor of Science in Accounting is an extensive four-year degree that incorporates all functional areas of accountin – including financial, managerial, cost, federal income tax accounting, accounting information systems and auditing. Bachelor students undertake 128-hours of rewarding coursework projects, perfectly positioning graduates who desire licensure to continue with their studies.

“Our average class size is between 30 and 35 students. This is large enough to provide a vibrant classroom experience complete with many points of view, yet small enough that every student receives the personal attention from faculty that is important for academic success,” adds Dr Eakin.

“Many professors use the case method to analyze and solve real-world business and accounting problems. These cases help students become the critical thinkers employers desire. Many courses require students to use their teamwork skills to complete projects, and require students to hone their writing and presentation skills, all of which are highly-valued skills within the workplace.”


Pic: Eberhardt School of Business

For students aspiring to further their undergraduate education, develop their professional knowledge, or otherwise kick-start their journey on the path to a brand new career, the Eberhardt School’s Master of Accounting is a nine-month, 30-unit, graduate degree program that instils them with the skills relentlessly sought by employers, on a global scale. In addition to topics covered in the Bachelor of Accounting program, the program includes seven units of ethics-related coursework, where students learn the critical importance of ethics in the qualified accounting professional.

To further the management potential of the Eberhardt School’s accounting graduates, the program also entails courses in leadership, negotiation and corporate social responsibility.

Dr Eakin says, “[The] personalized approach [employed by the Eberhardt School] is particularly effective for students who did not study accounting as undergraduates, but now desire a career in accounting. Most of these students are able to graduate in two years, will have participated in an internship and will be qualified to become a CPA. It all starts with a personalized plan of study.”

Students wishing to pursue the School’s Masters of Accounting but do not yet possess an undergraduate accounting degree are still entirely eligible for the program, but are required to take a number of perquisite courses in addition to the Master of Accounting requirements. Once a student has completed their postgraduate studies and taken full advantage of the Eberhardt School’s career-focused facilities, such as the state-of-the-art Career Management Center, for example, they are well on their way to professional success in their chosen accounting career.


Pic: Eberhardt School of Business

“The Eberhardt School’s Master of Accounting program includes the soft skills that are so important for success in the real-world of business,” notes Dr Eakin.

“Master of Accounting students are able to take advantage of all available courses and resources offered by the Eberhardt School of Business,” she adds. “For example, many MA students have participated in the Student Investment Fund course, in which teams of students manage a portfolio of investments worth more than three million dollars. Also, all students are able to use the Eberhardt School’s Career Management Center to learn how to polish up their resumes, to learn how to interview, and learn how to find and connect with potential employers.”

The Eberhardt School also supplies an ideal academic pathway for students who are yet to pursue any form of accounting training with its Dual-Degree program in Accounting. This is a five-year, accelerated program that culminates with a simultaneous award in the Bachelor of Science in Accounting, as well a recognised qualification as a Master of Accounting.

“Overall, there is more to an Eberhardt School Accounting degree than just accounting,” Dr Eakin concludes. “There are opportunities to develop interpersonal skills, communication skills, career management skills and a host of other academic expertise in addition to all things ‘accounting’.”

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Feature image courtesy of The Eberhardt School of Business.

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