Accounting permeates the fabric of modern society. It is the discipline that provides financial information that is necessary for engagement control, evaluation of business enterprises, governmental units, and not-for-profit institutions. Accounting provides the measures of economic activity for our society and for our individual lives. It is the language used to communicate financial information and measure business risk.
An effective accountant must understand tax laws, securities regulations and accounting and auditing standards. Additionally, an effective accountant must understand how to motivate employees, design efficient systems to achieve shareholders' goals, prevent manipulation of such plans, and how to communicate those plans to the firm and to outsiders. Furthermore, an accounting professional must be able to explain confusing data to those with less familiarity with financial complexities and determine the level of risk in business processes.
Graduate professional education is not just training, skill development, or preparation to pass a licensing exam. It is far more than all of these combined. While focusing on the integration of technical expertise and ethical judgment, a graduate education in accounting must develop the student's analytical skills, which will be tested by difficult and often unanticipated economic arrangements. This education must also develop the written and oral skills proficient communication demands. A printable program sheet is also available for download.