CROOKSTON, Minn. - A common misconception for many young college students, whether they found their desired career path with ease or are still unsure of what skills they can offer the job force is that an accounting degree will land you one position, a CPA (certified public accountant). Although, there is some truth to that, as a University of Minnesota degree in accounting will absolutely land you a CPA career, but that is just one route out of the many that an accounting degree can present you. “Our curriculum is designed around experiential learning, both online and on campus, which means we want you to have as much hands-on learning as possible,” says Kara Bowen, Accounting Lecturer and Department Head, Business.  

There are many opportunities that are included in the field of accounting. Any career in finance or financial analysis, managerial and forensic accounting, banking, taxation, and internal auditing, to name a few. “Students often locate careers in Financial Analysis, Public Accounting, Management Accounting, Banking, Taxation, or Finance just to name a few”, says Bowen.  

In addition to these job opportunities, an accounting degree will also aid students in making connections with the highest quality faculty, a competitive edge to employers and grad programs, and reaching their full academic potential. UMN Crookston’s accounting program is ACBSP Accredited, and to those of you unaware of such accreditation, consider it the gold(en Eagle) standard of business education and promises excellence in accredited fields. It is an acronym for Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, and if you see it affiliated with a particular degree such as accounting, you’d be wise to pursue it.  What ACBSP Accreditation represents is that we at UMN Crookston have the highest quality faculty, our program is delivering relevant and challenging curriculum, and it presents education and opportunities that can’t be found at other universities. “UMN Crookston is providing a deep commitment to providing the highest quality business education for its students” (Steve Parscale, ACBSP Chief Accreditation Officer).

Accounting requires a lot of work with numbers and figures, but is certainly not limited to it. A degree in accounting at UMN Crookston equips graduates with the theoretical and analytical framework to succeed in public, private, and government accounting along with excellent communication skills and technological literacy. If that doesn’t do it for you, maybe a “golden” nugget from one of our accounting graduates will clear the air. “I want to share my love for the University of Minnesota Crookston with other students—like those in my high school, I really do want them to know what a great place this is to earn your degree” (Hailee Rice, UMN Crookston alum).

So, in layman’s terms, if you enjoy and/or are nimble when dealing with numbers, find value in our ACBSP Accredited programs, and the size of your dreams are more important to you than the size of our campus, do us both a favor, and check out our accounting program. As always, Wings Up.


Story Contact: Shawn Smith
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