Spring Break
Students excel on CPA exam despite smaller campus size
Greg Ylvisaker
Issue date: 2/27/08 Section: News
Accounting students at UW-Whitewater continue to perform above the state and national averages on the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Exam.
UW-Whitewater ranks number 22 with approximately 55 percent of first time exam takers passing. The only other Wisconsin school to break the top 25 was UW-Madison.
Students at UW-Whitewater rank sixth nationally on the section for "Financial Accounting and Attestation," with a first time passing rate of almost 78 percent.
UW-Whitewater ranks No. 8 on the "Business and Environmental Concepts" section; 81 percent of students who took the test passed on the first attempt.
Enrollment is not considered when schools are ranked. Many schools drop in and out of the rankings, but UW-Whitewater is consistently ranked with much larger schools.
"We are particularly proud of the length of time that our accounting programs have been successful," said Accounting Department Chair Robert Gruber. "Other programs flash into the top 25 once in a while but we're consistently ranked with national powers like UW-Madison, the University of Illinois at Champagne, the University of Texas at Austin, Brigham Young University and Wake Forest University."
Bill Tatman is the Accounting Internship Director at UW-Whitewater. He is also a UW-Whitewater alumnus and has worked in finance for over 20 years. From 1984-2002 he was the audit senior manager and the director of human relations and recruiting at Deloitte & Touche, LLP.
Tatman believes one of the things allowing UW-Whitewater to consistently maintain its standard of excellence is the mix of hardworking students and dedicated teachers. Students from this area of the country display a work ethic that makes them stand out among their peers.
"The expectation as a CPA is that you will be working 55 to 60 hours a week and may be required to work weekends also," Tatman said. "Students from the Midwest are sought for their work ethic which doesn't always extend to other parts of the country."
Another reason for success is the emphasis the accounting faculty puts on taking the exam early. The CPA exam is separated into four sections. Some students begin taking the exam in April before they graduate in May.
"It's tough to start out working a 40-hour work week and then be expected to study material that you learned possibly two years ago for an exam," Tatman said. "It's better to do it while it's fresh."
To perform consistently at a high level UW-Whitewater must be able to compete with larger institutions, Tatman said.
"There are bigger programs out there with more prestige, but it is the type of student here at UW-Whitewater that makes it worth coming here at the end of the day," Tatman said.
UW-Whitewater ranks number 22 with approximately 55 percent of first time exam takers passing. The only other Wisconsin school to break the top 25 was UW-Madison.
Students at UW-Whitewater rank sixth nationally on the section for "Financial Accounting and Attestation," with a first time passing rate of almost 78 percent.
UW-Whitewater ranks No. 8 on the "Business and Environmental Concepts" section; 81 percent of students who took the test passed on the first attempt.
Enrollment is not considered when schools are ranked. Many schools drop in and out of the rankings, but UW-Whitewater is consistently ranked with much larger schools.
"We are particularly proud of the length of time that our accounting programs have been successful," said Accounting Department Chair Robert Gruber. "Other programs flash into the top 25 once in a while but we're consistently ranked with national powers like UW-Madison, the University of Illinois at Champagne, the University of Texas at Austin, Brigham Young University and Wake Forest University."
Bill Tatman is the Accounting Internship Director at UW-Whitewater. He is also a UW-Whitewater alumnus and has worked in finance for over 20 years. From 1984-2002 he was the audit senior manager and the director of human relations and recruiting at Deloitte & Touche, LLP.
Tatman believes one of the things allowing UW-Whitewater to consistently maintain its standard of excellence is the mix of hardworking students and dedicated teachers. Students from this area of the country display a work ethic that makes them stand out among their peers.
"The expectation as a CPA is that you will be working 55 to 60 hours a week and may be required to work weekends also," Tatman said. "Students from the Midwest are sought for their work ethic which doesn't always extend to other parts of the country."
Another reason for success is the emphasis the accounting faculty puts on taking the exam early. The CPA exam is separated into four sections. Some students begin taking the exam in April before they graduate in May.
"It's tough to start out working a 40-hour work week and then be expected to study material that you learned possibly two years ago for an exam," Tatman said. "It's better to do it while it's fresh."
To perform consistently at a high level UW-Whitewater must be able to compete with larger institutions, Tatman said.
"There are bigger programs out there with more prestige, but it is the type of student here at UW-Whitewater that makes it worth coming here at the end of the day," Tatman said.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Melinda
posted 2/27/08 @ 1:01 PM CST
Congrats on the pass rate and ranking, what an accomplishment!
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