Department of Accounting
Bloomsburg University's Department of Accounting has 12 faculty members who hold doctoral degrees or master degrees with professional certifications. Collectively, they possess several major certifications (CPA, CMA, CIA, CFE, CFM, CGM), and have diverse experience working in public and private accounting, government agencies, and not-for-profit organizations.
The Department of Accounting has a more than 90 percent job placement rate over the last 10 years. National, regional and local public accounting firms, government agencies, and private sector organizations recruit on campus each year. In addition to the BSBA in Accounting, the Department also offers a Master of Accountancy (M.Acc.) and a Minor in Accounting.
Housed in state-of-the-art Sutliff Hall, the Zeigler College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business — AACSB schools have the highest quality faculty, relevant and challenging curriculum, and provide educational and career opportunities not found at other business schools. Many top, global corporations only recruit from AACSB-accredited schools. Those grads are offered better, more competitive salaries.
Department of Accounting
Department Chairman
Todd A. Shawver, DBA, CMA
tshawver@bloomu.edu | 570-389-3940
Secretary
Brooke Zeluskey | bzeluskey@bloomu.edu
Bloomsburg University
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
570-389-5322
CPA Requirements
Those pursuing to be a licensed CPA in Pennsylvania must complete 150 hours of post-secondary education at an accredited school. Students who complete BU's undergraduate accounting program may fulfill all CPA educational requirements by staying for an additional year and completing either the Master of Accountancy (M.Acc.) or the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) graduate program.
Accounting Program Options
Bloomsburg's accounting program is a national leader in the field. It was among the first in the nation to offer an undergraduate program in fraud examination, and its Student Association in Fraud Examination was the first ever student chapter of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). The accounting program is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, ranking Bloomsburg University's Zeigler College of Business among the best business colleges in the world.
Accounting Mission
The Department of Accounting will continuously strive to provide the best accounting education in our competitive environment. Goals to accomplish this mission:
- To enhance the enthusiasm and capability of our students for lifelong learning.
- To develop student ability in applying the critical thinking to problem solving.
- To strive to provide our students the opportunities to develop the necessary academic and social skills to enter the accounting profession.
- To strive to continuously improve the excellence of our teaching.
- To continue to vigorously integrate technology into teaching and learning.
- To support faculty efforts leading to regional recognition of faculty excellence in teaching, scholarly growth and service.
- To create a continuous cycle of student, faculty, alumni and business community involvement in our programs.
- To provide students with strong technical background for entry into the profession.
Accounting alumni score high on CPA exam
BU's accounting students achieved a national ranking for their performance on the 2015 CPA Examination. BU placed in the top 15% nationwide among universities in the medium sized program category, with a 62.6 percent pass rate for first-time test takers, well exceeding the national average pass rate of 50 percent. Our Master of Accountancy students earned the highest average exam score among exam takers from all graduate school programs in Pennsylvania. Their pass rate of 82.4 percent was third highest in the state, just behind Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pennsylvania.
The past two cohorts in the Master of Accountancy program have distinguished themselves on the Audit section of the CPA exam with a 90 percent first-time pass rate. Of the 22 students reporting, 13 (59 percent) passed Audit with scores of 90 or higher, and three students earned scores of 99, the highest possible score. Those students are Michael P. Gimino '14, '15, Eric Hiser '14, '15, and Brandon J. Arizini '15, '16
ZCOB Honor Graduate
"Studied seven weeks for FAR and sat for the exam Feb. 18. Studied two weeks and one day for AUD, (decided to roll the dice, play my cards) and it paid off! There is a score hold the rest of the year, and I wanted to get two exams in this quarter. Half way to CPA!! Super excited and wanted to keep you in the loop. You made such an impact on me at my years at Bloomsburg, and I couldn't thank you enough," — Emily Baker '17