Accounting for the Future

Our Aspiration

The Wake Forest University School of Business is committed to being recognized as the leading academic program for the study of Accountancy. Through world-class teaching, research, and public engagement, we will lead in preparing the next generation of accounting professionals, achieve results with integrity, and elevate the profession of Accountancy in our society. As the Profession of Accountancy is seeking to redefine itself to reflect a more global and technological advanced business marketplace, the Wake Forest Accounting Program is uniquely positioned to lead the national conversation and lead by example on how to best enhance the integrity, objectivity, and competency of future accountants. This strategy will enable us to make this aspiration a reality.

Our Success

Wake Forest’s program in Accountancy is one of the most respected programs in the nation. Among our achievements are:

• Our students have achieved a top 5 passage rate on the national CPA examination 19 times in the past 20 years; including 13 times at No. 1.
• Our undergraduate Accounting program is ranked 24th nationally
• Our Master of Science in Accountancy is 7th among mid-sized programs; ranked 18th nationally.
• Annually, 98% or more of our students are employed by accounting firms after graduation

Our Commitment

Wake Forest’s Accounting Program is an elite program, but lacks sufficient resources to sustain our place among the very best programs, to pursue bold and innovative new ideas, and to reach our goal of becoming a top 15 program while ensuring that our students continue to dominate the CPA exam ranking year after year.

Our goal is to invest $10 Million in Accounting education and to allocate these funds in the following ways:

• To significantly increase scholarship support to attract the best students in the country
• To increase the size and further enhance the quality of our faculty
• To invest in support that enhances the students’ experience at Wake Forest to prepare them to lead in the business environment of the future

Scholarship Support ($5 million)

In just the past three years, the portion of our MSA students taking out loans has jumped by more than 50 percent, going from 41 percent in the Class of 2016 to 62 percent for 2019. Over the past five years, borrowers have taken out an average of $33,893 in loans in order to attend Wake Forest.

In order to remain competitive for as many quality candidates as possible, the School of Business allocates $2 million out of its operating budget for student financial aid. This is not a sustainable business model, and it explains why financial aid makes up the largest segment of our $10 million Accounting for the Future initiative to enhance the program.

Endowed scholarship support will reduce student loans. This will not merely make Wake Forest more attractive; it will help graduates repay their debts faster and easier.

Faculty Support ($4 million)

The School of Business intend to increase the full-time accounting faculty of teacher-scholars in order to meet the planned growth of MSA offerings. Endowed faculty positions will help us attract and retain world-class faculty members who are equipped to educate our students for more global and data-intensive environments.

Wake Forest is obligated to help faculty pursue bold ideas, integrate new technology into the classroom and collaborate with new partners – all in the name of enhancing student experience.

Program Support ($1 million)

Over the next three to five years, every major accounting firm will place a premium on candidates with an analytical mindset. Data management and visualization will be as vital as anything else in the standard course catalogue. To this end, Wake Forest has begun to implement changes that will require additional hours of analytics education.

Academic updates and enhancements – regardless of the discipline – require institutional investment.

In addition to the MSA program, Wake Forest intends to enhance the undergraduate accounting program. This is vital for two reasons: Firms are hiring more undergraduates than in recent years, and most of our peer institutions offer four-year accounting degrees. If successful, our enhancements may permit some students to complete undergraduate education and the MSA program in four years instead of five.

Our Goal

Our goal is to invest $10 million in Accounting education so we can:

• Lead in preparing the next generation of accounting professionals;
• Achieve results with integrity; and
• Elevate the professional of accountancy in our society.

$4,300,000 of $10,000,000 Raised

Giving Opportunities

Please help us reach our goal – find your philanthropic interest and impact the area you care about most.

Accounting Program Fund

Helps the Accounting Program recognize and support the highest levels of excellence among its faculty.

MSA Program Fund

Supports one of the most highly ranked programs of its kind in the nation by making it possible for the Masters of Science in Accountancy (MSA) program to continue its proven history of teaching excellence, unmatched CPA pass rate performance, robust career services, and a strong reputation among leading firms.

Firm Participation

We encourage the alumni, parents and friends at these firms to take advantage of matching gifts to further help the Wake Forest Accounting Program, its people, and this initiative. If you have questions about donating, please contact Ted Tseng (tsengt@wfu.edu), Director of Development – School of Business.