Ohio Wesleyan is one of only a few nationally ranked private liberal arts colleges to offer a major in accounting. Combining the breadth of a liberal arts degree, the depth of a rigorous accounting major, and hands-on internships and learning experiences (like the students pictured in Washington, DC, above) you will develop a deeper understanding about the roles that economics, culture, and the environment play in influencing financial trends and market forces.
The accounting major covers all basic areas of both financial and managerial accounting, along with finance, tax, and business law. You will be prepared to enter careers in public accounting, private industry, government, and the nonprofit sector - and progress into leadership or entrepreneurship. Many students pursue graduate school at the nation's leading programs in accounting, business administration, and law.
Students planning to take the CPA exam in Ohio and most other states are required to have 150 hours of education with at least a baccalaureate degree in accounting. This typically requires additional education beyond the bachelor's degree.
OWU Accounting majors connect a solid program in accounting practices with a foundation in the liberal arts. That combination gives them the breadth and depth to be great problem-solvers and leaders in the field.
Accounting students can work with faculty mentors on research projects, and OWU's Accounting & Finance Fellows Program allows a select group of students, majors or minors of accounting, to explore topics more deeply and take on real-world accounting research and application.
The Accounting & Finance Fellows were able to venture to Washington D.C. over Fall Break to make connections and learn more about the professional atmosphere of the accounting industry. With outside the classroom study, students were able to meet and ask questions with people that have an influence in the U.S GAAP and other accounting principles.
The Accounting & Finance Fellows are able to network with fellow alumni working in the accounting industry. In Washington, D.C., the students visited an alumnus that works at EY, a Big Four accounting firm.
In every major, from Accounting to Zoology, OWU students have a variety of options to travel and gain a global perspective on their field.
An OWU Connection Grant could fund your original research, internship, or creative project anywhere in the world. Recent accounting students have traveled to England, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
J.T. Knoble '17: "I was able to spend a week with two other students and a professor in Ireland studying Irish GAAP. Not only was I able to learn more about accounting in Ireland but also explore a beautiful country."
Build your experience and connections to the professional world with internships in your field. Accounting majors complete internships in the private and public sector across the country. And many complete more than one internship.
Recent accounting majors have worked in internships at organizations such as Capital Group, Fidelity National Financial, Louisiana Department of Revenue, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Schneider Downs, Worthington Industries, and many more.
Erin Cannon '18 completed an internship at NiSource, Inc., headquartered just outside Chicago. That experience helped her land a job as a corporate control accountant at Honda of America.
Students selected for the Accounting & Finance Fellows Program complete at least one internship, connect their studies and interests to the broader world through an OWU-funded travel-learning experience, explore a topic deeply through independent study or directed reading, and participate in other activities and events to build their professional networks and explore the wide range of careers available to them.
The Bigelow-Reed House lets you live in a unique environment with students who have an interest in business, economics, accounting, finance, and leadership. The house, exclusively for juniors and seniors, provides valuable opportunities for its student-residents to learn from visiting speakers who stay in its guest apartment.
Financial Executives International recognizes outstanding juniors and seniors who are majoring in Accounting. One senior and two juniors are awarded the Academic Recognition Award each spring.
Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the few nationally ranked private liberal arts schools to offer a major or minor in accounting. By just learning the basics, you will be able to understand the roles that economics, culture and the environment play in influencing financial trends. The accounting minor can get you prepared for careers in public accounting, private industry, government and the nonprofit sector.
After graduating, Dynasty began working as an Income Tax Specialist at CSX in Yulee, Florida. While at OWU, she was a tax intern at Fidelity National Financial.
Ohio Wesleyan Student Interns as Economic Development Public Policy Fellow
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Ohio Wesleyan Graduate Discusses Building a Global Firm at Oct. 15 Campus Lecture
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Ahmed earned a competitive, international scholarship to support a six-week program studying Arabic in Morocco. He is now an Indirect Tax Consultant at EY in Chicago.
Many students will explore the accounting major in R.W. Corns, the Economics & Business Department building on campus.
Colin Stolly '18 talks about his experience as a double-major in accounting and philosophy - and as an infielder on the OWU baseball team.
Jacob graduated with a double major in Accounting and Finance and leveraged three internships to land his first job at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Pittsburgh, PA.
