The Tradition of Excellence Continues!

The good news is out! On the May 2002 CPA exam, 78.1 percent of MSU-Bozeman College of Business accounting students passed the entire test on the first try! This is significantly higher than the national average of approximately 15 percent!

We had 32 students taking the CPA Exam this year. This compares with the 16 or so students from the University of Montana! Of the 32 students taking the exam, 25 passed the test completely while the other seven passed two or three parts, which means they will only need to take a portion of the test again. Many of our students commented to their advisors that in comparing notes with other schools, our students felt they were more prepared and confident taking the test.

From 1983 - 2001, MSU students have been ranked in the top ten schools in the nation for a first-time pass rate 15 times. This number includes eight years of being ranked in the top three. In 1983, 1991, 1995 and 1996, our students had the top pass rate in the nation. The honors don t stop here! Carrie Hageman, Billings, a 2001 MPAc graduate, had the highest CPA exam score in Montana in May 2001.

Our students success was also noted in the August/September 2002 publication of the Montana Society of Certified Public Accountants. The article touted the excellence of the students and they state, This success is not new to MSU students. The College of Business has a long history of consistently having one of the highest CPA pass rates in the nation according to the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, which compiles and publishes pass rates by universities each year.

You can read the entire story by logging on to http://www.mscpa.org/associations/744/LineItemsforWebsite%2Epdf and look on page 14.

MSU-Bozeman College of Business accounting student continue to find great career opportunity. Approximately 65 percent of these students begin their careers with national and international public accounting firms. Congratulations to all of the accounting students and accounting faculty who worked hard for this honor!