October 2014

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 7, 2014 — Santa Clara University’s accounting program was ranked as the eighth-best in the country by LinkedIn, which ranks universities based on the career outcome data of more than 313 million LinkedIn members. 

Santa Clara University’s accounting department, part of the Leavey School of Business, is one of only five accounting programs in California that is separately accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. That has resulted in proven high standards for faculty training and learning outcomes, said Susan Parker, the former chair of the department and the director of the University’s Certificate of Advanced Accounting Proficiency (CAAP) program.

The department  has a well- established and influential presence in the Silicon Valley, offering undergraduate and certificate programs in accounting and published research on contemporary accounting, auditing, and tax issues. Other attributes include:

*Longstanding relationships with large accounting firms;
*An advisory board with more than 20 high-level partners and executives, many of them SCU alumni, who advise the department on curriculum, critical skills and recruiting issues
*A majority of accounting students who secure jobs before graduation
*a Certificate of Advanced Accounting Proficiency program which provides accounting education to non-students to become CPAs

“Our accounting students are valued by employers in Silicon Valley and beyond because they obtain a strong grounding not only in accounting, but also in economics and other disciplines," said Parker. "So they add value to their clients or employers in a much broader way.”

The rankings can be found here and the methodology can be found here.

Media Contact
Deborah Lohse | SCU Media Relations | dlohse@scu.edu | 408-554-5121