The School of Accountancy ranked well on the 37th Annual Professors Survey 2018 in the Public Accounting Report for the second year in a row. MU has moved up in the rankings since last year from 13th to 11th in graduate programs, while remaining at 13th in undergraduate programs.

PAR is a monthly newsletter that provides coverage of competitive intelligence in the field of accounting and the economic side of public accounting as a profession. The report was founded in 1978.

The School of Accountancy runs through the Trulaske College of Business. In the past, the school has also achieved multiple honors for teaching excellence, including multiple William T. Kemper Awards for Teaching Excellence, the 2007 Governor’s Award, 2010 Provost’s Award and the 2015 American Accounting Association Cook Prize.

When scaled for faculty size, both programs rank in the top five nationally. The Ph.D. program is also ranked at 17th.

“We are immensely gratified to be highly ranked by the Public Accounting Report rankings.” Vairam Arunachalam, director of the School of Accountancy, said. “The School of Accountancy has demonstrated exceptional research productivity and teaching excellence.”

Being a school ranked highly on a report such as PAR can be a selling point to prospective students, but can also be a sign of confidence for current students.

“Having a nationally ranked school means I am surrounding myself with some of the best tools and people to help me become a successful professional and have success in my career,” Max Libman, a junior in the accounting program, said.

The ranking can also be a sign of the prestigiousness of the school, as it sits next to well known business schools such as the University of Texas, the University of Indiana and Notre Dame.

“Obviously, [the ranking] means getting into the program will not be easy, but if I am accepted, it means that I will be in a top program that will help me succeed,” Brian Carter, a sophomore business major hoping to get into the accounting program, said.

The school also offers a 150-hour program. This program can provide students with both a master’s and bachelor’s degree upon graduation.

The combination of rigorous degrees positions students for successful job placement in a competitive market with about 97 percent employed at graduation, according to a report by the School of Accounting.

Arunachalam credits the rankings as a reflection of the standards maintained and exemplified in the school’s academic mission, which, according to the school’s website, is to “provide students with the knowledge, learning capabilities, and personal and professional skills necessary to excel in professional and academic careers.”

_Edited by Emily Wolf | ewolf@themaneater.com_