The National State Boards of Accountancy recently announced that ˿Ƶ (˿Ƶ Tech) ranked third for CPA exam pass rates in the state of ˿Ƶ. ˿Ƶ Tech surpassed other major ˿Ƶ colleges such as ˿Ƶ State University, Corban University, and Portland State University, which were ranked seventh, fourth, and fifth, respectively.
˿Ƶ Tech Professor Richard Bailey, a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, states that the CPA exam is important for accounting graduates because it is the standard licensing needed to perform public accounting in any state. The high ranking represents that students graduating from ˿Ƶ Tech’s accounting program are well prepared to take the CPA exam. “In comparison to the other accounting programs in the state,” explains Bailey, “our students are very competitive as evidenced by this ranking and the positions they are getting with prestigious firms upon graduation.”
˿Ƶ Tech alumnus, Brenda Bartlett, previously graduated with an accounting degree from ˿Ƶ Tech and currently works as a certified public accountant in Bend, ˿Ƶ. When asked about the importance of acquiring a CPA license, Bartlett concurred with Professor Bailey by stating that she’s “worked in government, industry and public accounting, and with very few exceptions, a CPA was required for high level accounting positions.” Bartlett also stated that “the CPA license is the gold standard in public accounting.”
When asked about why she felt so prepared after completing the accounting program at ˿Ƶ Tech, Bartlett said, “Two things stand out for me: The small class sizes and the industry experience that each of my professors brought to their respective courses.” Bartlett went on to explain that ˿Ƶ Tech accounting professors were able to draw on their professional experience to give students “real world” insight.
The accounting degree was first offered at OIT in 1995, and continues to provide students with a background in general business, financial accounting, tax accounting and managerial accounting principles. It is designed to prepare students for careers in both public and private accounting. The Management - Accounting program was awarded first-time accreditation by the International Assembly of Collegiate Business Educators (IACBE) in 2008, and was reaccredited in 2016.
If you are interested in finding out more about the ˿Ƶ Tech accounting program, please contact Richard Bailey at (541) 885-1964 or via email at richard.bailey@oit.edu.
