Below, you'll find stories from faculty and students, highlights from unique events and programs, and other interesting tidbits about the department.

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Congratulations to PCAOB Scholar Jessah Klug

Join the Paul W. Parkison Department of Accounting in congratulating one of our students, Jessah A. Klug, who has been selected as a Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) Scholar for 2020-2021 academic year.

The PCAOB Scholars Program is mandated by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and is funded through monetary penalties collected as part of PCAOB enforcement actions. The PCAOB Scholars Program seeks to benefit students who are likely to become auditors and to make a difference to students who might otherwise choose a different career path.

Jessah is a first generation college student from Monroe, Indiana. She is in her final year at Ball State and is majoring in accounting and risk management and insurance. "I am honored and blessed to be awarded this scholarship," said Jessah. "This achievement is a result of a lot of hard work and dedication along with a multitude of amazing role models and mentors. This scholarship puts me one step closer to achieving my goals." Jessah plans to use the funds to deter the cost of applying to graduate school.

Year-in-Review 2017-2018

Happy first birthday to the Paul W. Parkison Department of Accounting! As we wrap up our inaugural year as the university’s first named department, I want to thank all those who donated to our tremendously successful campaign in honor of longtime professor and former department chair Paul W. Parkison, ’58 MA ’61. We were thrilled that he and so many of you reached out to recognize our outstanding people and programs.

Recent rankings reflect our success. Public Accounting Report listed Ball State’s undergraduate accounting program 25th among midsized programs and 21st in the Midwest. Our master’s offering ranked 19th among midsized programs and 16th in the Midwest.

But we don’t rest on our laurels. The department’s dedicated faculty are adding more data analytics and “soft skills” to prepare students to excel in today’s evolving professional landscape. We are thankful for longstanding relationships with industry leaders who provide us with relevant feedback as we prepare tomorrow’s accounting leaders.

That hunger to anticipate the needs of our field inspired us to develop a master’s track for future accounting educators. Launching this fall, this offering is among a handful of programs emerging across the country to fill a need for expert accounting educators. Thank you for helping us add this vital program as a result of your generous campaign donations.

Change continues to be a theme for the 2018-2019 year as we kick off a new era. I have transitioned into the role of interim dean of the Miller College of Business; Dr. Jennifer Bott leaves for another university. I am excited about the opportunity to serve the college in this new role.

It has been a great honor to lead the department for the past seven years, but I look forward to passing the torch to John Ledbetter, associate professor of accounting, who has served the department since 1999. John is a tremendous asset to the Paul W. Parkison Department of Accounting, and I know his vision and passion will continue to elevate the reputation of our accounting programs.

Best,

Mark J. Myring, PhD
Paul W. Parkison Department of Accounting 
Ball State University

—By Kelsey Brasel, assistant professor of accounting

When I teach the CPA exam review course each summer, I see a clear distinction between the abilities of those students who gained the exam’s required 150 additional credits through undergraduate classes and those who satisfied those credits through Ball State’s master’s in accounting coursework.

Our master’s curriculum empowers students with the critical thinking and technical knowledge needed to excel on the exam. Small class sizes and industry connections round out a powerful experience that outfits students with rewarding professional experiences and dynamic, transferable skills.

This fall, we are thrilled to offer an additional track with an emphasis on developing future accounting educators. The offering is the result of your generous support during the Paul W. Parkison Legacy Campaign, and we cannot wait to work with students interested in opening the door to an impactful career in academia.

As a first-generation college student, I do not take the issue of finances lightly, but I believe the benefits of the program far outweigh the costs associated with the degree, whether students are motivated simply by CPE exam performance or want to continue on to a PhD program.

Ball State works hard to help students gain financial assistance through relevant graduate assistantships and other pathways. Please do not hesitate to reach out to department chair Dr. John Ledbetter or myself for more information about the program and your future at Ball State.

About Kelsey Brasel

Kelsey Brasel, PhD, assistant professor of accounting, worked as an auditor for EY prior to entering a PhD program. She is one of several passionate faculty eager to educate and mentor students through a new master’s track focused on developing the next generation of accounting educators.

More

Contact Kelsey Brasel, PhD, assistant professor of accounting, or John Ledbetter, PhD, department chair, for more information about this program.

Explore the educator-focused master’s track and a complete list of department offerings.

Ball State has offered a master of science in accounting since 2001. Small class sizes and industry connections round out a powerful experience in our program, which is largely focused on preparing future accountants for the CPA exam. In fall 2017, we introduced a revised curriculum that integrates more of the critical skills that are in demand for modern accounting.

We reached out to a handful of students who are pursing a master of science in accounting and asked them to share their experiences thus far.

View student Q&A

  • 2017 is the fifth year that Ball State has offered the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) course
  • Course completion = Four credits toward your GAO Yellow Book CPE requirement
  • The course is open to all accounting professionals in addition to Ball State alumni
  • Course led by James Schmutte on various current issue topics
  • 205 professionals have completed the course since 2013
  • A student recruitment mixer replaced the after-session dinner in 2014
  • Roughly 100 students from seven accounting courses attend the CPE Mixer each year

Join us for the next CPE Course & Mixer, September 12, 2018! Registration is open through September 7. You can also sponsor a networking table.

Ball State’s Paul W. Parkison Department of Accounting hosted the inaugural Mid-American Conference Accounting Research Symposium, April 5-6, 2018, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. More than 40 professors and students, representing 10 universities, attended the event.

Keynote presentations by noted scholars Haresh Sapra and Natalie Churyk complemented opportunities for faculty and students to mingle, receive feedback and discuss emerging research topics.