Accreditation of Collegiate Accounting Programs.

Abstract The article proposes accreditation of accounting programs in the U.S. colleges and discusses the strong demand for accounting graduates, with college placement centers reporting generally that demand exceeds the supply. The combination of a continuing high demand for accounting graduates and the minimal cost of providing accounting specialization at the collegiate level have led to a proliferation of programs leading to a degree for which accounting is the major field of study. Any school with minimum offerings in economics and business which would ordinarily include one or more accounting courses, is a prime candidate for the development of a degree based on a major in accounting. Despite the deficiencies of such a "program" in accounting, there tends to be a strong demand for accounting specialization among college students seeking to prepare themselves for careers in business. The diversity and confusion in accounting education today, coupled with the importance of such education at the collegiate level in gaining access to the better accounting jobs, point to the urgency for the development of the accreditation of college and university programs in accounting.