Thanks to increased hiring to deal with stricter accounting practices, accountancy is a popular discipline on college campuses. The fiscal misdoings of companies like Enron and Worldcom moved Congress to impose more stringent auditing standards. As the hours it takes for an audit increase by 40 percent-60 percent, demand is zooming for new accountants, boosting the prospects of college graduates preparing to enter the workplace.

“With new laws about how firms are audited, there is so much more work,” says Linda Scales, USD’s director of career service. “Top international firms have so much business with major public companies — even regional to smaller companies have more work than they are used to.”

Students like SDSU accounting undergraduate Ed Burke are reaping the benefits. “Recruiting events kind of make you feel like a professional athlete,” says Burke, a junior. “(Firms) take you out to dinner, golfing and Dave & Buster’s.” Burke is president-elect of Beta Alpha Psi, a national honors scholastic and professional business fraternity. He is the third of three brothers to graduate from SDSU’s School of Accountancy, following Jim and John Burke, class of 1996 and 2000, both former presidents of the Student Accounting Society.

“Starting last spring, we began to see multiple offers,” Scales says. “We hope that this will continue through this spring. In 2001, 2002 and 2003, students had a much tougher time with the crash of the dot-com boom and 9/11. Now it’s more likely than not for students to get more than one offer.”

USD accounting graduates who sign to top firms are reporting starting salaries of $45,000 to $52,000, plus signing bonuses of $2,500-plus. On average, USD accounting grads report beginning salaries that were about $10,000 more than the average USD graduate.

SDSU accountancy enrollment has seen a tremendous growth. Both bachelor’s and master’s degree enrollment jumped nearly 30 percent since fall 2002 with about 560 enrolled today. School of Accountancy director Andrew Barnett sees the trend continuing. “Last year about 50 students graduated in accountancy,” Barnett says. “As a bit of a guess, this year we’ll have about 35 percent more graduates.”

At USD the increase in enrollment is more pronounced. Accounting undergraduate enrollment increased 80 percent since fall 2002 with 210 enrolled today, says Diane Pattison, co-director of USD’s Accountancy Institute. Eighty-four accounting students graduated from USD last year, which is 75 percent more than 2002.

Accounting regulation also is changing the curriculum. Barnett notes a fraud examination course was created for the 2003 fall semester at SDSU.

Starting next month, accounting firms will be reviewing mailed or online resumes to choose interns for the summer. At the end of the summer, some students will get job offers a year before they graduate.

Despite the demand, landing jobs with the top firms remains tough. “There are probably 200 people applying for the big firms, and of those, only about 16 are interviewed and hired,” Burke says. “Initially you have to put yourself out there and, after that — potentially — the firms take over.”

— Misa Maruyama