CPA engagement boosts student interest in exam, public accounting : Practitioner participation in college capstone class teaches relevant workforce skills and increases desire to pursue licensure - Crowley, Jacob; Cadotte, Jill
To combat the continued decrease in new CPA candidates $1 (Ba recent AICPA study revealed the number of candidates has fallen more than 32% since 2016 $1 (Bpractitioners and accounting faculty need to work together to solve the problem. One way to strengthen student commitment to the CPA Exam and increase their professional identity is for practitioners, faculty, and students to collaborate on an accounting course project. Students transition to the workforce successfully by learning to communicate and work effectively in a team, prepare client communications on complex accounting issues, manage up, and understand the economics of a professional services firm. The senior capstone course at Ohio Northern University reinforces these skills by involving current practitioners in a simulated client engagement. The program, which is entering its third year, has had between 12 and 19 students working with three practitioners each semester. The semester-long project is built on continuous interaction between students and practitioners. As a result of successful practitioner involvement in the classroom, students who completed the project indicated an increased likelihood of taking the CPA exam, while those already planning to ohtaining their CPA license, as shown in the table "Class project boosts student interest in CPA exam, Public Accounting."s
Keywords: Certified Public Accountant; Professional development