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JupitersLapCat t1_itrju05 wrote

I graduated from UMaine (Orono) 20+ years ago with a degree in Business, concentrating in Accounting. I don’t think any of the other UMaine campuses besides Orono and USM are AACSB accredited, so that would be a deal killer for me.

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thesleazye OP t1_itrmo72 wrote

May I ask why? Do you teach accounting? (real question)

From my understanding, the AACSB is relevant for PhD professors whose focus is completing research, and beneficial for undergraduates for access to accounting/business honor societies linked to AACSB. No one in industry or big 4, I've worked with (in Texas), has snubbed an accounting graduate for picking a school without AACSB. We have had, however, some issues with for-profit graduates like Phoenix and Grand Canyon.

Most CPA boards don't require practitioners to come from AACSB accreditation and if they do, like New York or Wisconsin, they offer alternate pathways.

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JupitersLapCat t1_itrpcl3 wrote

I just work in industry, but it’s the “standard” accreditation. You’re more likely to get get hired, have a higher salary, have access to better profs, etc. To me, it just shows that a graduate went through a sufficiently rigorous curriculum.

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thesleazye OP t1_itrqe7k wrote

I don't know - I never attended a "normal" business school, but I did do night school at a ACBSP accredited junior college to get all my post-bacc CPA coursework.

I can't compare, but I'll admit that AACSB dual accredited Business/Accounting schools with Accounting Masters programs prepare their students better than mine did for the CPA tests. The exams they took were significantly harder than mine and tested the comprehension of a lot of advanced material that I learned from experience and had to learn via CPA prep coursework. Sadly, a masters wasn't an option to me when I started my post-bacc education.

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