From the Director

Welcome to the USF School of Accountancy. The School is one of six departments within the College of Business. We offer a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, a Master of Accountancy, and a Ph.D. in Business Administration. In 2007 we have 655 undergraduate accounting majors, 86 Master of Accountancy students, and 8 doctoral students. Both the Tampa and Sarasota campuses have course offerings to fulfill the requirements for a baccalaureate in accounting. The accounting courses on the Lakeland campus are sufficient to fulfill the requirements for a minor in accounting.

The SOA is a high-quality program within the College of Business, and is often mentioned by President Genshaft as a point of pride for the university. The SOA is nationally distinctive in five ways:

1) National #1 ranking for a recent 10-year average for CPA exam candidates with advanced degrees;
2) National #1 ranking for AIS research;
3) Most decorated and recognized chapter of Beta Alpha Psi in the world;
4) High quality research;
5) Significant external support.

Delta Gamma Chapter Wins Gold Chapter Distinction

The USF Chapter of Beta Alpha Psi was recently named one of only 14 chapters in the world as a
KPMG Gold Chapter.

Watch the video on You Tube.

Congratulations Delta Gamma!! We are proud of you.

Let me elaborate on these points. For the 1994-2003 time period, USF was named the #1 university in the nation for pass rates by candidates with advanced degrees sitting for the CPA exam. Our national reputation is well-known in this area. Many of our undergraduate and graduate accounting students come to USF precisely due to this reputation.

The SOA is also nationally-known for our Accounting Information Systems (AIS) research. An article published in 2006 identified USF as the #1 school for publishing AIS research. Further, our faculty have published in The Accounting Review, the Journal of Accounting and Economics, the Journal of Financial Economics, and many other nationally-known and prestigious accounting journals.We are also fortunate to enjoy a strong relationship with the local accounting profession. Two external groups provide significant support to the School of Accountancy—the Advisory Board, and the Accounting Circle. More information about these constituencies can be found on our web site.

Finally, we are very proud of our Beta Alpha Psi chapter, which has won countless national awards. They hold the record for longest running superior chapter in the world, and the record for the longest running faculty advisor (33 consecutive years). They are always the chapter to beat at regional and national conferences.

As you can tell, I am very proud of the accomplishments of the USF School of Accountancy, our students, and our faculty. If there’s anything I can help you with, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.

Stephanie Bryant
Dan R. and Tina P. Johnson Distinguished Professor
Director, School of Accountancy
(813) 974-4186
sbryant@coba.usf.edu