Meet Joseph B. O’Donnell, PhD, professor and chair of the Accounting Department. Just click on the image above to watch the video in QuickTime.
Why Accounting? Why Canisius?
The Canisius Accounting program has earned an international reputation for the high quality of its courses and the success of its graduates. Graduates of the undergraduate Accounting program rank 1st in New York State for pass rates in the Audit section of the CPA exam and 4th in New York State for Financial Accounting and Reporting and Regulation sections. Canisius is the first place many employers call when they are looking for accounting graduates.
Is Canisius accredited?
The Accounting Department is part of the Richard J. Wehle School of Business that is accredited by the prestigious Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). In addition, as a Jesuit institution, all Canisius students take a strong core of courses that emphasizes writing skills, logic and breadth of knowledge about the human experience. The Jesuit tradition of developing both intellect and character translates into accounting professionals who concern themselves with not only the financial health of an organization but also its professional integrity and its contribution to society as a whole.
- BS/MBA in Accounting
- MS in Forensic Accounting
- MBA in Professional Accounting
- BS in Professional Accounting
- BS in Accounting (120-hour program)
- BS in Accounting Information Systems (AIS)
The Department of Accounting awards scholarships to qualified accounting majors in addition to financial aid and other scholarships offered through the Financial Aid Office. These scholarships are granted on the basis of academic merit and demonstrated need, and are intended for upper level undergraduate and graduate accounting majors.
And the faculty?
All accounting courses are taught by faculty members who get to know their students personally. All faculty members bring real world knowledge to the classroom through their experiences as accounting or tax professionals. Accounting majors at Canisius benefit from the department's close ties with business leaders in the city of Buffalo, who often provide internship opportunities, permanent jobs and valuable advice. Special programs bring students together with successful financial executives.
What do professional accountants do?
Accountants are trained professionals who prepare and analyze financial information essential in the management, control and evaluation of business enterprises, government agencies and not-for-profit entities. Accounting information systems blends accounting and information system technology to meet the rapidly developing technology needs in all sectors of the economy.
The field of accounting is wide and diverse. Accounting provides the measures of economic activity for our nation, for our society and for our individual lives; it is the language of business. Accountants enjoy high starting salaries and excellent employment opportunities. They interact on a constant basis with chief executive officers, financial executives, lawyers, bankers and government agencies.
What about graduate school?
As an accounting major, you can continue to earn a graduate degree in the MBA in Accounting or Master of Science in Forensic Accounting programs after you finish your BS in accounting. These graduate programs meet education requirements for CPA licensure in New York State. And we offer scholarships for Canisius undergraduate accounting students who qualify for these graduate programs.
