Graduates of the School of Accountancy at Mississippi State exceed the national pass rate on the professional certified public accountancy examination.
The latest results published by the National State Boards of Public Accountancy for 2002 exams given in May and November show that 33.3 percent and 21.4 percent, respectively, of first-time candidates with advanced degrees from the university passed all four parts of the rigorous exam--and on the first sitting.
The school is a major unit of the College of Business and Industry.
Nationally, the average for all first-time candidates was 18.8 percent for the May exam and 19.2 percent for the November exam, said school director Danny P. Hollingsworth.
"All Mississippi candidates must have a baccalaureate or higher degree, including 150 semester hours of course credit, to sit for the CPA exam," he said. "While candidates are not required to have an advanced degree, the success rate diminishes considerably for candidates without advanced degrees."
Hollingsworth said MSU accounting graduates with CPAs have "have risen to the top ranks of international accounting and consulting firms and private industry."
MSU and the University of Southern Mississippi tied for the highest rate on the May exam among graduates from the state's public and private institutions of higher learning. MSU was second to Millsaps College on the November exam.
For more about MSU's School of Accountancy, visit http://www.cbi.msstate.edu/cobi/sac/accountancy.html.
NEWS EDITORS/DIRECTORS: For additional comments from Dr. Hollingsworth, telephone (662) 325-3710.
