About the Patterson School of Accountancy

A longstanding tradition of excellence

Accountancy has been a part of the university’s curriculum since its founding in 1848.  Since 1979, our unique structure has allowed us to offer unparalleled opportunities to our students and help them achieve their academic and career goals.

Our vision is to be one of the leading institutions in accounting education in the nation. With that vision, we are committed to building a new learning environment that will meet the needs of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni. Our new building, which will be located in a prime space overlooking the iconic Ole Miss Grove, will serve as our academic home and will allow for continued growth in enrollment and program expansion now and in the future. We hope you’ll be part of this historical journey by investing in the PSOA through our Building the Future campaign!

Accreditation  

We provide the professional education required for careers as professional accountants in financial institutions, industry, governmental and nonprofit organizations, and public practice. Our courses, taught by world-class faculty, emphasize both theoretical principles and concepts as well as practical application. 

A national leader in accounting education, we were the first in the state to receive accreditation of our bachelor’s and master’s accountancy programs. 

Our undergraduate program has been accredited since 1944 by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Our master’s programs have received separate accounting accreditation by the AACSB since 1983. We were one of the first schools in the country to receive separate accounting accreditation from the AACSB for both our bachelor’s and master’s programs.  

We are also a full member of the Federation of Schools of Accountancy. 

Rankings 

The Patterson School of Accountancy has become a mainstay in rankings of accounting programs, having been nationally ranked every year since 2005. We have been ranked in the top 10 accounting schools in the nation for 13 consecutive years. We are currently ranked #8 in the nation by Big4AccountingFirms.org. 

Degrees Granted 

Over the past five fiscal years, 1,379 students have earned Bachelor of Accountancy degrees, with the majority of those students continuing in one of our master’s programs. We have granted 573 data analytics degrees (Master of Accountancy & Data Analytics and Master of Taxation & Data Analytics) and 417 traditional master’s degrees (Master of Accountancy and Master of Taxation) for a total of 990 master's degrees earned. We also granted 10 doctoral degrees during that time.

CPA Exam Success 

Our CPA review course, ACCY 615: Accounting, Audit, Business, and Regulation, is offered as an elective option to all master’s students. The course provides high-quality CPA exam preparation and a structured study environment. While taking the course, students sit for the three core sections of the exam – Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR), Taxation and Regulation (REG), and Auditing and Attestation (AUD). 

Nine master’s program alumni have received the Elijah Watt Sells Award for outstanding performance on the CPA exam from 2020 to 2024. We are currently #5 in the nation for number of Sells Award winners during that time. This prestigious award recognizes students whose scores average greater than 95.5 on all four sections of the CPA exam. 

Our graduates have received 19 of the past 25 CPA exam medals awarded by the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants. In 2024, PSOA alumni were awarded the gold, silver, and bronze medals for CPA exam performance. 

Internship Program 

We established our formal internship program in 2004 to give students opportunities to gain real-world practical accounting experience and connect them with potential future employers. Each year, over 200 students intern with firms and countries across the nation as well as abroad while earning course credit for their undergraduate or master’s degrees.  

Employment of Master’s Graduates 

Many of our master’s students have accepted offers for post-master’s employment before they begin master’s classes, and virtually 100% of our master’s graduates have accepted full-time employment offers by the time that they complete their degrees.