Message from the Dean

Dear Accountancy Alumni and Friends,

The Patterson School of Accountancy at The University of Mississippi enjoys a rich heritage among the academic programs on this campus. Accounting courses have been offered since 1917 and the School of Accountancy was officially established as an autonomous academic unit in 1979. We were named the Patterson School of Accountancy in 1999 in honor of alumnus E. H. “Pat” Patterson.

It is our vision to be one of the leading institutions in accountancy education in the nation. We are proud of what the Patterson School continues to be able to accomplish thanks to high-achieving students, dedicated and supportive alumni and friends, and an extremely talented faculty who work together toward our common goal and vision of having one of the nation’s top accounting programs.

We offer six degrees including the Bachelor of Accountancy, Master of Accountancy, Master of Taxation, Master of Accountancy and Data Analytics, Master of Taxation and Data Analytics, and Ph.D. in Accountancy.  Many of our students complete our ‘five-year’ program finishing with the bachelor’s degree, one of our master’s degrees, and also pass the CPA exam while still on the Ole Miss campus. Our programs have been ranked among the top 20 in the nation each year since 2008 – and have been in the top 10 nationally for each of the past 10 years. In 2021 rankings by Big4AccountingFirms.org, our School is ranked #8 nationally and #1 in the highly competitive SEC.

The University of Mississippi has been home to the ‘National Library of the Accounting Profession’ since 2001 when the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) moved their library from New York city to our campus in Oxford, Mississippi. This library has attracted visitors from around the world and continues to be a source of great visibility for the University and School.

We provide unparalleled employment opportunities. Our incredible partnerships with firms/companies, alumni, and their networks lead to placement rates that approach or reach 100%, prior to graduation, every year. Employers across the country actively recruit our students for internships and full-time positions and in 2021 alone, we placed Patterson School students in 25 different states (from coast to coast across the nation) and in two countries.

Please take time to explore our website. Things are going exceptionally well in the Patterson School. We are excited about our programs and the future of accountancy education at The University of Mississippi.

We look forward to seeing you on campus soon!

Sincerely,

Mark Wilder, Ph.D.
Dean and KPMG Chair of Accountancy