The M.S. in Accountancy program at Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics features two tracks: a traditional CPA-eligible program and a new one-year cohort-based model for alumni that is designed to make students CPA eligible in two semesters while earning an internship during the core of tax season.
“This new program is modeled after the acronym ELE: Earn, Learn and Experience,” said Vivek Mande, director of the School of Accountancy and professor of accounting. “Students earn during their internship, they get experience and they gain relevant knowledge. The curriculum is non-traditional, built around work and internship. For instance, some of the class meetings are held at accounting firms. Our theme is blending theory with practice. And there is a focus on technology, AI, data and analytics.”
Mande earned his master’s degree in accounting from Washington State University and his Ph.D. in accounting from UCLA. Since 2002, he has been a professor at Cal State Fullerton, following teaching roles at Baruch College, the University of Arizona and the University of Nebraska Omaha. Prior to joining CSUF, Mande was an academic fellow at the Securities and Exchange Commission. From 2018-21, Mande was editor-in-chief of the prestigious Managerial Auditing Journal. His research on corporate governance, auditor independence and earnings quality is regularly featured in peer-reviewed academic journals.
Read more in this CSUF Business News article.