What I wished for when I was a college student but didn’t get until now.
Not all professors have the opportunity to develop and offer a course that includes all the aspects they wished would have been included in their college courses when they were a student. The ACCT6388 – Accounting Communications course is that to me and can be to you if you’re a Masters of Accounting or other Masters degree-seeking student in JSOM. This course is packed with life-impacting soft skills development. You learn under the principles of experiential learning, applying your technical skills as you are developing them.
I have seen students’ confidence increase significantly in just a few short months. I have had several students also decide to start ventures independently, and being in this course working with entrepreneurs contributed to that decision.
I don’t love tests. I love experiences.
In this course, there are no exams. The test is to apply your communication skills in a particular accounting or business challenge for a small to mid-sized business, a not-for-profit organization, or a start-up venture. It is dealing with the challenges of the fast-paced, ever-changing world of entrepreneurship: a world that that very few business students get to see firsthand.
In this course, we allow you to work with a “real” client and transform from student to consultant in what I like to call the “ProConnect experience.” Our motto is: “Building the Future. One Project at a Time”. This programs’ goal is to assist students and the community while building relationships. As a student in this course, you and your team have a strategic challenge to research and solve. Your professor and teaching assistant will mentor and encourage you every step of the way. Here is one of the teams from the Spring 2020 semester with their client, St. Arbor Community Garden at the “Client Meet and Greet” meeting at the beginning of the semester.
I have seen students’ confidence increase significantly in just a few short months. I have had several students also decide to start ventures independently, and being in this course working with entrepreneurs contributed to that decision. Some students have gotten positions with the organizations they served in this program. More than 60% of people work for organizations considered small to mid-sized businesses and not-for-profits. This course exposes students to that excellent option for their careers.
With your advisor’s permission, you can take it to replace the PD – MAS 6102 requirement and for some degree programs, it will reduce your required # of hours for your degree, as it does for the MS of Accounting degree.
