Harbert College’s Master of Accountancy Class of 2014 averaged an 80 percent or better pass rate on all four sections of the CPA exam this spring – far above the national average.

Harbert pass rates -- reflected by the 40 students taking the CPA -- were as follows: Financial 93 percent, Audit 80 percent, Regulation 85 percent, and Business 95 percent. National pass rates ranged from 44 to 59 percent.

“Year in and year out, the Harbert MAcc Program CPA Exam pass results are phenomenal, and the Harbert MAcc Class of 2014’s pass rates are no exception,” said MAcc Program Director Amy Murphy. “This success is truly a team effort. The faculty provides our students with an outstanding education, and our students are very smart and dedicated.”

Since 2005, MAcc students have been required to take the Auburn Becker CPA Review Course and then sit for all four parts of the CPA exam before graduation.

“The Becker CPA Review Course is very committed to providing Auburn the necessary resources, and our employers make Becker possible for their new hires,” Murphy added. “Students that pursue the MAcc are making a big investment in their future, and many families make significant sacrifices when providing the additional education necessary for the CPA exam. We believe it’s our responsibility to have systems in place to ensure that our students pass the CPA exam before graduation. If our students succeed, we all succeed!”    

CPA exam success is not new to School of Accountancy graduates. The MAcc Class of 2013 achieved a pass rate of 95 percent on three sections.

Colby Lakas, Assistant Director of Graduate Programs and Internship & Recruiting Director for the School of Accountancy said the program’s pass rates were possible for three reasons.

 “We have great faculty who provide our students with an excellent educational background,” she said. 

“We also have awesome students who are very smart, hard-working, and dedicated; and we have exceptional Beta Alpha Psi sponsors who hire our students and provide the Becker CPA Review Course as an employee benefit. Many of our students would not be able to afford the review course without this support.”