Attracting the best and brightest accounting minds — no matter their undergraduate training — is at the heart of a change in outreach and recruiting efforts in Fisher’s Master of Accounting (MAcc) program.

Effective immediately for candidates applying for autumn 2020, the MAcc program will begin accepting GRE scores for students applying to the renowned graduate accounting program.

“We are always looking for ways to provide our applicants and our students with greater flexibility in their pursuit of continuing education,” said Tzachi Zach, director of the MAcc program. “This change opens the door for students who are considering several graduate programs and who want to focus on just one admissions test.”

In addition to offering students another path to a graduate accounting program that is consistently ranked in the top 15 according to U.S. News & World Report and the Public Accounting Report, the acceptance of the GRE will bring a greater diversity of experience and education to the classroom at Fisher.

“By adding another input to our recruiting process, we’re appealing to students who might not have received a formal undergraduate business degree but are interested in pursuing a career in accounting,” Zach said. “They might have taken some accounting or business classes, but their majors have been varied, whether that’s economics or engineering.”

The decision to add GRE scores to the admissions process underscores the MAcc program’s commitment to providing applicants and students with an educational experience that is practical, relevant and tailored to them. In 2016, Fisher was one of two universities nationwide to team with KPMG to launch the inaugural Master of Accounting with Data and Analytics (MADA) program.

The program, born out of a longstanding partnership between Fisher and the Big Four firm, gives students enrolled in the college’s MAcc program the chance to take a deep dive into the latest analytics technology and data sets. They also have opportunities to participate in applied learning experiences using KPMG’s proprietary tools. The MADA program has since expanded to include nine universities.

“There are many students who haven’t studied business but have an interest or a background in data and analytics and would like to pursue a master’s degree in accounting,” Zach said. “Accepting GRE test scores is just the latest way we’re appealing to future accounting leaders.”