Penn State Lehigh Valley sophomores Bryan Simon, Tyler Brodniak and Elyse Sellers were all recently accepted into the Smeal College of Business Integrated Undergraduate-Graduate Master of Accounting (MAcc) Program. The Integrated MAcc Program is for students who know in their sophomore year that they want to pursue a career in public accounting and earn a CPA upon graduating. It provides the ability to be licensed as a CPA after five years of study at Penn State.
This relatively new program is very competitive. With nearly 230 eligible students, the acceptance of three local students speaks both to the academic preparation and the student quality of Simon, Brodniak and Sellers, who were the first Penn State Lehigh Valley students to apply.
“Here at Penn State Lehigh Valley, all of the class sizes are less than 30 students. The personal relationships with professors and students grow instantaneously,” Brodniak said. “As far as academics, the courses prepared me mentally for the challenges ahead in the more rigorous accounting courses.”
The ability to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in just five years while meeting the 150-credit-hour requirement influenced Simon’s decision to come to Penn State and apply to the Integrated MAcc Program.
“For my future this means that I will be a well-prepared and well-rounded student,” said Simon. “I will be very prepared for the workforce and as part of the program will have experience in the accounting and financial field.”
“All three students are dedicated to academics as well as growth through involvement in extra-curricular activities," said Denise Ogden, campus Smeal adviser. "They had a mission early on and set goals to get into the MAcc. What set them apart are their high levels of motivation and their early commitment to the accounting profession. I have no doubt that they will be leaders in their field.”