Accountants In Demand: Survey Of Business Students Suggests That Nothing Will Motivate Non-Accounting Majors To Be Accounting Majors

Abstract

Student enrollment in accounting programs in the state of Maryland increased 12% from 2006 to 2007 (MACPA, 2007). This paper presents actual and possible responses to demand exceeding supply of accounting professionals and professors. Responses to the shortage of supply to meet the demand include outsourcing the work (e.g., tax returns completed in India) to expanding university offerings. This paper addresses the shortage of terminally qualified (i.e., doctoral degree) accounting professors. One resolution to the professor shortage has been to use more adjunct faculty. Survey research results reveal that business majors who are not accounting majors are not willing to consider becoming accounting majors. Current accounting majors rank salary, meaningful work and advancement opportunities as the top reasons for career selection. The non-accounting majors hold similar values, but clearly state that there is nothing that would motivate them to be accountants.