Simmons Accounting graduates are successfully securing job offers at “Big 4” firms — often months before graduation.
Eight of the ten recent Simmons Accounting graduates have accepted offers at one of these multi-billion dollar firms, which include PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Ernst & Young (EY), Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler (KPMG), and Deloitte. These businesses are revered for their long tenure in the field and the breadth of their work, according to Erin DeCurtis, Associate Dean for the School of Management.
“Every business school with an accounting program wants their students to get an offer from a ‘Big 4’ accounting firm. For our program to have secured employment for so many students in these firms is pretty unique. Plus, this field is not very diverse in terms of gender or race — to have women and women of color able to achieve that so quickly is remarkable,” says DeCurtis, who also serves as Diane K. Trust Professorship in Leadership Development and Associate Teaching Professor.
Internships Position Accounting Majors For Success
Students are fielding offers after internships at major firms. Experiential learning and career preparation are key features of Simmons’ education programs.
One 2024 graduate, Oliver Fontaine, landed a full-time position at EY after an internship with CohnReznick in spring 2023. In this role, Fontaine reviews and audits companies’ financial statements within EY’s Hartford-based office.
“We need to verify our clients’ inventories and assets, as well as other line items. This evaluation shows stakeholders, like employees, customers, and shareholders, the level of trust they can have and that the organizations are reporting appropriately,” Fontaine says.
The other two members of the graduating Class from 2024 received full-time job offers with EY before the start of their senior year. Post graduation, one is working with EY in their forensic accounting group in Boston, according to Professor of Accounting Ray Pfeiffer.
The success appears to be continuing and broadening. Students from the Class of 2025, including Zuany Fernanda Sandoval, have already received full-time offers. Sandoval received an advance job offer from CliftonLarsonAllen following completion of her 2023 summer internship. Another student accepted a full-time position with PwC.
“Given how competitive it is to get a position with any of the so-called ‘Big 4’ accounting firms — the largest such firms in the world — it is astounding that we have had eight out of 10 of our recent graduates land offers with them,” Pfeiffer says.
Simmons’ Distinctive Accounting Curriculum
Simmons’ Accounting program is designed to prepare graduates for career success on day one.
The program prepares students to get as close to sitting for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam as possible, which requires 150 credit hours of coursework. This in-demand credential gives students a competitive edge in the marketplace.
“There is a consistent shortage of accountants in the U.S. marketplace, so it's a high-demand job, and it's critical for all kinds of organizations. It is also a lucrative field. Doing accounting well ensures financial sustainability for organizations doing critical work,” DeCurtis says.
Another key feature of the Simmons Accounting program is its context within a women’s-centered education. The curriculum emphasizes how gender dynamics play out in the workplace.
“We help students see that they can navigate within, around, and behind the invisible operations of gender politics in the business context,” DeCurtis says.