Anyone good with numbers can be a bookkeeper. A good accountant, however, must be a people person. Accountants get along with people. And they communicate. They interpret information and help managers make important decisions, often having a major influence on a company's operations. Classes in Southern's accounting department emphasize analysis and communication skills. Students learn what numbers mean and how larger business concepts relate to those numbers.

Southern's accounting grads are in demand. Many are hired straight out of college at the "big five" international accounting firms, where assignments take them from one Fortune 500 company to another. Others do in-house work at manufacturers, retailers, and banks. Graduates work in state and city government or nonprofit agencies like hospitals, while others are employed by the entertainment industry, working for professional sports teams and music production companies.

Those accountants are shaping how their employers do business. And in the process, they are shaping the future of American business itself.