Accounting
- Degree Type Bachelor of Science
- Department Accounting and Finance
- Academic Division The Williams School
- Offerings Major
Accounting at W&L builds on the liberal arts course foundation, increasing analytical and communication skills while providing knowledge and skills for any number of business areas. Majors take a combination of accounting, economics and business administration courses.
Accounting
About one-third of our graduates are recruited by Big Four accounting firms. Another third join prestigious investment and commercial banking firms. The remaining third follow varied paths, including graduate school.
Students planning to work in public accounting must complete 150 hours of college credit to take the CPA Exam in most states. Students may register in the ELE program, use AP credit, earn summer school credit, elect to overload, or attend graduate school. W&L has agreements with highly rated graduate programs including University of Virginia, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, and the University of Texas.
There are unique opportunities for students to intern and study in Sydney, Australia, Cape Town and London. In summer, students intern at accounting firms, major investment banks and other accounting and financial firms across the country.
“Accounting, the language of business, was a great fit because it showed me how people analyze and think about the exchange of money.”
Dannick Kenon
Class of 2019
Sambridhi Tuladhar ’25 to Receive the Global Learning Leadership Award
The accounting major will be presented the award at the Center for International Education awards ceremony on May 27.
Megan Hess ’97 Named Class of 1960 Professor of Ethics and Accounting
Hess, a professor of accounting, will hold the position for three years.
Four sets of twins on W&L varsity sports teams share what it’s like competing side-by-side with their siblings.
W&L Student-Run Investment Fund Ranks Among Nation’s Largest
The Williams Investment Society’s $25.5 million assets under management rank sixth nationally according to a survey conducted by the Center for Investment Research.
Elizabeth Oliver Receives Lifetime Service Award
Oliver was presented with the American Accounting Association’s Jim Benjamin Lifetime Service Award at the organization’s Leadership in Accounting Education Section Seminar on Feb. 14.
In Memoriam: Philip Archel Gibbs, Associate Professor of Business
Gibbs taught accounting, business and management at Washington and Lee University.
Joseph, a captain of the men’s soccer team, chose W&L for its well-rounded liberal arts curriculum and reputable school of commerce.
Mentorship from his major and faculty adviser has helped Saalfrank challenge himself academically and professionally.
W&L Outcomes: Lucy Donahue ’24
After graduation, Donahue is working as a financial analyst at Amazon and pursuing her CPA.
Taking Account of Sustainability Efforts
W&L’s Spring Term Sustainability Accounting class takes a deeper look at the practice of corporations factoring in societal and environmental impacts alongside their financial bottom lines.
After a summer internship, Ott landed a full-time job as an investment banking analyst with Houlihan Lokey.
Meet the Faculty
At W&L, students enjoy small classes and close relationships with professors who educate and nurture.
Afshad Irani
Professor of Accounting and Head of the Department
- P: 540-458-8628
- E: irania@wlu.edu
Irani teaches courses in financial accounting. His research focuses on issues related to voluntary disclosure, earnings management, financial restatements, executive compensation, insider trading and standard setting.
Aliaa Bassiouny
Lawrence Term Associate Professor of Finance
Bassiouny’s teaching portfolio includes courses in managerial finance, investments, portfolio management, international finance, valuation and financial modeling. Her research interests include investments and empirical market microstructure with a focus on emerging markets.
Scott J. Boylan
Professor of Accounting
- P: 540-458-8585
- E: boylans@wlu.edu
Boylan teaches financial accounting and casino accounting. He has researched taxpayer compliance, tax complexity, investment decisions, and is now examining the casino industry’s historical influence on accounting practice.
Bryan Brockbank
Assistant Professor of Accounting
Brockbank teaches courses in the area of financial accounting, including introductory accounting and various topics of intermediate accounting.
Stephan Fafatas
Professor of Accounting
- P: 540-458-8222
- E: sfafatas@wlu.edu
Fafatas teaches courses in financial accounting and financial statement analysis. His research focuses primarily on issues in earnings quality and auditor reputation. He has also extensively researched W&L’s financial history.
Megan F. Hess
Associate Professor of Accounting
- P: 540-458-8370
- E: hessm@wlu.edu
Hess is a 1997 alumna who teaches courses in auditing, accounting ethics and corporate sustainability. Before becoming a professor, she spent 12 years working in the industry with a focus on investigating financial statement fraud.
Scott Hoover
A. Stevens Miles Professor of Banking and Finance
- P: 540-458-8178
- E: hoovers@wlu.edu
Hoover teaches courses in corporate finance and real estate, and his research relates to corporate social responsibility. He previously founded and managed a software company devoted to customized database software.
Elizabeth Oliver
Associate Dean of the Williams School and Lewis Whitaker Adams Professor in Commerce
- P: 540-458-8637
- E: olivere@wlu.edu
Oliver has been at W&L since 1991. She teaches courses in accounting research and corporate responsibility. She also runs the W&L London Internship Program, which combines classroom study with internship opportunities in London.
Ehi Rajsky
Assistant Professor of Accounting
- P: 540-458-8442
- E: irajsky@wlu.edu
Rajsky teaches the introductory tax class at the Williams School, and runs the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.
Colin Reid
Associate Professor of Accounting
- P: 540-458-8624
- E: reidc@wlu.edu
Prof. Reid teaches courses in financial accounting and corporate governance to help students understand how companies communicate and the framework in which business operates. He researches audit and corporate sustainability.
Lloyd Tanlu
Associate Professor of Accounting
- P: 540-458-8174
- E: ltanlu@wlu.edu
Lloyd teaches intermediate financial and cost accounting classes. He does research on performance evaluation, corporate governance, and management control systems.