The Bellarmine University Student Accounting Association and the accounting faculty provide extensive access to and interaction with potential professional employers, from the freshman year through graduation, career placement, and commencement of students' careers. We have a very active Accounting Association. Students join the association at the beginning of their freshman year and attend as many functions as possible. The firms, companies, and government agencies that recruit interns and graduates are the guest speakers at meetings and provide social gatherings throughout the year. Recruiters expect that students will attend these events if they are interested in later employment. Officers of the association schedule the meetings, social events, and recruiting activities with the firms. This is a major advantage in obtaining the best positions after graduation.

Bellarmine accounting students have the opportunity to obtain part-time internships with CPA firms, corporations, and government agencies (freshmen through seniors) and competitive one semester full-time internships with CPA firms (juniors and seniors). These paid internships provide students with professional accounting experience and employment opportunities upon graduation. The Kentucky State Board of Accountancy grants partial work-experience credit for internships in either public or non-public accounting or auditing, if the internship is under the supervision of a CPA, and if the student's employment after graduation is in the same field. Students should provide the faculty with a current resume prior to starting their freshman year and at the end of each school year, thereafter. Currently, we have more internships available than we can fill. We will attempt to place you in several internships, with progressively higher responsibilities and compensation during your college career.

The most recent Bellarmine University graduating class received offers ranging from approximately $30,000 to $47,000 per year. Several firms are paying $2,000 - $5,000 signing bonuses. Some companies are contributing up to $10,000 for graduate tuition. Salary differentials are due to size and type of firm or business, grade point average, and internship experience. Public accounting, particularly "Big 4", and large businesses pay higher salaries. According to the Robert Half 2003 Salary Guide (nationwide) public accounting positions paid: entry $39,000-$42,000, senior $42,000-$61,000 and manager $52,000-$117,000. In Big 4 firms, new partners earn approximately $225,000 and the average partner earns in excess of $500,000 per year. Corporate accounting positions paid: entry $30,000-$41,000, senior $41,000-$62,000, and manager $48,000-$79,000. Controllers earn $57,000-$147,000 and Chief Financial Officers earn $85,000-$354,000.