Accounting, known as “the language of business,” provides financial information that is useful for making a wide range of business decisions and is a crucial function for every business.
Commitment to research is an integral component of the Accounting department. Our faculty are academically respected and professionally qualified and actively produce and support basic and applied research. Faculty research and teaching expectations emphasize individual strengths, interests and career development through a coordinated program of peer review, support and counsel.
Our faculty pursue external service activities that enhance the student experience, departmental visibility, reputation and presence at the local, national and international levels. We are dedicated to service to the students, college and university that enhances the university's urban mission.
Degree Programs Heading link
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Underdraduate Degree
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Graduate Degrees
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PhD Program
Apply Here Undergraduate Admissions
Apply Here Graduate Admissions
Why Accounting? Heading link
Program Outcomes
About half of UIC Business Accounting graduates enter Public Accounting
- High average starting salaries for Accounting grads (~$60,000)
- Public Accounting provides excellent additional training and experience
- Many current controllers and CFOs started their careers in Public Accounting
“The CPA profession has … significantly lower rates of unemployment than the economy as a whole, even during tough economic times.” (AICPA, 2017)
Accounting and You
Accounting may be a good fit if you:
- Are analytical – you enjoy working with numbers and logic.
- Have good attention to detail – you relish “digging into” questions and really understanding the relevant data.
- Are willing to become a good communicator – accountants often have to explain complex issues in simple terms.
- Are interested in some day running a company – many top executives started out as accountants!
- To advance your career you may consider working towards a certification in accounting. Common certifications include:
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
- Certified Management Accountant (CMA)
- Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
- Certified Financial Analyst (CFA)
Accounting Club University of Illinois Chicago Heading link
The Accounting Club is a pre-professional and social club for Accounting and business majors. We hold the duty of bridging the gap between UIC accounting students and the recruiters who seek talented young individuals to hold positions within their firms. In addition, we hold events that focus on the development of professional skills, proficiencies not often taught in our university classrooms. Our efforts and events have the full support of the UIC Accounting Department and the College of Business Administration’s Career Services Office.The Accounting Club has a rich and deep-rooted history in our young campus; with over forty-five years of operation behind us, we are confident that we are more than able to meet your needs as students.
What can I do with an Accounting major? Heading link
This year’s Educator of the Year Award goes to someone who has thrived with their teaching delivery. Their innovative teaching methods, dedication to their students, and their passion for accounting have made them a role model for many aspiring accountants inside and outside the classroom. They are known for their ability to make complex accounting concepts easy to understand and their commitment to preparing their students for successful careers in the field with critical thinking. I am proud to announce the 2023 Educator of the Year: Assistant Professor, Vivek Raval.
| Accounting & IDS, Class of '23
UIC Business Accounting Research Conference Heading link
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2022 Accounting Conference
This conference was held under the auspices of the Dean’s Research Fund in cooperation with the Department of Accounting University of Illinois at Chicago
Featuring:
- Ana Albuquerque, Boston University, “Are ISS Recommendations Informative? Evidence from Assessments of Compensation Practices”
- Jason Chen, University of Illinois Chicago, “The Compounding of Accounting Estimates and Auditors Risk Premiums: Evidence from Unexplained Audit Fees ”
- Lakshmanan Shivakumar, London Business School, “Are CEOs Rewarded for Luck? Evidence from Corporate Tax Windfalls ”
- Bridget Stomberg, Indiana University, “How Tax Authorities’ Interest in Information Outside of Tax Returns Affects Corporate Communication: Insights from Tax Executives ”
- Clare Wang, University of Colorado, “ The Irrelevance of ESG Disclosure to Retail Investors: Evidence from Robinhood ”
- Charles Wasley, University of Rochester, “Fifty+ Years of Empirical Capital Markets Research in Accounting in “N” Pictures ”
2021 Accounting Conference
This conference was held under the auspices of the Dean’s Research Fund in cooperation with the Department of Accounting University of Illinois at Chicago
Featuring:
- Brian Bushee, University of Pennsylvania, “Co-opetition and the Firm’s Information Environment”
- Gary Chen, University of Illinois Chicago, “Income Taxes and Managerial Incentives: Evidence from Hedge Funds”
- Scott Dyreng, Duke University, “Tax Deficits and the Income Shifting of U.S. Multinationals”
- Eddie Riedl, Boston University, “Changes in Risk Factor Disclosures and the Variance Risk Premium”
- Jayanthi Sunder, University of Arizona, “Insider Trading Restrictions and Informed Trading in Peer Stocks”
2020 Accounting Conference
The 2020 Accounting Conference was not held due to Covid- 19.
2019 Accounting Conference
This conference was held under the auspices of the Dean’s Research Fund in cooperation with the Department of Accounting University of Illinois at Chicago
Featuring:
- Shane Dikolli, University of Virginia – Darden, “CFO Co-option and CEO Compensation”
- Yonca Ertimur, University of Colorado, “Tainted Executives as Outside Directors”
- Cristi Gleason, University of Iowa, “The Measurement of Quarterly Earnings: Integral Versus Discrete Method”
- Thomas Hemmer, Rice University, “Aggregation and Convexity in the Provision of Dynamic Incentives”
- Steven Savoy, University of Illinois Chicago, “Expected Economic Growth and Investment in Corporate Tax Planning”
- Regina Wittenberg, University of Southern California, “Lifting the Banking Veil: Credit Standards’ Harmonization through Lending Transparency”
2018 Accounting Conference
This conference was held Under the auspices of the Dean’s Research Fund in cooperation with the Department of Accounting University of Illinois at Chicago
Featuring:
- Jennifer Blouin, University of Pennsylvania, “Does Tax Planning Affect Organizational Complexity:Evidence from Check-the-Box”
- DJ Nanda, University of Miami, “The Relative Salience of Accounting Information in the Governance of Family Firms.”
- Vivek Raval, University of Illinois Chicago, “Implied Volatility Comovement and Insider Information Content”
- Katherine Schipper, Duke University, “The Last Chance to Improve Financial Reporting Reliability: Evidence from Recorded and Waived Audit Adjustments”
- Karen Sedatole, Emory University, “The Folly of Forecasting: The Effects of a Disaggregated Demand Forecasting System on Forecast Error, Forecast Positive Bias, Inventory Levels.”
- Beverly Walther, Northwestern University, “Do Brokerage Houses Exchange Stock Tips for Political Favors?”
2017 Accounting Conference
This conference was held Under the auspices of the Dean’s Research Fund in cooperation with the Department of Accounting University of Illinois at Chicago
Featuring:
- Ellen Engel, University of Illinois Chicago, “Money for Nothing? Using Expectations of Loss Persistence to Examine CEO Cash Compensation in Loss-Making Firms”
- Paul Hribar, University of Iowa, “Implied Confidence in Management Range Forecasts”
- Andrew Leone, University of Miami, “When Does the SEC Exercise Enforcement Leniency?”
- Edward Maydew, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, “U.S. Firms on Foreign (tax) Holidays”
- Maureen McNichols, Stanford University, “Increased Information Content of Earnings Announcements in the 21st Century: An Empirical Investigation?”
- Mohan Venkatachalam, Duke University, “The Changing landscape of accrual accounting: Implications for operating cash flow predictability. ”
Dean Michael Mikhail Will Return to the UIC Business Faculty Heading link
UIC Business would like to thank Dean Michael Mikhail for a decade of outstanding leadership and commitment to enriching the college. After completing two, five-year terms, Dean Mikhail will return to the Accounting faculty.
Dean Mikhail’s tenure has been defined by his ability to distinguish UIC Business as a premier academic college. For seven of the last nine years (2013-2021), UIC Business was ranked No. 1 among Chicago-area accredited schools for undergraduate business programs by U.S. News & World Report.[1] His efforts also led to several noteworthy additions to the college such as the new, strategic undergraduate cohort program and the Business Scholars program, a broad professional development curriculum to be completed in conjunction with the college’s traditional academic programs.