The Kelley School of Business Indianapolis has named Susan Cauble its first Director of Graduate Accounting Programs.
“I’m extremely excited to take the next step in developing the graduate accounting and taxation programs at Kelley Indianapolis,” said Cauble. “This new role is really going to provide the opportunity to focus on the strategy needed to grow the programs.”
Cauble joined Kelley Indianapolis in 2006 following a stint as a staff accountant and recruiter for Indianapolis-based accounting firm L.M. Henderson & Company. She received her undergraduate degree in accounting and finance from Kelley Indianapolis in 2003. She earned her master’s in accounting, also at Kelley, in 2006 before sitting for and successfully passing the CPA exam.
Under Cauble’s leadership as assistant director, enrollment in the Kelley Indianapolis graduate accounting programs has doubled. Currently, more than 200 students are enrolled, with approximately 85 graduating each year with either a Master of Science in Accounting or a Master of Science in Taxation.
“Susan has great ideas for continuing to grow the program in both numbers and quality,” said Philip L. Cochran, Kelley’s executive associate dean–Indianapolis and the Thomas W. Binford Chair of Corporate Citizenship. “We have one of the state’s top graduate accounting programs, and much of that credit goes to Susan’s tireless efforts and commitment to accounting education.”
Cauble’s first order of business will be to develop two new paths for obtaining graduate accounting degrees. Students who finish the soon-to-be-announced 3+1 and 4+1 programs will graduate with bachelor’s and master’s degrees and will have completed the 150 hours necessary to sit for the CPA exam.
Cauble’s initial focus once the programs are off the ground will be to recruit freshmen who are direct admits to Kelley Indianapolis.
“We believe the 4+1 will allow us to draw in the top candidates,” Cauble said. “For some reason, the GMAT is an intimidating test for many people, and we will waive it if they’ve attained a high enough GPA.”
As the accounting job market becomes more competitive, Cauble thinks students who earn a graduate degree will have an advantage over their peers when it comes to sitting for the CPA exam and finding full-time jobs.
“We hope that employers will see that the best candidates are those with MSA degrees,” Cauble said. “Master’s-trained candidates have the technical skills the market demands and the business insights employers need.”