The School of Accountancy & MIS concluded its inaugural Transfer Scholars summer program in August. Eighteen students participated in the five-week program, which aims to help transfer students seamlessly transition to DePaul by giving them an opportunity to dive into their studies before the start of the academic year. The initiative is part of the school’s larger strategy to continue positioning DePaul as the premier choice for accounting transfer students.
Program participants took Financial Reporting, the first intermediate accounting course, twice a week in an accelerated format. They used the school’s tutoring lab as their main space throughout the summer, and were provided textbooks to use. Students met in the mornings for the content portion of the program, and in the afternoons took part in professional development and experiential learning activities.
Some of these activities included one-on-one career advising sessions with trained student mentors, and presentations from DePaul Career Center staff on career resources, like the university’s Alumni Sharing Knowledge Network (ASK). In addition, the group visited top accounting firms in Chicago, such as KPMG, RSM, and EY. The office visits included lunch, tours of the facilities, presentations and Q&As, and a chance to network with the DePaul alumni working at the firms.
Accounting Instructor Warren Ginsberg, who has more than 40 years of professional experience, taught the program’s Financial Reporting course. “This unique program provides students the opportunity to engage with course material and obtain a DePaul GPA before the school year even begins,” says Ginsberg. “The experience not only equips them with tools to succeed in their first year, but also prepares them for the accounting internship recruiting cycle.”
Blanca Castro, one of the student participants, agrees: “This program really helped ease my transition to DePaul. It made me feel like I’ve been a student here for a year already. These past five weeks opened my eyes to so many opportunities in the accounting profession that I didn’t even know existed.”