Calvin is expanding its graduate programming to include a master of accounting (MAcc). The new offering is Calvin’s third graduate-level program.

Available fall 2017, the nine-month MAcc allows accounting students to earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting within five years. Non-accounting majors can also combine their undergraduate major with MAcc, provided they meet the program’s prerequisites.

The move is in line with the college’s strategic plan, which speaks to the college’s intentions to create and implement new programs consistent with the college’s mission and that prepare students to be effective participants and leaders in the places where they live and work. Market demand and a shift in the scope and complexity of the CPA Exam also were contributing factors in the decision to build on the undergraduate accounting program’s success.

One of the ways to measure that success is on the CPA Exam, where in the past five years, nearly 68 percent of Calvin graduates passed on their first attempt (18 percent higher than the national average), a feat that has put Calvin in the top 25 nationally among medium-size CPA programs for four of the last five years.