UNI graduates among top scorers of CPA exam in Iowa

UNI graduates among top scorers of CPA exam in Iowa

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa - The Iowa Society of CPAs has honored Bryce Hasselman and Derek R. Koppes, recent UNI graduates who achieved among the highest scores for the Certified Professional Accountant (CPA) exam in the state of Iowa. The organization presented Capstone Awards to Hasselman and Koppes to recognize this achievement in early May. 

Bryce Hasselman and Derek R. Koppes with their Capstone Awards

The achievement once again affirms the quality of the graduates of the David W. Wilson College of Business, which has a long history of preparing accounting students for success with the CPA exam. UNI ranks in the top 10 for CPA exam success nationwide, and is the top-ranked institution for CPA exam success in the state of Iowa according to a report in Accounting Today.

“We are immensely proud of Bryce and Derek for their exceptional accomplishments,” said Joe Ugrin, head of the Department of Accounting. “They epitomize the caliber of graduates we have coming out of the Wilson College of Business and the Department of Accounting, specifically. We will be excited to see where their careers take them. The sky is the limit with their UNI degrees!”

UNI is a preferred choice for the top five accounting firms and boasts alums serving as C-suite executives all around the world. Hasselman and Koppes are now employed at Deloitte and KPMG respectively.

“I am very thankful to have chosen UNI. I can’t speak highly enough about the accounting program and the amazing professors leading the program,” said Hasselman, a tax consultant for Deloitte. “I credit my success on the CPA exams and receiving the Capstone Award to the excellent CPA review program UNI has in place. I was extremely well prepared and supported throughout the exam process thanks to this program. I strongly believe UNI has one of the best accounting programs in the country, and that played a huge part in developing me into the professional I am today.”

Koppes, a financial due diligence professional for KPMG, agrees. “I have a vast network of peers, professors, alumni and supporters in the Wilson College of Business that motivated and assisted me greatly while I was a student and still remain valuable resources as a young professional. I would not have been able to enjoy many achievements while I was a student at UNI without the many individuals who helped me along the way!”

Global accounting firms actively recruit on the UNI campus and put graduates from the Wilson College of Business at the top of the application list. Because of the exceptional education students receive at UNI, graduates are career ready, boasting 100% career placement.