The University of Utah Asia Campus announced this summer that two majors from the David Eccles School of Business – Accounting and Information Systems – will be added to its curriculum beginning in the fall of 2022.
In anticipation of the new programs’ arrival, the U Asia Campus’s senior public relations specialist, June-Young Lee, visited the Salt Lake City campus to speak with President Taylor Randall in July.
The following story includes excerpts from their interview.
Q. Can you tell us more about the Accounting and Information Systems programs?
We are excited that the U Asia campus will host Accounting and Information Systems.
Accounting has long been one of our best departments in the entire David Eccles School of Business. Their alumni are in renowned firms both nationally and internationally and have gone on to become CEOs and CFOs of major corporations. According to the Public Accounting Report, our accounting major ranks in the top 25 of all U.S. university accounting programs.
Our Information Systems group is the fastest growing group in the David Eccles School of Business, as well. Information systems play a pivotal role in our society, as is evident from our dependence on technologies and backend systems like databases, data analytics, and artificial intelligence. All entities, from governments to private businesses, need a labor force with IT skill sets to build and maintain these systems. Hence, the demand for graduates from the Information Systems program with these skills is high, and will remain so for the foreseeable future.
Q. The David Eccles School of Business is nationally-renowned as one of the best business schools in the U.S. What was your key to success during your time as dean of the Business School?
I believe the success of the David Eccles School of Business over the last 12 years has been the responsibility of its people. We focused intensely on the people. We made sure that we attracted and kept the best and brightest faculty in the world. And then, we went out and recruited the best and brightest students.
Q. What is the employment rate of students who graduate from the Eccles Business School?
In Utah, graduates of the Accounting program go on to work in a variety of fields and with top companies such as Deloitte, KPMG, and Grant Thorton with 98% job placement and an average starting salary of $56,000. Information Systems graduates are also hired into all kinds of organizations, from large firms like Microsoft and Google to medium and small businesses, with 92% job placement and an average starting salary of $63,500.
Q. What is your plan for the U Asia Campus in the future?
Since the U Asia Campus opened in 2014, its enrollment has steadily increased every year. In order to meet our increasing students’ demands, we try to add new departments and programs to the Asia campus curriculum each year.
We have established two majors, Accounting and Information Systems this year, but we’ve also been offering minor programs in Games since last year. The University of Utah’s Games program is ranked at the top among universities in the U.S. Korea’s reputation as the gaming capital of the world offers Games students unique opportunities.
We will continue to work toward an environment where students from both campuses can freely travel between locations and interact with each other.
About the U Asia Campus
The University of Utah Asia Campus provides the opportunity for students to earn a University of Utah degree while living and learning in South Korea.
Students study at the U Asia Campus for three years, then move to the Salt Lake City Campus for one year, where they receive the same diploma as U students in the U.S.
Students enrolled at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City can spend up to two semesters at the U Asia Campus at the in-state tuition rate. Classes are taught in English by U faculty, and show up directly on student transcripts.
Currently, the University of Utah Asia Campus operates eight undergraduate major programs: Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Psychology, Communication, Film & Media Arts, Urban Ecology, Accounting, and Information Systems. Additionally, six minor programs are offered: Games, Strategic Communication, Documentary Studies, Leadership Studies, Psychology, and Urban Ecology.
To learn more about applying to the U Asia Campus directly, visit asiacampus.utah.edu.
Salt Lake students interested in spending time at the U Asia Campus should visit global.utah.edu/asiacampus, or reach out to Learning Abroad.