Revitalizing Accounting Education: A Highly Applied Liberal Arts Approach

Abstract

This paper critically assesses the potential of the liberal arts to contribute to accounting education in the USA. I argue that the contribution that these disciplines can make through current institutional structures is quite limited and highly conflicted. A proposal is made to extract the essential skills that are believed to be produced by the liberal arts. These could be re-embedded in an accounting education that featured the classic professionalism model as a conceptual centerpiece. Consequences of such an approach are extended and limitations are recognized.

Keywords:

• Liberal arts
• skills-based education
• curricula
• professionalism