UC Berkeley Takes Top Prize at Deloitte Foundation's National Case Study Competition for Accounting Students

WILTON, Conn., April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of accounting students from the University of California, Berkeley took top honors at the 16th annual National Student Case Study Seminar, sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation, the not-for-profit arm of Deloitte LLP.  Competing in Scottsdale, Ariz. against five other national finalist schools from across the country, the winners demonstrated a solid understanding of the critical financial accounting issues found in a real world business case study.  Each winning team member will receive a $2,000 scholarship and their school will receive $10,000 in support of its accounting program.

Accounting students from the University of Wisconsin – Madison placed second in the competition and will receive a $1,000 scholarship for each student and $5,000 for the school's accounting department.  Teams from the University of Houston, Michigan State University, Morehouse College and University of Southern California also competed in the National Student Case Study Seminar.  Each school garnered a $500 scholarship per team member and $2,500 per institution.

"The National Student Case Study Seminar is one of the most important ways we support the development of the next generation of accounting talent," said Shaun Budnik, president of the Deloitte Foundation and partner, Deloitte LLP. "Through this program we are working to help students further develop the technical and analytical skills necessary to be successful in our profession. All of this year's participants performed well and should be very proud of their accomplishments."

With the support of a dedicated faculty advisor and a Deloitte manager, teams of undergraduate accounting students worked to identify, define and solve the challenges of complex accounting case studies. Each student team presented their recommendations to a panel of active and retired Deloitte partners, who assumed the roles of a client company's senior management or audit committee members.  At the seminar's conclusion, the panel selected the student team that best outlined the relevant issues and most effectively presented their case.   "The National Student Case Study Seminar provides students a great deal of exposure to the challenges that face today's accounting professionals and helps to prepare them for their future careers," said UC Berkeley Professor Maria Nondorf.  "While the competition requires the use of technical accounting knowledge, it also touches upon non-technical areas, such as presentation, teaming and interpersonal skills, that are necessary to be effective when serving clients.  This seminar along with the Deloitte Foundation's overall commitment to advancing accounting education play an integral role in the education and development of our students."

The National Student Case Study Seminar is an educational event sponsored by the Deloitte Foundation through contributions from retired partners, principals and directors of Deloitte LLP and its affiliates  Others Foundation-sponsored programs include the Doctoral Fellowship Program, the American Accounting Association/Deloitte/J. Michael Cook Doctoral Consortium, the Robert M. Trueblood Seminars for Professors, the National MBA Case Competition, the Deloitte Tax Case Study Competition, the Deloitte/Federation of Schools of Accountancy Faculty Consortium, and the Tax Faculty Symposium.  

About the Deloitte Foundation

The Deloitte Foundation is a not-for-profit organization that supports teaching, research, and curriculum innovation in accounting, business, and related fields within the U.S. The Foundation, founded in 1928, supports an array of national programs, which are relevant to a variety of professional services, and which benefit middle/high school students, undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty.  For more information, please visit the Deloitte Foundation web page at www.deloitte.com/us/df.

As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries.

SOURCE Deloitte