This week we went into overtime as we wrapped up our MPAcc March Madness event series with a final accounting faculty spotlight featuring Dr. Andrew Holt.
Dr. Holt has been at MSU Denver since moving to the United States from the United Kingdom in 2012. After sharing a bit about his academic and professional background, we jumped right into talking about accounting theory and its importance to all accounting professionals:
“Accounting theory entails thinking about accounting as less scientific in foundation and more of a social construction. It changes as society changes. The answer of how to best account for something could depend on who the user is and the context of the situation, what the ultimate purpose is behind the accounting.” – Andrew Holt
Dr. Holt teaches our undergraduate international accounting course (ACC 3750) and our graduate accounting theory course (ACCM 5510). In his graduate accounting theory course, it is common for there to be lively debate and discussion echoing throughout the hall. It is an interactive environment where students engage with the material and truly learn from each other as everyone shares their unique perspective. There is a flipped classroom component where students form groups and take turns leading an interactive seminar throughout the term.
“As an accounting professional, you need to think about what are the alternatives to determine which is the best approach to account for a certain set of transactions. Understanding accounting theory and all of the different ways to account for a situation really makes you a better accountant.” – Andrew Holt
Thank you Andrew for taking some time to share your insights – always fun to have concepts illustrated through UK football clubs!