Abstract In the teaching of accounting systems one finds that it is often difficult for the student to see the practical application of the accounting theories discussed in the classroom. No doubt this is due largely to the lack of practical experience on the part of the student. Some schools overcome this handicap by arranging for part time work in the accounting departments of local business concerns. Other schools find this arrangement impossible, due to the scarcity of such business concerns or the general policies of the college or university. This lack of experience may be at least partially overcome by means of the written report, which may be used to supplement the course in accounting systems. In this report the undergraduate may select a business concern either in the college community or elsewhere, usually near his own home, and make a first hand study of the accounting system of that business. The outline is given to the student early in the semester and soon afterwards he is asked to name the kind of business in which he is interested and on which he would like to make a report.

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to show the growth of instruction in accounting in the U.S. universities and colleges from 1900 to the present, as of June 1927. The interest in accounting has also grown rapidly in secondary schools, normal schools, and foreign schools in this same period, but the scope of this study is restricted to the U.S. universities and colleges. The year 1900 was selected as a starting point because instruction in accounting prior to that time was not very important. In fact, even during the first few years following 1900 there was not much development in accounting instruction in the universities; and in such work as was given the art and science of bookkeeping were emphasized rather than the fundamental principles of accounting. In order to determine the extent of this growth a study was made of the courses in accounting as shown by the catalogues of forty two of the leading universities and colleges. In this study the catalogues were carefully examined for each year from 1900 to 1926, inclusive. In addition, in order to determine definitely the growth in the number of schools giving courses in accounting, the catalogues of seventy-five additional universities and colleges were studied for the year 1900, 101 for 1910, 303 for 1916, and 575 for 1926.