On August 1, the AICPA and all 54 State CPA Societies, including Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA), sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requesting DHS recognize accounting under the “T” for Technology in Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) education.

The letter specifically requested that the “Accounting” Classification of Instructional Program (CIP) code be added to DHS’s STEM Designated Degree Program List. Included with the letter is an extensive whitepaper laying out the case in detail as to why accounting has always been and should be formally designated as a STEM profession by the federal government.

The whitepaper leans heavily into the new skills accounting students are acquiring to both use existing tools AND to develop new technology tools that drive change and advancement in the accounting profession. We anticipate DHS will release the updated STEM CIP code list next summer.