Rocky Mountain Launches Integrated Accounting Degree Path
Billings accounting firms gain a four-year route to both a bachelor's and master's, with internships built into every student's path.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Internships
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Rocky Mountain College has launched an integrated Bachelor's and Master of Accountancy path that totals 120 credits over four years, with 90 undergraduate and 30 graduate credits. Students graduate with both a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy, and operators hiring accounting talent in the Billings region gain a new pipeline of candidates.
Why it matters
The structure is aimed at students who already expect accounting or quantitative business to be part of their future, and it can save a full year of graduate tuition compared with a traditional five-year route. For firms that depend on a steady supply of staff accountants, a program that pairs coursework with a required internship for every student offers a more predictable intake of candidates.
The integrated path totals 120 credits over four years, split 90 undergraduate and 30 graduate, and can save a full year of graduate tuition relative to a five-year route. Rocky's Master of Accountancy students ranked 12th out of 291 small-program institutions nationwide in 2024 NASBA data, and 17 of 17 responding graduates from 2022 through 2025 were employed or continuing their education.
The players
Rocky Mountain College
A private liberal arts college in Billings, Montana, offering business and accounting programs to undergraduate and graduate students.
Eide Bailly
A national accounting and advisory firm with a regional presence that hires interns and staff accountants from college programs.
Wipfli
A national accounting and consulting firm that recruits accounting interns and graduates across its regional offices.
Anderson ZurMuehlen
A regional accounting firm in Billings, now operating as Pinion, that employs accounting graduates and interns.
NASBA
The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, which publishes national CPA exam pass rate data used to compare accounting programs.
The details
Students begin as first-year undergraduates in a business-focused curriculum and move into graduate-level Master of Accountancy coursework as they progress. Every student in the integrated path completes an internship for academic credit, with employers including Eide Bailly, Wipfli and Anderson ZurMuehlen in Billings and across the region. One graduate, Wesley Harshbarger '22, began in public accounting at Anderson ZurMuehlen, now Pinion.
Timeline
2022 through 2025: Career Services survey shows 17 of 17 responding graduates employed or continuing education.
2024: NASBA data ranks Rocky's Master of Accountancy first in Montana for first-time CPA exam pass rate and 12th nationally among small programs.
November 5, 2026: Rocky Mountain College reports the launch of the integrated accountancy path.
Market Landscape
The program's 120-credit structure sits against the 150-credit education requirement that state boards of accountancy have long used to set CPA licensure, and it compresses the path into four years. Rocky's NASBA results place it in the national conversation about how small accounting programs compete for talent against larger universities.
Operators who hire accounting staff in Billings should consider reaching out to Rocky Mountain College's career services about the pipeline of interns and graduates from the integrated path. Firms that rely on internships should factor the program's required internship component into their recruiting calendar.
The takeaway
The integrated path offers a predictable source of accounting graduates with internship experience already built in, which may suit firms planning staffing a year or more ahead. Operators should review how the program's internship structure fits their recruiting timeline and track future NASBA rankings for the program's continued performance.
Further reading
Explore more internship opportunities in the Billings area for students weighing accounting careers.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Albany Democrat-Herald.
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