While building a successful career in accounting, Mark Carruthers was longing to return to college and add a higher education component to his experience.
“I had been wanting to get more education for a long time, but the timing wasn’t right,” he said. “I was raising four kids and working. As schools started doing more and more online classes, it looked good for my situation. Then, I found Boise State.”
Carruthers is enrolled in Boise State University’s online Master of Science in Accountancy, Foundations program. He plans to graduate in 2026.
“The classes are rigorous,” he said. “With my busy lifestyle with work and family, I am able to put in as much time as I need to learn the information thoroughly by taking one class at a time. I am really enjoying that. I’m learning a ton. It’s been helpful at my current job, too. A lot of what I am learning is applicable.”
A senior accountant at the Denver Foundation, Carruthers is also a recipient of the College of Business and Economics’ Signature Student award in spring 2024.
“That was fun,” he said. “I didn’t know what it was until I won it. I got an email that said I had been selected. It’s pretty cool. It’s nice to be recognized for your hard work.”
The Master of Science in Accountancy, Foundations program allowed Carruthers to complete foundational prerequisites without an undergraduate degree in accounting.
“I found the program pretty quickly, but I looked at a few other schools,” he said. “One school I looked at was more expensive and the accounting degree was not as robust as Boise State’s.
“I didn’t see anything like Boise State’s Foundations program, where I would end up with a master’s degree and cover all of the classes, anywhere else.”
Cha-ching
Carruthers is from San Diego, but he stayed in the Denver area after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from the University of Colorado in 1990.
“I fell into accounting — it wasn’t what I chose,” he said. “I left one job and was looking for something else. I ended up trying accounting through a temp agency. I stayed at the same company for 25 years. I like accounting a lot.”
Since enrolling at Boise State in May 2021, Carruthers has been able to blend school in with his busy schedule because of the asynchronous online format.
“It seems like the program is made for me and my situation,” he said. “I’m in Denver, and it’s all online. I can do it at my own pace. I typically work on schooling at night after my wife goes to bed. I’m a night person anyway. I will spend some time on the weekends, too. Some classes take more time than others. Corporate Tax Law took a lot of time.
“I also like the accounting program’s AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation. The pricing was reasonable. The program is a great value.”
So far, Accounting Information Systems is Carruthers’ favorite course in the online Master of Science in Accountancy, Foundations curriculum.
“I’ve always liked data analytics and learning computer programs,” he said. “I learned a lot of different things in that class. That’s the undergrad-type of class; I will also be taking the advanced one, which I am looking forward to.
“The program definitely fills in some gaps. I know about some of the information, but some of it shows me how it fits in with other things I am learning, or why we did something a certain way years ago, things I learned from our CPA firm that would do our tax return. I didn’t get the big picture until now. I understand it a lot better.”
Opening doors
During his time back in school, Carruthers has had plenty of motivation to stay the course from his wife, Denise, and children, Kyle (31), Rachel (28), Jared (26) and Sam (25).
“They’re proud of me,” he said. “They have been very encouraging and supportive. Three of the kids have graduated from college, while the other one has one year left. I plan to walk at commencement when I graduate from Boise State.”
Carruthers, who enjoys hiking in the mountains during his free time, is not eyeing a specific role once he has a master’s degree. But he looks forward to seeing future career opportunities come to fruition. He became a senior accountant earlier this year.
“I want to be open to whatever possibilities present themselves,” he said. “Since I have been at the Denver Foundation for almost four years, I like the nonprofit world.
“I’d like to stay in that and possibly become a controller or be equipped for any role in the nonprofit world. Having this master’s degree will help create those opportunities.”
Although he had been out of school for more than 30 years, Carruthers said the online format is ideal for anybody hoping to earn a degree.
“I’d say don’t be afraid to get started,” he said. “When I started the program, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it, to be able to go back to school and learn well. Once I started, I realized I could. The timetable doesn’t matter, so step in and go for it.”
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