St. John’s Named an IAEP Center for Internal Audit Excellence Program

The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) has announced that St. John’s University’s Internal Auditing Education Partnership (IAEP) program has been endorsed as an IAEP Center for Internal Audit Excellence Program.

According to IIA, colleges at the Center for Internal Audit Excellence Program level must offer a curriculum that consists of at least four courses related to the internal audit profession and equate to a concentration, a minor, or a major within a specific academic discipline.

St. John’s is one of only nine programs in the world with this distinction.

“Participation in the IAEP program identifies St. John’s as a forward-thinking university that recognizes the importance of the internal audit profession as a career choice,” said Rudrik Du Bruyn, Academic Relations Committee Chairman, IIA. “The University’s commitment to support an internal audit curriculum is commendable.”

The University first became affiliated with IIA in 2015, under the coordination of David Y. Chan, Ph.D., ’01TCB, ’04MS, Associate Professor, Department of Accountancy.

“St. John’s University’s recognition as a Center for Internal Audit Excellence provides assurance to our students, employers, and other stakeholders about the quality of our academic program,” said Dr. Chan.

“The recognition provides us with a unique distinction in the profession as being a leader for developing the next generation of internal auditors.”

The IAEP program was developed to respond to the growing interest in internal audit education at institutions of higher learning. The program also addresses a general need of practitioners interested in hiring graduates who possess a well-rounded skill set for conducting internal auditing.

Currently, there are 49 universities in 14 countries in IIA’s endorsed IAEP program.

“I am proud of the dedication and leadership demonstrated by Associate Professor David Chan, Ph.D., in taking St. John’s to the next level in the area of internal auditing,” said Norean R. Sharpe, Ph.D., Dean, Joseph H. and Maria C. Schwartz Distinguished Chair, and Professor of Decision Sciences, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business.

In a recent profile (PDF) by IAEP, St. John’s alumnus James Chotiyanonta ’17TCB, ’18MBA praised the program for giving him a comprehensive understanding of the field. “IAEP program participation provided exposure to an unparalleled network of internal audit professionals that I would not have access to anywhere else,” he said. “(It) allowed me to really understand the profession itself.”

Mr. Chotiyanonta is currently a senior financial analyst at Columbia University.

The IAEP program prepares students with the skills and knowledge to help them conduct basic internal audits immediately upon hire, as well as provide a foundation to begin preparing for the Certified Internal Auditor® examination.