Science Journal of Education 2014; 2(1): 12-21 Published online March 10, 2014 (http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/sjedu) doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20140201.13 The perceived gap between academics and professionals about accounting education system in Iran Bita Mashayekhi, Roya Mohammadi Faculty of Management, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Email address: mashaykhi@ut.ac.ir (B. Mashayekhi) To cite this article: Bita Mashayekhi, Roya Mohammadi. The Perceived Gap Between Academics and Professionals about Accounting Education System in Iran. Science Journal of Education. Vol. 2, No. 1, 2014, pp. 12-21. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20140201.13 Abstract: The spread and acceptance of globalization and the great improvements in the information technology has caused incredible changes in the state of business. These changes have brought about new challenges not only in accounting as a career but also in its education. Schools educating future accountants are responsible for causing the gaps between adoptive skills in the universities and the perceived skills in the profession and worldwide markets. This research tries to identify the challenges that accounting education brings in educating students in regard to possessing knowledge and skill at a competitive level in response to the market’s needs. These challenges justify why the competitive skills of the accountants must improve. Accounting education in its current situation and the skill level of the graduates of the field is not parallel to what is needed in the dynamic atmosphere of the world’s trade. That is why it is necessary to search for a plan in order to fill the gap between adoptive knowledge and skills and the expected knowledge and skills so that it prepares the students facing the challenges in the new state of the global business. In this paper, accounting education challenges are scientifically investigated and a strategic plan is proposed in order to overcome them. This issue is addressed first by considering the curriculum of prominent universities around the world and then by evaluating the current Iranian curriculum for the accounting major at the master level using questionnaires. Keywords: Accounting Education, Curriculum, Accounting Profession 1. Introduction Accounting education is so important that its economic effects are indescribable and the result of which is like a path that leads to the advancement of the management of the society and economic development. The gradual perfection of accounting in education and as a career started decades ago. Over time many changes in social- economic factors and in technology has put the teachers and those working in the field under pressure to overcome the new needs. Promoting the accounting curriculum has always drawn the attention of the industrial countries of the west to itself and other systems such as the application of computers have been added to the syllabus. The syllabus for this major in any country must be compiled according to the country’s social-economic factors and based on the carried out research and the needed investments. In this way it can truly answer the needs of the society. According to the belief that promoting knowledge and science is possible mostly through education, to promote accounting in Iran, the education of accounting should be considered very important. At this time no university or for that matter no faculty in our country has described their task or taken action in order to fulfill those tasks. It is the same in the graduate program. The output of an accounting system must be able to overcome the needs of consumers (people hiring and employing graduates). To make sure these needs are met, the input to the accounting organization should be revised. One of these inputs is the accounting education. In this research, with regard to the importance of education, especially with the changes in the world of business, the author has tried to provide an analysis of the current system of education for accounting at the MA level. In this analysis, the probable flaws are stated and in order to eliminate them some suggestions are made. 2. Statement of the Problem Research and investigation is important in every academic field of study. One of the main branches of research which is very popular among academics is