The college began with the founding of the Walsh Institute of Accountancy and the introduction of the Pace Accounting Method, at the time an innovative way of teaching accounting. Mervyn B. Walsh, a certified public accountant, purchased a Pace & Pace franchise to offer the Pace Accounting Method exclusively in Detroit. He founded the Walsh Institute of Accountancy on July 7, 1922, and on September 18 of that year, 23 students were enrolled in the first courses at the institute. When Mervyn Walsh retired in 1965, the State of Michigan had adopted a new bachelor's degree requirement for candidates to sit for the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination. At this time, Michigan's community college system was developing and a pivotal decision was made to build upon, rather than compete with, the community colleges by becoming an upper-division college. On December 31, 1968, Walsh Institute became an upper-division college offering a business education to juniors and seniors who had finished two years of college. The new Walsh College of Accountancy and Business Administration forged partnerships with Oakland and Macomb community colleges and in 1970 broke ground for a 10,000-square-foot building in Troy, Michigan, near both colleges. Community college partnerships continued to flourish over the next two decades, and business leaders were invited to teach and develop curriculum. The college offered its first bachelor's degrees, a Bachelor of Accountancy and Bachelor of Business Administration, in 1970. The first graduate degree, the Master of Science in Taxation, was offered in 1974. The following year, the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools accredited Walsh College. Over the next several years, Walsh introduced Master of Science degrees in Professional Accountancy, Finance, and Management. During the 1990s, the College continued to enlarge its facilities, offer classes at other locations in metropolitan Detroit, and introduce new degrees and online technology. The Master of Science in Information Management and Communication degree was introduced in 1996. In 1998 the Novi campus was opened and the Master of Business Administration degree was introduced. The first online courses were offered in 1998. In 2001, the NCA granted Walsh College approval to offer full online degree programs and provided the College with a full ten-year extension on its accreditation. The first fully online degree, the Master of Science in Information Assurance, was offered in 2005. Walsh information assurance curriculum maps to industry standards as well as National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security specifications. Since 2003, these agencies have renewed the college's designation as a U.S. Center of Academic Excellence for Information Assurance Education. In 2006, the NCA gave the college approval to offer its first doctoral degree, the Doctor of Management in Executive Leadership. In the fall of 2007, the first student cohort entered the program. The college also received national recognition in April 2010 for a major grant to promote entrepreneurship among students and alumni. The Blackstone Charitable Foundation of New York announced that it had selected Walsh College and Detroit's Wayne State University to share a $2 million grant to initiate Blackstone LaunchPad.
Community
Walsh College assists the community in ongoing volunteer efforts: Blackwell Institute in Detroit, Capuchin Soup Kitchen,, Gleaners, U.S. Marines, and Vets Returning Home, Inc.
Awards
In 2017, Walsh College was honored by the American School & University 2017 Educational Interiors Showcase in the Collegiate Citation and Administrative Areas/Office categories.
Campus locations
The college has two main campuses in Troy and Novi and offers classes at two other university center locations, as well as online. Classes are also offered in Clinton Township, Macomb County, Michigan at the University Center at Macomb Community College, and in Port Huron at the University Center at St. Clair County Community College.
