Graduate Bulletin
Document Number 3.01.01

ACCOUNTANCY

[1] Objectives

The Department of Accounting in UCA's College of Business Administration offers a Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program designed to provide a fifth year of accounting education to prepare students for careers in professional accounting.

The objective of the program is to give students greater breadth and depth of accounting knowledge and, if desired, a specialization in taxation. The program provides the academic background needed to begin a professional accounting career. Outstanding employment opportunities in public accounting, industry, and government await graduates of the Master of Accountancy program.

The MAcc program is a comprehensive program that develops students' conceptual and technical accounting competence, communication skills, research and analytical abilities, and leadership skills. The UCA MAcc focuses on the common body of knowledge recommended by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and builds on the traditional undergraduate accounting courses. Consequently, graduates are well prepared to sit for and pass the CPA exam. However, UCA takes students beyond the knowledge required on the CPA exam. Students learn the theory behind accounting and auditing procedures so they can adapt to an ever changing environment. The program encourages life-long learning and is unique in two respects: (1) The UCA MAcc teaches leadership through a course that focuses on the application of leadership in business and accounting organizations. (2) The program also requires a case studies course in which students learn to use multiple resources to solve management and accounting problems.

[2] Admission Requirements

Admission to the Master of Accountancy program is based on the applicant's undergraduate record and score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Requirements include:

Baccalaureate degree in accounting from accredited institution*
Undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.7 or above; or a Grade Point (GPA) of 3.0 in last 60 hours
Submission of a score of 450 or above on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
Index minimum: 1000 when computed on overall GPA or last 60 hours of study.
Index formula: GPA × 200 + GMAT = Index.
A TOEFL (Test of English as a Second Language) score of 550 on paper version or 213 on computerized version for students whose first language is not English.

*In lieu of a baccalaureate degree in accounting, an applicant may be admitted by presenting a baccalaureate degree in another field and credit in the following undergraduate courses or their equivalents (42 hours total):

Intermediate Accounting (6 hours)
Cost Accounting (3 hours)
Individual Taxation (3 hours)
Auditing (3 hours)
Non-Profit and Governmental Accounting (3 hours)
Microeconomics (3 hours)
Macroeconomics (3 hours)
Management (3 hours)
Marketing (3 hours)
Principles of Finance (3 hours)
Statistics (3 hours)
Business Law (3 hours)
Introduction to Management Information Systems (3 hours)

Additionally students must fulfill all general requirements for graduate admission as required by the Graduate School.

[3] Petition for Candidacy

In the semester following the completion of nine semester hours of graduate work the student must apply for candidacy for the Accountancy degree. Courses taken prior to applying for candidacy will be used toward the degree provided they are appropriate for the program and were approved by the Graduate Coordinator. The Petition of Candidacy must include all courses completed and to be taken for completion of degree and the semester and year in which course was/will be taken.

[4] Degree Requirements

The Master of Accountancy requires 30 hours of course work beyond the baccalaureate degree, of which at least 24 hours must be in courses open only to graduate students (6000 level courses). A concentration in taxation may be obtained by completing nine hours of electives in taxation courses offered by the department. Courses will be scheduled so that a full-time student will be able to complete the program in one academic year.

[5] Curriculum

[5.1] Courses Required of All Students (18 hours)

ACCT 6309 Tax Research and Planning
ACCT 6310 Advanced Accounting Theory
ACCT 6317 Seminar in Auditing
ACCT 6320 Seminar in Accounting Information Systems
ACCT 6340 Seminar in Case Studies in Accounting
ACCT 6350 Seminar in Accounting Leadership

[5.2] Electives (12 hours)

ACCT 5312 Advanced Accounting (see Note A)
ACCT 5316 Advanced Income Tax (see Note A)

ACCT 6325 International Accounting and Auditing

ACCT 6390 Special Problems in Accounting
MBA 6301 Decision Modeling in Information Systems
MBA 6302 Accounting for Management Decisions (see Note B)
MBA 6303 Managerial Economics
MBA 6305 Financial Decision Making
MBA 6306 Legal Environment for Business Managers (see Note B)
MBA 6307 Entrepreneurship: The Act of Wealth Creation
MBA 6308 Marketing Strategy
MBA 6320 Strategic Management

MBA 6325 Organizational Behavior

MBA 6330 Operations Management

[5.3] Concentration in Taxation

A concentration in taxation requires that the following electives be completed:

ACCT 6319 Corporations and Shareholder Taxation
ACCT 6329 Partnership and S-Corporation Taxation
ACCT 6339 Estate and Gift Taxation

Note A: ACCT 5312 Advanced Accounting and ACCT 5316 Advanced Income Tax are open to graduate and undergraduate students. Students not completing equivalent courses in their undergraduate program are required to complete ACCT 5312 and ACCT 5316 in their master's program. The courses will be allowed for graduate credit only if the student has not completed a similar course at the undergraduate level.

Note B: Not open to students who have completed a similar course in the undergraduate level.

[6] Graduate Courses in Accountancy (ACCT)

Follow this link for ACCT course descriptions: course link.

[7] Graduate Courses in Business Administration (MBA)

Follow these links for MBA course descriptions: 5000-level and 6000-level.

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