Master of Accounting Requirements and Courses

The curriculum is designed to be completed in one academic year (10 months) and consists of 12 three- or four-credit courses and two one-credit seminars (forty-five credits minimum). Five core accounting classes, two accounting electives, five general business or other graduate electives, and two one-credit seminars in Developing the Business Professional are required. While a few students each year start the program in winter or spring terms, most start in fall term.

The Master of Accounting does not offer specializations, however, students can choose courses from both accounting, MBA, or other graduate electives. This allows customization of the program to meet the interests of individual students.

Students participating in the 3+1 accounting pathway can find more information about the required undergraduate courses on the accounting pathway site.

3+1 Accounting Pathway

First-Year MAcc Orientations

The MAcc program holds two orientations for incoming students. During these orientations, you'll learn about what's expected of you as a MAcc student and meet your new cohort. Orientation is the kickoff point for the repeated cycles of reaching, discovering, and achieving that define the Master of Accounting program.

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Core Courses

The following five required four-credit courses and two one-credit professional development seminars are required:

• ACTG 617 Taxation of Business: Topics covered in the class include: basic structure of federal tax law as it applies to corporations and shareholders; tax and economic consequences of the creation, operation and liquidation of a corporation; tax and economic consequences of withdrawals, payments or distributions of assets from corporations; tax and economic consequences of a reorganization; reasons for and rules regarding consolidated tax returns; and theory and application of accounting for corporate income taxes under financial accounting rules.
   
• ACTG 618 Taxes and Business Strategy: Focuses on the importance of tax considerations in making business decisions. Objectives for the course are to develop and apply a theoretical tax-planning framework that considers implications of a transaction on all parties, considers all explicit and implicit taxes, and all costs necessary to implement any tax plans. Among topics considered in the framework are how taxes are accounted for, the organizational form of the entity, the importance of tax planning and nontax costs. After understanding the framework, the course applies these concepts to specific decision contexts such as compensation plans, multinational tax planning, and mergers and acquisitions. At the conclusion of the class students should be able to apply a framework to future decisions dealing with taxes, even as tax laws themselves continue to change.
   
• ACTG 630 Accounting Measurement and Disclosure: Focuses on what problems public reporting of information solves, what problems it creates and how these problems can be mitigated. The foundation of both why we have publicly available financial reporting and the problems that result from such public reporting is the concept of information asymmetry. Along the way, the course discusses fair value accounting vs. historical cost, reserve recognition accounting, earnings quality and management, principles vs. rules based accounting and the role and functioning of the SEC and other accounting regulatory bodies.
   
• ACTG 631 Financial Statement Analysis: Covers this element of business analysis, which encompasses the evaluation of a company's past performance and risk as well as prediction of future performance and risk. This analysis may be useful for financial decisions such as equity valuation, debt valuation, credit risk assessment, etc. This course is designed to give preparers and users of financial information a framework for business analysis and valuation using financial statement data. Students will apply this framework to a variety of business decisions. The course covers many of the techniques commonly used to analyze financial statements including disclosure analysis, financial ratios, cash flow analysis, forecasting, and valuation methods. At the end of the course students will have
   
  • An understanding of how business events are reflected in financial statements
  • Literacy in reading 10-Ks and 10-Qs
  • A working knowledge of the residual income valuation model
  • Experience in applying asset pricing and valuation theories to business decisions
     
• ACTG 662 Strategic Cost Management: An advanced graduate class melding strategic issues, mathematical models, and management accounting. At the end of this class students should understand how cost information supports the creation and implementation of corporate strategies. The course uses many cases and emphasizes decision-making in a complex and ambiguous environment. Specific topics covered are customer profitability analysis, value chain and activity based management, costs of quality, environmental cost management, the theory of constraints and capacity decisions, transfer pricing, and evaluating performance via the balanced scorecard. Students explore the topics both from the view of applied use of these concepts and also academic research.
   
• ACTG 608 Developing the Business Professional Seminars: (two one-credit seminars) These seminars cover topics essential for an accounting professional to be aware of but not covered in the academic courses. Activities/topics covered vary from term to term and year to year depending upon but typically include choosing appropriate attire by occasion, resume development and interview preparation, team building exercises including a ropes course, attendance at a variety of professional events, lectures on topics such including client confidentiality, proper communication etiquette, employee legal rights and managing your career path. Typically one of the seminars focuses on an emerging area for accountants such as Corporate Responsibility reports where there is significant engagement with professionals and practice of the etiquette and communication skills.
   

Electives

Graduate Accounting Electives

Select two of the following four-credit courses:

• ACTG 580 Accounting and Data Analytics: Data has proliferated in business as organizations generate large volumes of information within their day to day operations while increasingly having access to externally created information as well. Accountants need to understand the implications for decision-making and effectively tap into this data to provide better business insights. This course will focus on the changing technological and business landscape that is giving rise to increased demand for use of data analytics within all facets of the accounting profession, providing students with an understanding of data analytic thinking and terminology. Profession-relevant in-class exercises, problem sets, and a group case study will provide students with hands-on experience with data analytics tools and skills commonly expected of those pursuing professional careers in accounting, both public and private.
   
• ACTG 610 Taxation of Pass-Through Entities: An introduction to the taxation of pass-through entities—S corporations and partnerships (including limited liability companies) as they form, operate and dissolve. In addition, an understanding of the tax research process including the hierarchy of research authority, issue identification/framing of "the question(s)," identification, and evaluation of relevant authoritative materials, and the presentation of findings.
   
• ACTG 642 Advanced Assurance Services: Focuses on advanced auditing and approaching auditing from a case method, the course covers new trends toward assurance services. The course considers professional roles in auditing, auditing standards, risk assessment, enterprise risk management, internal controls, and broader roles for the auditor in oversight, governance, and accountability.

General Business or Other Graduate Electives

Select five three-or four-credit courses. Frequently selected electives are below.