Master of Accountancy

Faculty:
D. Smith - Program Director
Agee, Garner, Huffman, Moos & Nichols

The objective of the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) degree is to give students greater breadth and depth of accounting knowledge and to provide the academic background needed to begin a professional accounting career. Outstanding employment opportunities in public accounting, industry, and government await graduates of the MAcc program. It also meets the “150-hour” education requirement to sit for the CPA examination and for membership in the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

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 Missouri Southern State University 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, MSSU 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 MSSU MAcc teaches leadership through courses that focuses on the application of leadership in business and accounting organizations. (2) The program also integrates case studies throughout the program in which students learn to use multiple resources to solve management and accounting problems.

An accelerated option is available for eligible MSSU undergraduate accounting majors. Students must apply during the second semester of their junior year. If accepted, students will start taking graduate classes their senior year and waive the MGMT 0452 requirement and replace it with the MGMT 0552 course. This option allows Missouri Southern State University accounting majors to obtain both the Bachelor of Science and MAcc degrees in five years with a total of 151 semester hours rather than the normal 154 hours. Students are also better prepared to obtain an internship or career job earlier in their academic program.

Admission Requirements - Traditional Program

Admission to the Master of Accountancy program is based on the applicant’s undergraduate record, score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), and other factors such as work experience and career progression. All applicants are subject to the review and approval of the MAcc Admissions Committee. Requirements include:

Baccalaureate degree in accounting from an accredited institution.
Undergraduate Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.2 or higher in the last 60 hours of undergraduate work.
Achieve a minimum score of 450 on the Graduate Management Admissions Test on an exam taken within five years of application.
Submit a current résumé describing each fulltime professional position held. The résumé must show the month and year that the applicant started and left the position.

Non-Accounting Degrees: The traditional MAcc can accommodate students without undergraduate degrees in accounting. Deficiencies in a student’s undergraduate business or accounting education must be removed by taking appropriate prerequisite courses. Those courses add to the number of hours required to complete the program. To determine the extent of deficiencies, students should contact the MAcc Program Director for a transcript analysis.

By completion of the MAcc Program, the student is expected to meet the common body of knowledge requirements of the ACBSP. These requirements involve course work in economics, statistics, computer information systems, finance, business law, management and marketing that is essentially equivalent to that required of Missouri Southern State University undergraduate accounting majors.

Courses	Cr. Hrs
Intermediate Accounting	6
Cost Accounting	3
Taxation	6
Auditing	3
Principles of Finance	3
Business Law	3
Microeconomics	3
Macroeconomics	3
Management	3
Marketing	3
Statistics	3
International Business	3

GMAT Waiver: The Program Director may waive the GMAT requirement if one of the following situations is met:

The applicant has an undergraduate GPA of 3.6 or higher in their last 60 hours,
The program applicant took the Educational Testing Service’s Major Field Test (MFT) at their undergraduate institution and scored at or above the 70th percentile, or
The applicant holds an advanced degree (e.g., masters, doctorate from an accredited institution).

Preferred Dates for Applications

The MAcc program normally admits students only for the summer and fall terms with a preferred application date of April 1st. Students considering a spring admission should contact the MAcc Program Director for a transcript review prior to applying to the program.

To ensure time for processing, applications must be completed (including official transcripts and standardized test scores) at least one month prior to the beginning of the term for which the student wishes to enroll. Although every effort will be made to accommodate late applicants, there is no guarantee that a late applicant will be allowed to enroll.

Conditional Admission

Conditional admission may be granted when recommended by the department and approved by the Dean. For each conditionally admitted student, the department will specify on the admission review form the conditions for obtaining regular admission status, including a specified deadline, if applicable, for meeting these conditions. Conditionally admitted students are ineligible to receive financial aid, including graduate assistantships.

With good justification, this classification can be used when students

Have not met the minimum GPA requirement for regular admission; *
Have not submitted all required admission materials prior to initial enrollment (e.g. GMAT or official transcripts); or **
Need to complete prerequisites specified by the department offering the graduate program of interest.

Notes on Conditional Admission

* In the case of failing to meet minimum GPA requirements for regular admission, the student must obtain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 after the first nine semester hours of graduate course work taken at Missouri Southern State University. The graduate courses taken during this probationary period must apply toward a degree program and be approved by the Program Director. If the cumulative 3.00 GPA is achieved, the student may then request the Program Director reclassify them to regular admission status. If a 3.00 GPA is not achieved, the student will be denied further graduate enrollment at MSSU.

** In the case of failing to submit the required standardized test score or final transcripts, the student must present appropriate documentation no later than the end of the first semester of graduate enrollment. The student will not be allowed to register for additional graduate course credits until the documentation is received by the accounting program.

Non-degree Seeking

Students who possess the minimum GPA for regular admission may choose to be admitted as a non-degree student. This classification is reserved for students who are undecided about their major field of emphasis, who choose to take work for upgrading their professional skills, or who wish to enroll in work for transferring to another graduate school. Any work taken by a non-degree student may subsequently be applied to fulfilling degree requirements.

Admission of International Students

International applicants to the MAcc program whose first language is not English must demonstrate a satisfactory level of English proficiency. Students need a strong command of the English language to perform at the graduate level, especially in interactive programs which emphasize teamwork and effective oral and written communication.

Applicants whose first language is not English and who have not earned bachelor’s degrees from U.S. institutions will demonstrate English proficiency by submitting one of the following:

TOEFL PBT score of 550 or higher
TOEFL iBT score of 79 or higher
IELTS score of 6.5 or higher

The English proficiency requirement may be waived at the discretion of the academic department chair if the last four semesters of full-time academic coursework have been completed at an accredited institution in the United States with an overall GPA of 3.00 or higher.

Admission of Transfer Students and Transfer Credit

No student who has attended another graduate institution and earned less than a cumulative 3.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale will be admitted to the MAcc program at MSSU.

Subject to the approval of the Dean and the appropriate department chair, a maximum of six hours of transfer graduate credit of grade B or above from another accredited institution may be accepted.

All transfer hours must be in courses for which an equivalent MSSU course exists, and no transfer hours may be in extension or correspondence work. A minimum of 24 hours credit in residence at MSSU is required.

Admission Requirements - Accelerated Program

Admission to the Master of Accountancy Accelerated program is based on the applicant’s undergraduate record. Requirements include:

Current Accounting major at Missouri Southern State University
Submit an undergraduate transcript showing that the following accounting courses are either completed or in process with a minimum of a 3.5 GPA and have earned a minimum overall GPA of 3.6 or higher for their last 60 hours of undergraduate work:

ACCT 0309 - Accounting Information Systems
ACCT 0312 - Intermediate Accounting I
ACCT 0322 - Intermediate Accounting II
ACCT 0375 - Tax Accounting I
ACCT 0385 - Cost Accounting
ACCT 0408 - Tax Accounting II

Submit a current résumé describing each position held in the last five years. The résumé must show the month and year that you started and left each position

Probationary Admission: Applicants who do not meet the normal GPA admission requirements but who show indication of high promise will be considered for probationary admission by the MAcc Program Director.

Programs

Major

Courses

Accounting

Finance

FIN 0535 - Financial Analysis