[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]

MS in Accounting

Program Description | Admission | Degree Requirements | Courses


Program Description

The Master of Science in Accounting degree program is designed to provide students with the advanced study in accounting necessary to prepare for the CPA examination. This program equips students with the knowledge and skills needed in the profession of accounting. Graduates of the program are prepared for employment opportunities with industry, government, and public accounting firms. The MS in Accounting requires 30 graduate credit hours and can be completed in one year (12 months) by full time students who first enroll in either the fall or summer semesters. All classes in the MS in Accounting program are taught only at the Huntsville campus.

Students lacking an undergraduate degree in accounting are required to complete extensive prerequisite coursework before admission to the program. 


Admission

Applicants seeking admission to the MS in Accounting program must:

  1. hold a baccalaureate degree in accounting from an AACSB-accredited university
  2. possess an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better, and
  3. possess a GPA in advanced accounting coursework of 3.0 or better.

The GPA is based on a four-point scale, and only courses from the baccalaureate degree granting institution are used for determining graduate admission. Students who are not in good standing at another college or university are not eligible for admission into any of the College of Business Administration’s graduate programs. 

Applicants must submit the following materials directly to the Office of Graduate Studies:

  1. A Graduate Studies Application with the application fee
  2. Official transcript(s) of all previous college work
  3. A Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) score report

The GMAT will be waived for applicants who have an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher at the degree granting institution. 

International Applicants
International students or students whose native language is not English must submit a GMAT score of at least 450 and a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the paper based exam, 213 on the computer based exam, or 79 on the internet-based exam. International students must submit all required admission materials by the following dates:

Entering Term Deadline
Fall (August) June 25
Spring (January) November 12
Summer 1 (June) April 9
Summer 2 (July) May 10

 All immigration requirements must also be satisfied prior to admission.

Applicants without a Baccalaureate Degree in Accounting
Students seeking admission to the MS in Accounting who do not hold a baccalaureate degree in accounting from an AACSB-accredited university must complete extensive prerequisite undergraduate coursework before being allowed to enter the program.

Stem Requirements for Business Graduates (from AACSB-accredited programs)
Students who have a business (non-accounting) degree from a university that is AACSB-accredited must complete the following undergraduate accounting course requirements as prerequisites for graduate accounting courses.

Course
Hours
3
3
3
3
3
ACC 381 <ACCT 3324> Principles of Accounting Systems Designs
3
ACC 383 <ACCT 3353> Income Tax Accounting
3
ACC 435 <ACCT 4315> Advanced Accounting I
3
ACC 436 <ACCT 4316> Advanced Accounting II
3
ACC 481 <ACCT 4372> Auditing Principles
3
TOTAL
30

 

Stem Requirements for Non-Business Graduates
In addition to the above listed accounting courses, students seeking the MS in Accounting who do not hold a baccalaureate business degree from an AACSB-accredited program must complete the following course requirements as prerequisites to graduate accounting courses. Baccalaureate degrees from foreign universities not accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB, International) will be treated as non-business degrees. The graduate stem courses (5300s) do not apply to the 30-hour graduate credit hour requirement of the Master of Science in Accounting degree.

Course
Hours
BAN 530 <BANA 5300> Quantitative Tools for Business1
3
ECO 530 <ECON 5300> Economics Principles and Policy2
3
FIN 530 <FINC 5300> Business Finance Environment3
3
GBA 281 <BUAD 2301> Business Legal Environment
3
GBA 362 <BUAD 3355> Business Law
3
MGT 380 <MGMT 3310> Principles Of Management
3
MIS 388 <MGIS 3310> Management Information Systems
3
MKT 371 <MKTG 3310> Principles of Marketing
3
TOTAL
24
Notes:
1 The combination of BANA 2372 and MGMT 4370 can be substituted for BANA 5300.
2 The combination of ECON 2302 and ECON 2301 can be substituted for ECON 5300.
3 The combination of FINC 3310 and FINC 3320 can be substituted for FINC 5300.

 


Degree Requirements

The program requires thirty graduate credit hours and can be completed in one year (12 months) by full time students who first enroll in either the fall or summer semesters. 

Plan 1 - MS in Accounting

Item
Requirement
Options
Hours
Required
1
Specified
Courses
Choose all from:
ACC 533 <ACCT 5333> Financial Statement Analysis
ACC 568 <ACCT 5336> Governmental and Non-for-Profit Accounting
ACC 580 <ACCT 5311> Advanced Topics in Financial Accounting
ACC 582 <ACCT 5324> Information Systems Audit and Assurance
ACC 584 <ACCT 5352> Corporate and Pass Through Entity Taxation
ACC 586 <ACCT 5379> Professional Ethics and Responsibilities
ACC 599 <ACCT 5399> Advanced Auditing Theory and Practice1
21
2
Restricted Electives
Choose one from:
ACC 569 <ACCT 5347> Managerial Accounting Applications
ACC 587 <ACCT 5355> Estate Planning, Trusts, and Nonprofits
ACC 595 <ACCT 5375> ERP Business Process Integration
ACCT 5315 Seminar in Accounting Theory
FIN 531 <FINC 5310> Introduction to Institutions, Investments, and Managerial Finance
3
3 COBA Electives Choose two from:
All graduate courses in the College of Business Administration2
6
TOTAL
30
Notes:
1 ACC 599 <ACCT 5399> is a capstone course that satisfies the comprehensive exam requirement. A grade of B or better is required for graduation.
2 Non-COBA courses must be approved by the Chair of the Department of Accounting.

 


Courses

Accounting (ACCT)
Business Analysis (BANA)
Business Administration (BUAD)
Economics (ECON)
Finance (FINC)
Management (MGMT)
Management Information Systems (MGIS)
Marketing (MKTG)

Return to top


[an error occurred while processing this directive]
[an error occurred while processing this directive]