Accounting MAcc Accelerated Master's Degree

The Department of Accounting provides an opportunity for students of recognized academic ability and educational maturity to complete the requirements for the undergraduate and graduate degree in Accounting with a total of 138 credit hours instead of the typical 150 credit hours required when the degrees are pursued separately.

When all the requirements of the BSA program have been completed, students will be awarded the BSA.  When all the requirements of the MACC have been completed, students will be awarded the MACC.  It should be noted that Certified Public Accounting (CPA) licensure in most states requires 150 hours of university credit. Students earning the BSA/MACC in 138 hours are encouraged to use the additional 12 hours to pursue advanced skills in business analysis, advanced taxation, data analytics, systems controls testing, cyber security, or the like as they complete the accounting, business, and overall credit hours required for CPA licensure.

Admissions Requirements

Students can apply to the Chair of the Accounting Department or a delegate of the Chair for admission into the Accelerated Master of Accounting degree program during the semester they will have completed 60 undergraduate credit hours. A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher is required. Students must also meet with a Graduate Business Programs academic advisor.

Provisional Admission

Students will be admitted to the Accelerated Master’s program under provisional status until they have completed the department-specified 12 hours in the program with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. After completion of the undergraduate degree, upon recommendation from the Department Chair or a delegate of the Chair, students can be admitted to the graduate component of the Accelerated Master's program, which involves admission to the Graduate School.

Graduate Admission

After graduate admission, the student will be classified as a graduate student, will pay graduate tuition for all courses, and must take graduate courses until the completion of the master's degree. Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or higher throughout the combined program.

Applicants are considered for graduate admission into the Accelerated Master’s program if they meet the following criteria: (1) are in their final semester in undergraduate status; (2) have a minimum GPA of 3.0 since being granted provisional status; and (3) have met with a Graduate Business Programs academic advisor. A total of 12 hours of graduate coursework may be counted towards the 120 credit hours required for the Bachelor of Science - Accounting degree and the requirements for the Master of Accounting.

Students may resign from the Accelerated Master’s Program after earning their bachelor's degree. However, once the bachelor's degree is awarded, the benefit of "double counting" courses will be lost. Any course used to meet a degree requirement for an undergraduate degree cannot be applied to a subsequent master's degree. Undergraduate BSA students who choose to pursue the Accelerated Master of Accounting degree option will be required to take any four of the following courses (12 credits). With permission, provisional Accelerated Master of Accounting students may take up to 12 hours of 4000/5000/6000 level courses while still classified as undergraduate student. These 12 hours will be treated by the Graduate School as "graduate status," and they may be counted towards a master's degree.

Program Requirements

Select any four of the following12
Auditing
Professional Accountancy II
Cost Systems Analysis
Taxation of Individuals and Businesses
Financial Management
Management Information Systems
Strategic Management
Managing and Leading in Organizations
Integrated Marketing Strategies
Total Hours12

The above courses will qualify for credit towards both the Bachelor of Science - Accounting degree and the Master of Accounting degree. If a student has completed the undergraduate equivalent of a course, they may not receive graduate credit. Students may request to substitute other courses, subject to the approval of the Department Chair or a delegate of the Chair.

Awarding of Degrees

The student may apply for and receive the bachelor’s degree in the semester when all the undergraduate requirements are completed. In their final semester in undergraduate status, the student must apply and be admitted to the graduate program, to begin the following semester. The student will apply to receive the master’s degree in the semester that the requirements for the graduate degree will be completed.

If the student fails to enroll for more than one year after receiving the bachelor's degree, the student can still earn the master’s degree, but the graduate-level credits earned as an undergraduate cannot be used for the graduate degree.