Accounting

College of Business and Industry

Dr. Sara Freedman, Dean

Dr. Barbara Spencer, Graduate Coordinator

gsb@cobilan.msstate.edu 

School of Accountancy

Dr. Dan Hollingsworth, Director

Dr. Clyde Herring, Graduate Coordinator

381 McCool Hall

662-325-3710

sac@cobilan.msstate.edu

Graduate study is offered in the School of Accountancy leading to the Master of Professional Accountancy (M.P.A.) degree or the Master of Taxation (MTX) degree.  The objective of graduate study at the master’s level is to further the student’s education in business and accounting in preparation for a professional career in accounting. 

The School of Accountancy cooperates in interdisciplinary programs leading to the Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Business Administration degree (see the Business Administration section of this publication).  The objective of graduate study at the doctoral level is to prepare the student for a career in teaching and research in accounting at the college level.   For additional information, write to the Director, Graduate Studies in Business, P.O. Box 5288 , Mississippi State , MS 39762 .  Fax:  662-325-1891.  E-Mail: gsb@cobilan.msstate.edu.

Master of Professional Accountancy (M.P.A.)

Program Objectives—The objective of the M.P.A. program is to further the student’s education in business and accounting while preparing for a professional career in accountancy.  The accountancy program is accredited by AACSB—the International Association for Management Education—as part of the overall accreditation of the College of Business and Industry, as well as the separate and additional accreditation of accounting programs at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Admission Criteria—An applicant to the M.P.A. program should hold a bachelor’s degree from a fully recognized four-year institution of higher learning that enjoys unconditional accreditation by appropriate regional accrediting agencies. In addition, the applicant for the M.P.A. degree must take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Generally, regular admission to the M.P.A. program requires a 510 GMAT score, a GPA of 3.00/4.00 over the last 60 hours of baccalaureate work and acceptable recommendation letters.  When a student is deficient in one of the criteria cited, the student’s application, nevertheless, may be considered for admission based on the strength of the materials contained in the student’s application.  However, reasonable minimum levels of performance must be achieved in both the applicant’s GPA and GMAT scores.

International Applicant—An international applicant must submit a TOEFL report of 575 or higher. An application will not be considered without this indicator of English proficiency.

Program of Study—The candidate must complete 30 hours of course work at the graduate level beyond any prerequisite courses.  As prescribed below, this program is composed of 21 hours of accounting course work and nine hours of other business courses.

Required Accounting Courses (15 hours):

ACC 6023*    Advanced Accounting (if not taken as undergraduate). 3 hours

ACC 6063*    Income Tax II (if not taken as an undergraduate). 3 hours

 ACC 8023    Advanced Managerial Accounting. 3 hours

ACC 8013     Seminar in Financial Accounting Theory. 3 hours

ACC 8033     Business Assurance Services. 3 hours

Accounting Electives (6 hours from the following courses):

ACC 6043     Municipal and Government Accounting (if not taken as an undergraduate). 3 hours

ACC 6053     International Accounting. 3 hours

ACC 8043     Fraud Examination. 3 hours

ACC 8053     Professional Accounting Policy and Research. 3 hours

ACC 8063     Research in Tax Practice and Procedures. 3 hours

ACC 8073     Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders. 3 hours

ACC 8083     Federal Estate and Gift Taxation. 3 hours

ACC 8093     Taxation of Partnerships, S Corporations, Trusts, and Estates.  3 hours

ACC 8113     Advanced Individual Taxation. 3 hours

ACC 8123     Tax Topics. 3 hours

Business Electives:

Nine hours of graduate-level business courses are also required.

*No more than nine hours of course work in the 30-hour program may be at the 6000 level.

Concentration in Systems—In lieu of nine hours of accounting and business electives, a student may elect a concentration in systems by selecting the three courses below:

ACC 8043     Fraud Examination. 3 hours

BIS 8213*      Advanced Systems Analysis and Design. 3 hours

BIS 8313       Advanced Database Design Administration. 3 hours

*Six hours of programming are a prerequisite.

Provisional Admission—A student who has not fully met the requirements stipulated by the University and the school for admission to graduate study may be granted admission as a degree-seeking graduate student with provisional status.  A provisional student must receive a 3.00 GPA on the first nine hours of graduate level courses on the program of study taken at Mississippi State University in order to achieve regular status.  Neither transfer hours nor unclassified graduate hours can be used to fulfill this requirement.  If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student may be dismissed from graduate study.  While in the provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.

Academic Performance—A student in any graduate degree program in the College of Business and Industry may not continue in the program with grades below B in more than six hours of graduate course work, regardless of the overall average. Thus, any program is terminated automatically when a seventh credit hour below B is recorded on graduate course work.

Prerequisite Courses—A grade of C or better is required on all undergraduate prerequisite courses. The prerequisites listed below, or their equivalent, must be completed either before or during graduate course work.  A complete transcript evaluation will be more specific in individual cases.

ACC 3003     Accounting Systems I. 3 hours

ACC 3013      Cost Accounting.  3 hours

ACC 3023      Intermediate Accounting I. 3 hours

ACC 3033      Intermediate Accounting II. 3 hours

ACC 3053      Accounting Systems II. 3 hours

ACC 4013      Income Tax I. 3 hours

ACC 4033      Auditing. 3 hours

EC 2113         Principles of Macroeconomics. 3 hours

EC 2123         Principles of Microeconomics. 3 hours

FIN 3123        Financial Management. 3 hours

BL 2413          Legal Environment of Business. 3 hours

BL 3223          Law of Commercial Transactions. 3 hours

BQA 2113      Statistics I. 3 hours

BQA 3123      Statistics II. 3 hours

MGT 3114      Principles of Management and Production. 4 hours

MKT 3013     Principles of Marketing. 3 hours

                        Computer Literacy, Written Communication Skills

NOTE:  Where appropriate, M.B.A. foundation courses may be used to satisfy some of the above prerequisites.

Completion Requirements:

1.       A student must complete the required curriculum and a minimum of 30 graduate semester hours.

2.       A student must achieve an overall GPA of at least 3.00/4.00 on graduate work attempted with no more than six hours of C grades.

3.       A student must achieve a 3.00/4.00 GPA on graduate accounting work attempted.

4.       A student must achieve a 3.00/4.00 GPA on all graduate work attempted at MSU after being admitted to the degree program.

5.       A student must pass an end-of-program oral examination.

Information—For more information or answers to specific questions regarding the M.P.A., please contact the Director, Graduate Studies in Business, P.O. Drawer 5288, Mississippi State, MS 39762, Phone: 662-325-1891, Fax: 662-325-8161, Email: gsb@cobila.msstate.edu; or the MPA Advisor, School of Accountancy, Drawer EF, Mississippi State, MS 39762, Phone: 662-325-3710, Fax: 662-325-1646, Email: sac@cobilan.msstate.edu.

Master of Taxation (MTX)

Program Objectives—The primary objective of the Master of Taxation program is to further the student’s education in business and accounting with an emphasis in taxation while preparing for a professional career in accounting and taxation.

Admission Criteria—An applicant should hold a bachelor’s degree from a fully recognized four-year institution of higher learning that enjoys unconditional accreditation by appropriate regional accrediting agencies. In addition, the applicant for the MTX degree must take the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).  Generally, regular admission to the MTX program requires a 510 GMAT score, a GPA of 3.00/4.00 over the last 60 hours of baccalaureate work and acceptable recommendation letters.  When a student is deficient in one of the criteria cited, the student’s application, nevertheless, may be considered for admission based on the strength of the materials contained in the student’s application.  However, reasonable minimum levels of performance must be achieved in both the applicant’s GPA and GMAT scores.

International Applicant—An international applicant must submit a TOEFL report of 575 or higher. An application will not be considered without this indicator of English proficiency.

Program of Study—A candidate must complete 30 hours of course work at the graduate level beyond any prerequisite courses. As prescribed below, this program is composed of 15 hours of  taxation course work and 15 hours of accounting and business course work. 

Taxation:

Required Tax Courses (15 hours):                                   

ACC 8063     Research in Tax Practice and Procedures. 3 hours

ACC 8073     Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders. 3 hours

ACC 8083     Federal Estate and Gift Taxation. 3 hours

ACC 8093     Taxation of Partnership, S Corporations, Trusts, and Estates.  3 hours        

Any 8000 level taxation course. 3 hours

Accounting and Business:

Required Accounting Courses (6 hours):

ACC 8013     Seminar in Financial Accounting Theory. 3 hours

ACC 8033     Business Assurance Services. 3 hours

Accounting and Business Electives (9 hours):

Nine hours of additional graduate-level accounting or business courses are also required.

NOTE:   No more than nine hours of course work in the 30-hour program may be at the 6000 level.

Provisional Admission—A student who has not fully met the requirements stipulated by the University and the school for admission to graduate study may be granted admission as a degree-seeking graduate student with provisional status.  A provisional student must receive a 3.00 GPA on the first nine hours of graduate level courses on the program of study taken at Mississippi State University in order to achieve regular status.  Neither transfer hours nor unclassified graduate hours can be used to fulfill this requirement.  If a 3.00 is not attained, the provisional student may be dismissed from graduate study.  While in the provisional status, a student is not eligible to hold a graduate assistantship.

Academic Performance—A grade of C or better is required on all undergraduate prerequisite courses. A student in any graduate degree program in the College of Business and Industry may not continue in the program with grades below B in more than six hours of graduate course work, regardless of the overall average. Thus, any program is terminated automatically when a seventh credit hour below B is recorded on graduate course work.

Prerequisite Courses—The prerequisites listed below, or their equivalent, must be completed either before or during graduate course work.  A complete transcript evaluation will be more specific in individual cases.

ACC 3023     Intermediate Accounting I. 3 hours

ACC 3033     Intermediate Accounting II. 3 hours

ACC 4013     Income Tax I. 3 hours

ACC 4033     Auditing. 3 hours

EC 2113        Principles of Macroeconomics. 3 hours

EC 2123        Principles of Microeconomics.3 hours

FIN 3123       Financial Management. 3 hours

BL 2413         Legal Environment of Business. 3 hours

NOTE: Where appropriate, M.B.A. foundation courses may be used to satisfy some of the above prerequisites.

Completion Requirements:

1.       A student must complete the required curriculum and a minimum of 30 graduate semester hours.

2.       A student must achieve an overall GPA of at least 3.00/4.00 on graduate work attempted with no more than six hours of C grades.

3.       A student must achieve a 3.00/4.00 GPA on graduate accounting work attempted.

4.       A student must achieve a 3.00/4.00 GPA on all graduate work attempted at MSU after being admitted to the degree program.

5.       A student must pass an end-of-program oral examination.

Information—For more information or answers to specific questions regarding the MTX program, please write to Director, Graduate Studies in Business, P.O. Drawer 5288, Mississippi State, MS 39762, Phone: 662-325-1891, Fax: 662-325-8161, Email: gsb@cobilan.msstate.edu; or to MTX Advisor, School of Accountancy, Drawer EF, Mississippi State, MS 39762, Phone 662-325-3710, FAX: 662-325-1646, Email:  sac@cobilan.msstate.edu.

Graduate Courses—Course prerequisites are noted in parentheses.

ACC 6023     Advanced Accounting (ACC 3033). 3 hours

ACC 6043     Municipal and Governmental Accounting (ACC 2023). 3 hours

ACC 6053     International Accounting (ACC 2023). 3 hours

ACC 6063     Income Tax II (ACC 4013). 3 hours

ACC 6990     Special Topics in Accounting. 1-9 hours

ACC 7000     Directed Individual Study. 3 hours

ACC 8000     Research/Thesis. 6 hours

ACC 8013     Seminar in Financial Accounting Theory (ACC 4023). 3 hours

ACC 8023     Advanced/Managerial Accounting (ACC 3013). 3 hours

ACC 8033     Business Assurance Services (ACC 4033). 3 hours

ACC 8043     Fraud Examination (ACC 3053 and ACC 4033). 3 hours

ACC 8053     Professional Accounting Policy  and Research (ACC 3033). 3 hours

ACC 8063     Research in Tax Practice and Procedures (ACC 4013). 3 hours

ACC 8073     Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders (ACC 4013). 3 hours

ACC 8083     Federal Estate and Gift Taxation (ACC 4013). 3 hours

ACC 8093     Taxation of Partnerships, S Corporations, Trusts, and Estates (ACC 4013). 3 hours

ACC 8103     Income Taxation of Natural Resources (ACC 4013). 3 hours

ACC 8112     Financial Statement and Management Accounting Report Analysis for Decision Making (ACC 8303 or equivalent). 2 hours

ACC 8113     Advanced Income Tax For Individuals. 3 hours

ACC 8203     Advanced Accounting Analysis for Decision Making (ACC 2023, not open to undergraduate majors). 3 hours

ACC 8213     Financial Statement Analysis (ACC 8203 or equivalent). 3 hours

ACC 8303     Survey of Accounting. 3 hours

ACC 9000     Research/Dissertation. 20 hours

ACC 9013     Seminar in Financial Accounting (ACC 8483). 3 hours

ACC 9023     Seminar in Management Accounting Research (ACC 8223). 3 hours

ACC 9033     Seminar in Accounting Research.3 hours