Master of Accounting
Specializations
General
Forensic Accounting
Taxation
The Master of Accounting degree program provides the student with intensive professional preparation in accounting and with an opportunity to specialize in Taxation or Forensic Accounting. The program is designed to enhance the professional development and competence of students and professionals who are planning to enter public accounting, public institution accounting, or private accounting.
St. Thomas University’s Master of Accounting makes emphases on the critical thinking skills in the accounting of corporations. Students will gain the expertise they need to consult for organizations with a leader’s perspective.
CAREER LANDSCAPE
A Master of Accounting provides the knowledge to obtain a higher-level position. Some of the job titles in this field include, Chief Financial Officer, Financial Controller, Accounting Supervisor, Tax Manager, Finance Manger, Finance Director, Operations Manager, Tax services manager.
- Accounting professionals salary with a masters degree can reach $135,000.
- The Bureau of Labor Statistics established a projection of 140,300 new accounting and auditing jobs by 2026.
- According to information from Graduate Management Admission Council, 45% of 545 employers plan to hire Master of Accounting graduates.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Average class size of 15 persons.
- Business Courses that help accelerate to management careers
- Professors with vast experienced in the business and accounting fields.
- Opportunities to develop leadership skills in the evolving marketplace.
Featured Professors
Career Opportunities
- Internal Revenue Service
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Forensic Accountant
Curriculum
Accounting 15 credits
ACC 502 Advanced Auditing (3)
ACC 503 Management Accounting II – Cost Analysis (3)
ACC 504 Advanced Accounting Information Systems (3)
ACC 505 Advanced Taxation (3)
ACC 508 International Financial Reporting Standards (3)
Management 6 credits
BUS 670 Advanced Operations Management (3)
MAN 510 Management Ethics (3)
Accounting Electives 3 credits
One course from:
ACC 540 Fraud Examination (3)
ACC 541 Forensic Accounting Applications (3)
ACC 542 Forensic Accounting Practice Issues (3)
ACC 543 Computer Auditing and Investigation (3)
ACC 605 Seminar in Accounting Theory (3)
ACC 755 Seminar: Selected Topics in Accounting (3)
ACC 781 International Taxation (3)
ACC 783 Tax Research (3)
ACC 785 Taxation of Estates, Trusts and Gifts (3)
ACC 786 Advanced Corporate Taxation (3)
ACC 788 “S” Corporation and Partnership Taxation (3)
ACC 790* Accounting Internship I (3)
Electives 6 credits
Two courses from any of the above listed Accounting Electives, or the following:
ACC 791* Accounting Internship II (3)
BUS 536 Entrepreneurship (3)
BUS 673 Management Writing and Reporting (3)
BUS 707 Marketing of Services (3)
BUS 771 International Business Law (3)
BUS 775 International Business (3)
ECO 671 International Economics (3)
FIN 772 International Finance and Banking (3)
*These courses are available with some restrictions and only with the advanced approval of the MAC Program Coordinator.
Prerequisites
Although an undergraduate degree in accounting or its equivalent is a prerequisite for admission to the MAC, it is possible for an applicant to be admitted to the MAC program with a baccalaureate degree in another business discipline or some other discipline if he or she agrees to complete the prerequisites for the MAC program. Each prerequisite must be taken before the student may take the advanced graduate course related to the prerequisite, e.g., ACC 303 before ACC 503. Thus, a student may be taking both undergrad and grad courses at the same time until the prerequisites are completed. The prerequisites as expressed in terms of St. Thomas University courses are as follows:
Prerequisite Courses
ACG 2001+2011 Principles of Accounting I + II (6)
ACG 3101+3111 Financial Accounting I + II (6)
ACG 3301 Management Accounting I: Cost Principles (3)
ACG 3401 Accounting Information Systems (3)
TAX 3001 Federal Income Tax (3)
ACG 4201 Advanced Accounting (3)
or
ACG 4501 Governmental and Institutional Accounting (3)
ACG 4651 Auditing (3)
BUL 2241 Business Law I (3)
BUL 3247 Business Law II (3)
Business and economics courses (upper division) (12 to 18)
Total prerequisite credits 48 to 52
If a student is admitted without one or more prerequisites, he or she must complete the prerequisite course(s) with a grade of B or higher before he/she can take the graduate course(s) for which the prerequisite(s) is (are) necessary.
Some students with an undergraduate degree in accounting may be interested in completing their graduate accounting education by earning our MBA specialization in Accounting or Master of Science in Management (MSM) specialization in Management Accounting. Although the general admission requirements for the MBA and MSM differ from those for the MAC, the above listed accounting prerequisites are the same for all three graduate programs.
Accounting 15 credits
ACC 502 Advanced Auditing (3)
ACC 503 Management Accounting II – Cost Analysis (3)
ACC 504 Advanced Accounting Information Systems (3)
ACC 505 Advanced Taxation (3)
ACC 508 International Financial Reporting Standards (3)
Management 6 credits
BUS 670 Advanced Operations Management (3)
MAN 510 Management Ethics (3)
Taxation Specialization
The MAC students must be admitted to the specialization before applying for graduation. The specialization in Taxation is designed for the Master of Accounting students who wish to expand their knowledge in the area of taxation. Many candidates for the specialization will be practicing public accounting professionals desiring to improve their skills. For this reason, a practical viewpoint will prevail, i.e., an emphasis on case-problem solution analysis.
The MAC student must be admitted to the specialization before applying for graduation. ACC 505 Advanced Taxation must be completed prior to registering for the courses below. The graduate specialization will be awarded to those who complete three courses (9 graduate credit hours) at St. Thomas University from the following graduate taxation courses at the same time as they complete the MAC degree:
ACC 755* Seminar: Selected Topics in Accounting (3)
ACC 781 International Taxation (3)
ACC 783 Tax Research (3)
ACC 785 Taxation of Estates, Trusts and Gifts (3)
ACC 786 Advanced Corporate Taxation (3)
ACC 788 “S” Corporation and Partnership Taxation (3)
*Taxation topics only, e.g., Seminar: State and Local Taxation.
Prerequisites
Although an undergraduate degree in accounting or its equivalent is a prerequisite for admission to the MAC, it is possible for an applicant to be admitted to the MAC program with a baccalaureate degree in another business discipline or some other discipline if he or she agrees to complete the prerequisites for the MAC program. Each prerequisite must be taken before the student may take the advanced graduate course related to the prerequisite, e.g., ACC 303 before ACC 503. Thus, a student may be taking both undergrad and grad courses at the same time until the prerequisites are completed. The prerequisites as expressed in terms of St. Thomas University courses are as follows:
Prerequisite Courses
ACG 2001+2011 Principles of Accounting I + II (6)
ACG 3101+3111 Financial Accounting I + II (6)
ACG 3301 Management Accounting I: Cost Principles (3)
ACG 3401 Accounting Information Systems (3)
TAX 3001 Federal Income Tax (3)
ACG 4201 Advanced Accounting (3)
or
ACG 4501 Governmental and Institutional Accounting (3)
ACG 4651 Auditing (3)
BUL 2241 Business Law I (3)
BUL 3247 Business Law II (3)
Business and economics courses (upper division) (12 to 18)
Total prerequisite credits 48 to 52
If a student is admitted without one or more prerequisites, he or she must complete the prerequisite course(s) with a grade of B or higher before he/she can take the graduate course(s) for which the prerequisite(s) is (are) necessary.
Some students with an undergraduate degree in accounting may be interested in completing their graduate accounting education by earning our MBA specialization in Accounting or Master of Science in Management (MSM) specialization in Management Accounting. Although the general admission requirements for the MBA and MSM differ from those for the MAC, the above listed accounting prerequisites are the same for all three graduate programs.
Accounting 15 credits
ACC 502 Advanced Auditing (3)
ACC 503 Management Accounting II – Cost Analysis (3)
ACC 504 Advanced Accounting Information Systems (3)
ACC 505 Advanced Taxation (3)
ACC 508 International Financial Reporting Standards (3)
Management 6 credits
BUS 670 Advanced Operations Management (3)
MAN 510 Management Ethics (3)
Forensic Accounting Specialization
The specialization in Forensic Accounting is designed for the Master of Accounting students who wish to expand their knowledge in the broad area of forensic accounting. Courses in this specialization are designed to provide the accountant with a broad base of knowledge across the field of forensic accounting and more specialized knowledge within the areas of fraud and computer applications and investigation. Forensic accounting career opportunities are available with private companies, government agencies, public accounting and consulting firms, as well as in specialized individual practices.
The MAC student must be admitted to the specialization before applying for graduation. ACC 502 Advanced Auditing must be completed prior to registering for the courses below. The graduate specialization will be awarded to those who complete three courses (6 credits) at St. Thomas University from the following forensic accounting courses at the same time as they complete the MAC degree:
ACC 540 Fraud Examination (3)
ACC 541 Forensic Accounting Applications (3)
ACC 542 Forensic Accounting Practice Issues (3)
ACC 543 Computer Auditing and Investigation (3)
Prerequisites
Although an undergraduate degree in accounting or its equivalent is a prerequisite for admission to the MAC, it is possible for an applicant to be admitted to the MAC program with a baccalaureate degree in another business discipline or some other discipline if he or she agrees to complete the prerequisites for the MAC program. Each prerequisite must be taken before the student may take the advanced graduate course related to the prerequisite, e.g., ACC 303 before ACC 503. Thus, a student may be taking both undergrad and grad courses at the same time until the prerequisites are completed. The prerequisites as expressed in terms of St. Thomas University courses are as follows:
Prerequisite Courses
ACG 2001+2011 Principles of Accounting I + II (6)
ACG 3101+3111 Financial Accounting I + II (6)
ACG 3301 Management Accounting I: Cost Principles (3)
ACG 3401 Accounting Information Systems (3)
TAX 3001 Federal Income Tax (3)
ACG 4201 Advanced Accounting (3)
or
ACG 4501 Governmental and Institutional Accounting (3)
ACG 4651 Auditing (3)
BUL 2241 Business Law I (3)
BUL 3247 Business Law II (3)
Business and economics courses (upper division) (12 to 18)
Total prerequisite credits 48 to 52
If a student is admitted without one or more prerequisites, he or she must complete the prerequisite course(s) with a grade of B or higher before he/she can take the graduate course(s) for which the prerequisite(s) is (are) necessary.
Some students with an undergraduate degree in accounting may be interested in completing their graduate accounting education by earning our MBA specialization in Accounting or Master of Science in Management (MSM) specialization in Management Accounting. Although the general admission requirements for the MBA and MSM differ from those for the MAC, the above listed accounting prerequisites are the same for all three graduate programs.
Contact Graduate Adviser Dr. Reese, Program Director, creese@stu.edu at 305-628-6623