The Walker College of Business, through the Department of Accounting, offers the Master of Science (M.S.) in Accounting. The educational objective of the M.S. in Accounting is to provide advanced education to meet the needs of persons planning careers in accounting at the professional level.

For regular admission to the program, an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university is required. Admission to the program is competitive, with admission granted only to students showing high promise of success in graduate business study. Admission is based on a balanced appraisal of the applicant’s total record and overall excellence. The foundation for the admission decision is the GMAT score and undergraduate academic performance. The trend of grades during undergraduate schooling, the GPA in the undergraduate major, and relevant work experience may also be considered in the admission process.

The Graduate Bulletin states the following: Basic Criteria for Consideration: (Undergraduate GPA x 200) + GMAT = 1100. GMAT Minimum of 450 is recommended. Three favorable letters of reference are also necessary for admission.

For students without adequate preparation in accounting and business, the following undergraduate equivalent courses must be taken as prerequisites to graduate study:

• Accounting Principles
• Economics
• Statistics
• Management (Organizational Behavior) and
• Finance

In addition, the undergraduate preparation must include the following accounting courses:

• Intermediate Accounting sequence
• Cost Accounting
• Accounting Systems
• Individual Income Tax
• Auditing

Any or all of these courses may be waived if the student has taken equivalent work. Prerequisite courses may also be waived through written examination (there is a fee for such examinations), or, if the student feels academically prepared and permission is granted, through appropriate business experience. Students lacking some or all of the prerequisites, if otherwise qualified, may be admitted to the graduate program with the understanding that the prerequisites will be completed as part of the program.

For more information, including course descriptions and requirements, please check the Graduate Bulletin.