Accounting

Program Overview

The M.Acy. program is accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. For more than a century, AACSB accreditation has been synonymous with the highest standards in business education. Fewer than 200 universities worldwide earn accreditations in both business and accounting.

Course Work

This program requires undergraduate accounting background course work before applying to the program and while enrolled. (Most undergraduate accounting degrees meet these requirements.) The M.Acy. degree requires 15 hours of core courses and 15 hours of business and accounting electives. Core courses include studies in financial accounting, tax, research and ethics. The program offers three areas of specialization with electives to be selected from a set of accounting and business courses. No thesis is required. The core courses meet the research and ethics requirement to take the CPA exam in Texas. Additionally, courses in the program can be used to satisfy the 150-hour education requirement in Texas.

Program Details

The Big-4, mid-tier, regional and local firms frequently recruit current students for accounting internships and full-time positions. Graduates are hired in public accounting firms and companies throughout the region and beyond.

Program Mission

The McCoy College of Business Department of Accounting is dedicated to preparing our diverse student population for professional success in an ever-changing global economy. The Master of Accountancy (M.Acy.) degree broadens the educational experience of individuals preparing for a career in public accounting. Students explore the social, ethical, and environmental effects of accounting information on those who rely on it for their decision-making needs. The M.Acy. program can be used to satisfy the 150-hour education requirement for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam in Texas. An undergraduate degree in accounting is not required.

Career Options

The program prepares students for careers in many areas, including:

• public accounting as an auditor, tax professional, forensic accountant, or business consultant
• industry as an internal auditor, controller, financial analyst, or chief financial officer
• government as an IRS agent, FBI agent, or defense contract auditor
• not-for-profit organizations
• education as an accounting academic

Program Faculty

The Department of Accounting has research faculty who publish in diverse areas of accounting including auditing, financial accounting, fraud, managerial accounting, governmental accounting and tax. Faculty members' research has been published in top-tier journals including The Accounting Review; Journal of Accounting and Economics; Accounting; Organizations and Society; Accounting Horizons; Auditing and Behavioral Research in Accounting. Faculty engage in research and intellectual contributions that impact the practice of accounting, enhance the understanding of the accounting discipline, and improve the process of educating future accountants.