ACCT:MACC - Master of Accounting

Admissions Requirements for the Master of Accounting (MAcc) Degree

To be eligible for admission to a Master’s degree in the School of Accounting in the Chapman Graduate School, students must:

(1) Hold a four-year Business or Accounting Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university;

(2) Score of minimum of 500 on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). A GMAT waiver at the discretion of the academic director is available for reasons such as:

(a) A graduate business degree from an AACSB or EQUIS accredited university

(b) passed all parts of the CPA exam

(c) Applicants with an undergraduate accounting or business degree from an AACSB or EQUIS accredited school

(3) Have a minimum upper division grade point average (GPA) of 3.0;

(4) Graduate student applicants whose studies were completed outside of the US must demonstrate English language proficiency according to guidelines set by the University Graduate School.

(5) Be in good standing with all previously-attended colleges and universities.

 Students who have a business degree with a major other than accounting, or those with a Bachelors of Accounting degree from overseas must complete pre-requisite courses or select the Professional Accounting Major. Students who complete the pre-requisite courses with a minimum (GPA) of 3.0 may be eligible for a GMAT waiver. Admissions at the graduate level are competitive and meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission.

Special Program Requirements

Consistent with the current Florida CPA credentialing educational requirements, admission to the graduate accounting program requires an applicant with a nonaccounting degree to complete business prerequisite courses and up to eight undergraduate upper-division accounting courses (24 credit hours) from among the following: three credit hours of auditing, three credit hours of cost accounting, six credit hours of financial accounting, three credit hours of accounting information systems, six credit hours of taxation, three credit hours of business law, and three additional credit hours of accounting/business law/taxation coursework.

Alternately, students may complete accelerated graduate-level prerequisite coursework equivalent to the undergraduate courses noted.

 Florida Certified Public Accountant Requirements

Completing a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting does not alone meet the Florida State Board of Accountancy educational requirements for CPA licensure. These requirements include earning 30 credit hours beyond an undergraduate degree for a total of 150 credit hours, with a total of 36 semester hours of accounting and 39 hours of general business including three hours of business law. One year of work experience in an accounting-related field is also required for licensure.

 FIU’s graduate accounting program satisfies the 30 semester hours beyond a Bachelor’s degree required for CPA licensure.

 Computer Requirements

All MACC students are expected to own a laptop computer with wireless capability in order to begin your studies. A list of minimum requirements is available at http://business.fiu.edu or by contacting the program office.

Program Completion Curriculum Requirements

All majors in the MACC comprise 6 credits of core courses and up to 24 credits of specialized major courses. When a major requires less than 24 credits, students complete the 30 credit degree requirement from electives chosen by the Director of the School of Accounting.

Admissions Requirements for the Combined Bachelor of Accounting (BAcc) to MAcc Accelerated Degree Pathway

(1) Students must be enrolled in the BAcc degree program.

(2) Students must have completed at least 75, but no more than 90, credits of coursework.

(3) Students must have completed ACG 4101 or equivalents with a B+ or better.

(4) Students must have an overall (transfer and FIU) GPA of 3.34 or higher.

(5) Students must have two letters of recommendation, with at least one from a faculty member of the FIU School of Accounting.

Admissions Requirements for the MAcc and International Master of Business Administration (MBA) Joint Degree Pathway

(1) Candidates to the joint degree pathway must meet the entrance requirements established by each individual program. Candidates must indicate on the application their intention to pursue the joint degree option.

(2) Applications for a joint degree will not be accepted from candidates who have already completed either degree.

Admissions Requirements for the MAcc and MS in Information Systems Joint Degree Pathway

(1) Candidates to the joint degree pathway must meet the entrance requirements established by each individual program. Candidates must indicate on their initial application their intention to pursue the joint degree option.

(2) Applications for a joint degree will not be accepted from candidates who have already completed either degree.

(3) Domestic undergraduate non-accounting degree holders and international degree holders, regardless of major, will take the following courses, for a saving of 15 credits:

-- 24 credits at the 6000-level from the MSIS

-- 15 credits at the 5000-level from the MACC

-- 30 credits at the 6000-level from the MACC

Major in Forensic Accounting

The Forensic Accounting major of the Masters of Accounting (MACC-Forensic Accounting) requires students to complete a minimum of 12 elective credits in the field of forensic accounting within the 30-credit Masters of Accounting program (MACC). The major provides our students a clear designation of their concentration field, which is particularly attractive in a metropolitan area where identity theft, money laundering, estate settlements, healthcare fraud, and valuation disputes are prolific.

The Faculty Director of the Master of Accounting program and Director of the School of Accounting determines the schedule and major specific elective courses for each cohort. Further, the Director of the School of Accounting may substitute up to two 6000 level major required courses with alternative 6000 level accounting courses.

Other Curricular Offering: Combined BAcc to MAcc Accelerated Degree Pathway

The Combined Bachelor of Accounting/Master of Accounting (BAcc/MAcc) degree pathway is designed for outstanding undergraduate students interested in continuing studies beyond their baccalaureate degree. The pathway provides a strong base of knowledge and skills in accounting, and at the same time accelerates completion of the Master of Accounting degree. Students may take advantage of the overlap of courses in the Bachelor of Accounting and Master of Accounting programs to receive their Master of Accounting degree in a shorter period than might otherwise be possible.

A student admitted to the combined degree pathway will be considered to have undergraduate status until conferral of their Bachelor of Accounting degree. Upon conferral of their undergraduate degree, the student will be granted graduate status.

General Requirements

(1) Students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or greater to remain in the pathway.

(2) Bachelor of Accounting (BAcc) degree must be awarded before the Master of Accounting degree.

(3) No grade below “C” will be accepted in any course taken to satisfy graduate program requirements.

(4) Grade requirements for the Master of Accounting (MAcc) apply to courses counted toward the MAcc degree.

(5) Up to 4 courses (12 credits) may be used in satisfying both the Bachelor of Accounting and Master of Accounting degree requirements.

(6) Students must fulfill the degree requirements of both the Bachelor of Accounting and Master of Accounting programs, with all overlapping courses approved by both graduate program director and undergraduate advisors before students enroll in such courses.

Other Curricular Offering: MAcc and International MBA Joint Degree Pathway

The School of Accounting and the International Master of Business Administration (IMBA) program in the Alvah H. Chapman Jr. Graduate School of Business at Florida International University offer a joint degree pathway culminating in both a Master of Accounting (MACC) and an IMBA. Under the joint degree pathway, a student can obtain both degrees in significantly less time than it would take to obtain both degrees if pursued consecutively. The joint degree pathway will use existing faculty, courses, and resources. Important criteria relating to the joint degree pathway are as follows:

(1) Domestic undergraduate non-accounting degree holders; and international degree holders, regardless of major, will take the following courses, for a saving of 15 credits:

-- 34 credits at the 6000-level from the IMBA

-- 15 credits at the 5000-level from the MACC

-- 30 credits at the 6000-level from the MACC

(2) Domestic undergraduate accounting degree holders from AACSB accredited universities may petition to waive the 5000-level MACC courses, for a saving of an additional 15 credits.

(3) All courses transferred between degrees must be completed with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Directors of the MACC and MBA degree programs may adjust these exact course requirements as a result of future changes to the MACC or MBA curriculums.

(4) Joint degree pathway candidates will not receive either degree until all requirements for both programs have been satisfied. Students deciding against completing a second degree must satisfy all first degree program requirements as if the student had never been a joint degree pathway candidate.

With prior approval of the Director of the School of Accounting, two courses may be substituted for other 6000 level business courses.

Other Curricular Offering: MAcc and MS in Information Systems Joint Degree Pathway

The School of Accounting and the Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS) program in the Alvah H. Chapman Jr. Graduate School of Business at Florida International University offer a joint degree program culminating in both a Master in Accounting (MACC) and a Master of Science in Information Systems (MSIS). Under the joint degree pathway, a student can obtain both degrees in significantly less time than it would take to obtain both degrees if pursued consecutively. The joint degree pathway will use existing faculty, courses, and resources. Important criteria relating to the joint degree pathway are as follows:

(1) Domestic undergraduate accounting degree holders from AACSB accredited universities may petition to waive the 5000-level MACC courses, saving an additional 15 credits.

(2) All courses transferred between degrees must be completed with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Directors of the MACC and MSIS degree programs may adjust these exact course requirements as a result of future changes to the MACC or MSIS curriculums.

(3) Joint degree pathway candidates will not receive either degree until all requirements for both programs have been satisfied. Students deciding against completing a second degree must satisfy all first-degree program requirements as if the student had never been a joint degree candidate.

Professional Accounting

A Professional Accounting major will prepare you to work in careers such as public accounting, industry, government and not-for-profit organizations. In this major, you’ll take the standard accounting courses that cover topics such as financial and managerial accounting. You’ll also take intermediate accounting courses, study auditing and learn about federal income tax. In addition, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from a variety of electives