Department of Accounting and Computer Information Systems

Accounting M.Acc. (MAcc Degree)

The Master of Accounting degree (MAcc) is designed to enhance the student’s applied accounting research skills, communication skills, problem-solving capability, and other skills and knowledge required to be a successful professional accountant in public accounting, business, or government. The program is designed for students who desire to enter public or private accounting with plans to sit for the CPA exam with greater skills in applying accounting knowledge to various accounting and business situations. Students will be better qualified for higher level management positions as a result of the extra value of a graduate degree. Additionally, completion of this program will satisfy Colorado’s and most other state’s 150-hour requirement for licensing as a CPA.

The overall objectives for the program are:

• Expand the students’ knowledge base and understanding of business in order to better prepare them for an entry-level position in accounting and industry,
• Prepare students for a successful career in accounting including more career opportunities and quicker advancement,
• Adequately prepare students to write the CPA Exam,
• Grant students the advanced graduate degree upon completing the program, and
• Give students the opportunity to become substantially equivalent in educational requirements with other states in order to make them more mobile with transferring their CPA licensure and practice capabilities.

The MAcc degree requires that students complete a written comprehensive examination or other approved equivalent.

Admissions to MAcc Program

The MAcc program is mainly designed for individuals with an undergraduate degree in accounting. The MAcc program may also be useful to other business majors who have completed the following courses or who are willing to complete these courses: Principles of Accounting I and II, Intermediate Accounting I and II, Cost and Managerial Accounting I, Auditing I, Income Tax I, Accounting Information Systems, Business Finance, Legal Environment of Business, and Information Systems or equivalent business courses. Students admitted to the program who have not completed a baccalaureate degree in accounting as described above can expect prerequisite deficiency courses to be added to their plan of study. Deficiency course requirements will be determined by the program coordinator.

A minimum GMAT score of 500 and an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 are required for admission to the program.

As well as meeting minimum admissions criteria, the admission process into the MAcc program in the Monfort College of Business at the University of Northern Colorado is subject to the approval of the MAcc program coordinator in consultation with the Director of the School of Accounting and Computer Information Systems and the Dean of the Monfort College of Business and the Dean of the Graduate School. Our program allows nine hours of graduate work to be completed by a senior with at least a 3.0 GPA before he or she is admitted into the graduate program.

Criteria for Admissions into the MAcc Program:

The primary criteria in determining eligibility for admission the Monfort College of Business MAcc Program are previous academic achievement and performance on the Graduate Management Admission Test and other factors such as work experience and career progression.

Applicants must submit a completed application form and transcripts from each institution of higher education attended to the UNC Graduate School office. Each applicant is considered on an individual basis.

For students with a non-accounting Bachelors degree, additional undergraduate course work completion (called "leveling courses") will be required before applying to the program. They must complete all of the coursework listed above to fulfill the course prerequisites for the graduate program.

Additional Admission Requirements for International Students

All international students and any applicant educated outside the U.S. must demonstrate proficiency in English. Those whose native language is not English, or whose language of instruction for their undergraduate degree was not English, will be required to submit a score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

Graduate - Master of Accounting:

A TOEFL score of:

• 550 - paper based test;
• 215 - computer based test;
• 90 - internet based test or an Intensive English Test Score of 8.0.

For degree and program requirements, see:

Accounting M.Acc.