M.S.A. requirements
Curriculum requirements
The M.S.A. program consists of four-course categories: foundation, core, elective, and capstone. The program affords students the flexibility to tailor the program to best meet their career goals. Students are encouraged to consult with the department chair or her/his designee as soon as possible to discuss possible elective courses and core substitutions. Contact an advisor if you have questions or need more information.
Concentrations
Each M.S.A. student must select one of three concentration areas based on prior academic coursework and career goals:
Professional Accounting concentration: Intended primarily for students holding bachelor's degrees in business or economics (other than accounting majors) who wish to become "CPA-ready" by meeting the educational requirements in the State of Michigan to sit for the CPA exam and become certified.
Financial Reporting and Auditing concentration: Intended primarily for students who were undergraduate accounting majors and plan to pursue careers in public, corporate, or governmental accounting.
Taxation concentration: Intended primarily for students who were undergraduate accounting majors and plan to pursue careers in taxation. This M.S.A. concentration replaces the Ilitch School's M.S.T. program.
Foundation courses
M.S.A. students should possess an undergraduate degree in business or accounting, with a solid foundation in financial accounting and some background in managerial accounting. Foundation courses are assigned based on an evaluation of your transcripts and may be waived if equivalent courses have been completed with a course grade of 2.0 or above and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. Most applicants to the Financial Reporting and Auditing and Taxation concentrations will have met these requirements through their undergraduate coursework.
Students who do not satisfy the foundation requirements must take the following foundation courses (three credits each) before beginning core course work.
- ACC 7100: Financial Accounting for Decision Making
- ACC 7120: Introduction to Taxation: Individuals (for Tax concentration only)
- BA 7000: Managerial Accounting
NOTE: Foundation courses are required for background knowledge, but these credits are not counted toward the M.S.A. degree.
Core courses
The M.S.A. core comprises 18-24 semester hours, which must include each of the courses listed below under your chosen concentration area. If equivalent undergraduate or graduate courses have been completed within the preceding three years with a GPA of 3.0 or above, an advanced course in accounting may be substituted for those core courses. Another 7000-level ACC course should replace any core courses needing substitution.
Core courses may require additional business prerequisites.
Professional Accounting concentration core courses
- ACC 7115: Financial Statement Analysis
- ACC 7120: Introduction to Taxation: Individuals
- ACC 7130: Intermediate Managerial Accounting
- ACC 7145: Accounting Systems: Design and Controls
- ACC 7180: Auditing
- ACC 7188: Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting
- ACC 7300: Accounting and Tax Research and Professional Communications
- ACC 7310: Business and Professional Ethics for Managers and Accountants
Financial Reporting and Auditing concentration core courses
- ACC 7115: Financial Statement Analysis
- ACC 7122: Advanced Accounting I
- ACC 7180: Auditing
- ACC 7280: Accounting Data Analytics
- ACC 7300: Accounting and Tax Research and Professional Communications
- ACC 7310: Business and Professional Ethics for Managers and Accountants
Taxation concentration core courses
- ACC 7280: Accounting Data Analytics
- ACC 7300: Accounting and Tax Research and Professional Communications
- ACC 7310: Business and Professional Ethics for Managers and Accountants
- ACC 7320: Introduction to Taxation: Business Entities
- ACC 7325: Advanced Tax Research and IRS Procedures
- ACC 7335: Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders
- ACC 7340: Taxation of Pass-Through Entities
Elective courses
M.S.A. electives consist of one to three courses, or three to nine credit hours, selected from the Ilitch School's Department of Accounting courses at the 7000 level or higher, providing the opportunity to tailor the M.S.A. program to your specific interests and career goals. These courses may not include ACC 7100 or those already counted as foundation, core or capstone courses. Many students will want to elect ACC 7188, Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting, to qualify to sit for the CPA examination in Michigan.
M.S.A. electives include:
- ACC 7122: Advanced Accounting
- ACC 7125: Advanced Accounting II
- ACC 7155: Forensic Accounting
- ACC 7165: Internal Audit I
- ACC 7168: Internal Audit II
- ACC 7170: International Accounting
- ACC 7188: Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting
- ACC 7190: Advanced Auditing
- ACC 7192: Accounting Theory
- ACC 7220: Law of Corporate Management and Finance
- ACC 7320: Introduction to Taxation: Business Entities
- ACC 7325: Advanced Tax Research and IRS Procedures
- ACC 7330: Accounting and Tax Research and Professional Communications
- ACC 7335: Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders
- ACC 7340: Taxation of Pass-Through Entities
- ACC 7400: Taxation of International Business and Multinational Transactions
- ACC 7410: Tax Accounting Methods and Accounting for Income Taxes
- ACC 7420: Taxation by State and Local Jurisdictions
- ACC 7430: Taxation of Exempt Organizations
- ACC 7440: Financial and Estate Planning
- ACC 7450: Taxes and Business Strategy
- ACC 7990: Internship in Accounting or Tax Practice (1-3 credits)
- ACC 7992: Topics in Accounting
- ACC 7995: Directed Study in Accounting (1-5 credits)
All courses are three credits unless otherwise noted.
With the approval of the M.S.A. Committee, students can choose electives from other business disciplines. Contact the accounting department chair for more information.
Capstone course
The capstone course is the culmination of the M.S.A. program. This course builds on the knowledge gained throughout the program and is taken in the final 12 credit hours of the program.
Graduation requirements
The M.S.A. program requires a total of 30 credit hours (18-24 core, 3-9 elective, and 3 capstone), in addition to any necessary foundation requirements.
A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher is required for graduation.
The program does not require a thesis.