Master of Science in Accounting 4/1 Program

This program is for students who hold an undergraduate degree in accounting or in any area of study and who desire a graduate degree in accounting.

Students in the 4/1 program must complete 32 hours of graduate level course work with at least 18 of those hours in accounting. Depending on the student's educational background, additional courses may be required to prepare the student for graduate level study in Accounting

Concentrations

External Reporting Concentration

The external reporting concentration provides additional depth in financial accounting and finance. Students preparing for careers in public accounting, corporate accounting, or corporate finance will find this concentration beneficial.

Tax Concentration

The tax concentration provides the specialized knowledge and skills required to deal with the complexity of the tax law. The tax concentration provides students the foundation needed to respond to the constantly expanding environment in which they will practice tax accounting. This concentration is beneficial to students preparing for a professional career in taxation in public accounting, in industry, and in government.

Internal Reporting Concentration

The internal reporting concentration provides additional depth in auditing, financial analysis and reporting, and information systems. Students preparing for careers in auditing or corporate accounting or finance will find that this concentration provides the knowledge and skills required for successful practice.

The Spears School of Business is composed of six academic departments with more than 100 tenure and tenure-track educational professionals. The student body is made up of more than 3,900 undergraduate students pursuing 15 degrees with approximately 800 students pursuing six master's degrees. The School also offers Ph.D.s in business administration and in economics.

Mission

The mission of the Spears School of Business is to add value to our constituents through high quality educational programs, research and scholarly activities, and outreach.

To achieve this mission, the SSB stresses the following:

• The ethical, entrepreneurial, and international components of the educational program provided to our students.
• Programs which will graduate students who will be successful in both their personal and professional lives and be contributing members of society.
• The development of a culture and community that supports excellence, diversity, respect for individuals, cooperation, and balance.
• The advancement and dissemination of business knowledge.
• Preparation of students for a changing business environment.
• Our land-grant heritage including outreach, service to the business community, and economic development.
• Effective management of resources.
• On-going evaluation of our success in achieving our mission and objectives.

Faculty

The faculty of the Spears School of Business is composed of noted scholars, authors, sought-after consultants and practitioners, and caring teachers. Many of the faculty have received outstanding teaching awards and have been recognized for innovative instruction. The faculty are nationally and internationally recognized for their publications and leadership positions in professional academic associations.

Real-world curriculum

The Spears School of Business actively incorporates technology into the curriculum and seeks input from leaders in business and government to help create industry-driven degrees. Currently, the School is home to a growing number of research centers and institutes.

The faculty, with varied academic, governmental, corporate and consulting backgrounds, bring real-world experience to the classroom. In many courses you will receive the necessary theoretical background, but you will also learn about the latest trends and developments from faculty attuned to what is going on in the real world. Real-world applications may be in the form of a lecture, company-based consulting project, a practicum or other means. The SSB also encourages students to take advantage of the study-abroad opportunities offered by the Office of International Business programs and numerous internship.