Master of Science in Accounting

Our Master of Science in Accounting program provides a unique advanced business education. This 36-hour program is non-thesis and offers you the opportunity to master the specialization of your choice. Through a combination of core courses, electives, and leadership development opportunities, your MS program develops and deepens the competencies needed in your career.

We stress both technical accounting knowledge and the development of leadership, communication, teamwork, and critical thinking skills. The program also enables you to gain knowledge of financial statement analysis, the marketing of professional services, public policy, financial markets, information systems, and the impact of technology on accounting and business.

The program is primarily designed for those with undergraduate preparation in accounting. Exceptional candidates from other disciplines, however, may be considered. Upon completion of the program, you should have completed Texas' 150-hour educational requirement for the CPA examination.

Career opportunities

Because accounting continues to be recognized as one of the world's leading professions, accounting master's graduates are in demand. Numerous companies conduct on-campus interviews because our graduates are known for their excellent work ethic, knowledge base, and willingness to contribute. Mays Business School at Texas A&M University is a primary source of talent for all of the Big Four CPA firms and other corporations.

Tracks

This program offers vast flexibility in selecting coursework. You may choose one of our specialization tracks or design your own program.

Assurance Services/Information Management Track

The Assurance Services/Information Management track examines business and accounting concepts from the perspective of an assurance services professional. This track encourages students to develop technical, yet common sense, answers to a variety of accounting situations.

This track develops skills needed to audit or consult with multinational corporations and financial institutions. The courses place heavy emphasis on both oral and written skills. Students receive a firm grounding in contemporary issues in auditing, accounting and finance.

The curriculum has been designed to develop a broad business background with an emphasis on accounting and financial management. Students develop skills that require "thinking out of the box," teamwork and problem identification and analysis which prepare graduates to react to rapid changes.

This track leads to the MS-Accounting degree. Although most graduates of this track begin their careers in the assurance services or consulting division of a national public accounting firm, many AS/IM graduates take positions in the accounting or finance areas of major corporations.

Tax Consulting/Financial Planning Track

The Tax Consulting/Financial Planning track provides students a broad foundation for understanding the taxation of entities and the relationship of taxes to the overall business decision process. Specifically, the track focuses on identifying tax problems, conducting research using the latest databases, and interpreting the tax code as well as relevant literature.

Students not only collect information, but they also analyze the data and present the results in both written and oral presentations. This track focuses primarily on the fundamental and contemporary aspects of developing tax strategies in the complex world of contemporary business.

Courses in the taxation of entities-including corporations, partnerships, estates and trusts-provide students with a broad background for identifying solutions to complex tax situations and developing sound business strategies.

This track leads to the MS-Accounting degree with a concentration in taxation. Many graduates start their careers with the Big Four and other national and regional public accounting firms. Both accounting firms and corporations prefer that their professional staff have master's degrees when entering their tax departments.

Admission requirements

Admission to the MS-Accounting program is based on the assessment of several factors including the following:

• Demonstrated leadership and academic potential
• Academic performance in undergraduate coursework
• GMAT or GRE scores
• Letters of reference
• Honors, awards, and extracurricular activities
• Relevant work experience (if applicable)

Master's program applications can only be submitted online.

International applicants

TOEFL and IELTS

Texas A&M requires that all applicants from non-English speaking countries present an official TOEFL or IELTS score. To be official, scores must be current and within two years of the date of application. Texas A&M’s Institution Code is 6003. The University’s minimum requirements are:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language): a minimum score of 550 (paper) or 213 (computer-based) is required for admission. Additional contact information can be found at www.ets.org/toefl.
• IELTS (International English Language Testing System): a minimum score of 6.0 is required. Additional information can be found at www.ielts.org.

Note: Individual graduate programs within Mays may have a higher requirement.

Prerequisites

The MS-Accounting program is designed primarily for students who have undergraduate preparation in accounting. However, exceptional candidates from other disciplines may be considered for admission. Most successful candidates have completed accounting coursework through the intermediate level. The following courses or their equivalents are normally completed by all students before they begin graduate study:

• ACCT 642 — Intermediate Accounting II
• FINC 635 — Financial Management
• INFO 612 — Introduction to Business Computing
• ECON 202 or 203 — Principles of Economics

Financial aid

As an MS-Accounting student, you are eligible to compete for a limited number of departmental research assistantships that provide a monthly wage and waiver of out-of-state tuition.

Advising

MS-Accounting advisor: Terri Callery '80, (979) 845-9679