MSA Accounting
The objective of the Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA) degree program is to provide an opportunity for students to achieve greater breadth and depth in the study of Accountancy than is possible in the baccalaureate program. The MSA program gives student the advanced skills to be a successful accountant and business leader. Skills such as critical and analytical thinking, leadership, teamwork, effective communication, and the ability to deal with big data and data analytics are important skills for short and long-term career success in a dynamic environment. The MSA program is also designed to fulfill the requirements to sit for the Uniform CPA Exam in the state of Ohio and other states. Nationwide, the CPA candidates who qualify to sit for the CPA exam with an MSA degree have the highest pass rates.
All decisions regarding admissions to the M.S.A. program are made by the program director for accounting. Admission to the M.S.A. program is available for those students who demonstrate high promise of success in a graduate program. All applicants are considered on the basis of their merit with weight given to the quality of prior academic achievement, GMAT test scores (if required), professional experience, and other relevant information. The following documents are required for admission to the program:
- Official transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended.
- Official GMAT scores sent directly from the Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC) to the College of Graduate Studies. The minimum GMAT score is 500, must be no more than five years old.1
- The GMAT may be waived for applicant who have:
- Completed GRE within the last five years; official GRE scores must be sent directly to the College of Graduate Studies, or
- An undergraduate degree from the University of Toledo (minimum 3.0 GPA) within the last ten years, or M.B.A. or
- A Master in Economics (minimum 3.00 GPA) within the last ten years, or
- An active practicing CPA/CMA, or passed the CPA/CMA exam within the last five years
- Most recent resume or curriculum vitae including contact information for two references (name, title, place of employment, phone number and e-mail address).
In the case of students whose native language is not English, a score of at least 550 (paper based), 213 (computer based), or 80 (internet based) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is mandatory.
Applications for admission are considered on a rolling basis. However, students are encouraged to submit their applications by the following dates:
Domestic students:
| Semester | Date |
|---|---|
| Fall Semester | August 1 |
| Spring Semester | November 15 |
| Summer Semester | April 15 |
International students:
| Semester | Date |
|---|---|
| Fall Semester | May 1 |
| Spring Semester | October 1 |
| Summer Semester | March 1 |
Final admissions decisions will be withheld until the application for admission is complete. No materials submitted to the University will be returned to the applicant. The M.S.A. program admits students to the program on a rolling admissions basis.
The Master of Science in Accountancy degree is granted to students who satisfactorily complete a minimum of 30 semester hours at the 6000-level in the College of Business and Innovation.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Accounting Core Courses | ||
| ACCT 6130 | Advanced Financial Accounting 1 | 3 |
| ACCT 6190 | Contemporary Accounting Problems | 3 |
| ACCT 6210 | Research In Accounting And Taxation | 3 |
| OSCM 6250 | Essentials of Business Analytics | 3 |
| GENERAL MSA 2 | ||
| International Accounting And Taxation | ||
| Corporate Taxation | ||
| Advanced Managerial Accounting | ||
| Advanced Topics In Accounting Information Systems | ||
| Governmental And Not-For-profit Accounting | ||
| Business Valuation And Analysis | ||
| Advanced Auditing | ||
| Fraud and Forensic Accounting | ||
| ACCT 6600 | Data Analytics for Accountants | 3 |
| Independent Study In Accounting | ||
| Business Electives - 6 hours (2 courses): | ||
Two graduate business courses. | ||
| Corporate Finance | ||
| Strategic Marketing And Analysis | ||
| Results-Based Management | ||
| International Business | ||
| Supply Chain Management | ||
| Information Technology And E-Business | ||
| SPECIALIZED MSA TRACKS 3 | ||
| AUDITING & IT TRACK 3 | ||
Accounting Electives (12 hours) - Choose 4 courses from the following: | ||
| Governmental And Not-For-profit Accounting | ||
| Advanced Auditing | ||
| Fraud and Forensic Accounting | ||
| Advanced Topics In Accounting Information Systems | ||
| ACCT 6600 | Data Analytics for Accountants | 3 |
| Independent Study In Accounting | ||
| Business Electives (6 hours) - Choose 2 courses from the following: | ||
| Business Intelligence Management | ||
| Information Integration and Data Management | ||
| Management of Information Systems Security | ||
| FINANCIAL REPORTING AND FINANCE TRACK 3 | ||
Accounting Electives (12 hours) - Choose 4 courses from the following | ||
| International Accounting And Taxation | ||
| Corporate Taxation | ||
| Advanced Managerial Accounting | ||
| Governmental And Not-For-profit Accounting | ||
| Business Valuation And Analysis | ||
| ACCT 6600 | Data Analytics for Accountants | 3 |
| Independent Study In Accounting | ||
Business Electives (6 hours) - Choose 2 courses from the following: | ||
| Corporate Finance | ||
| Advanced Corporate Finance | ||
| Investments And Security Analysis | ||
| Derivative Securities | ||
| STRATEGIC MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT TRACK 3 | ||
Accounting Electives (12 hours) - Choose 4 courses from the following: | ||
| International Accounting And Taxation | ||
| Advanced Managerial Accounting | ||
| Advanced Topics In Accounting Information Systems | ||
| Governmental And Not-For-profit Accounting | ||
| Business Valuation And Analysis | ||
| ACCT 6600 | Data Analytics for Accountants | 3 |
| Independent Study In Accounting | ||
Business Electives (6 hours) - Choose 2 courses from the following: | ||
| Corporate Finance | ||
| Supply Chain Management | ||
| Business Intelligence Management | ||
| Quality Management and Six Sigma | ||
| Supply Chain Resources Management | ||
| Total Hours | 24 | |
| 1 | ACCT 4130 at the undergraduate level |
| 2 | MSA 4 Core courses (12 hours) above required for all MSA students. |
| 3 | MSA Elective courses for the "General MSA" and the "Specialized MSA Tracks": 18 hours (6 courses) - at least 12 credit hours (4 courses) of Accounting Electives. |
Other UT graduate courses are allowed as electives with pre-approval from the MSA academic advisor. If a student takes one of the courses above at the undergraduate level (specifically ACCT 4130, ACCT 4250 and ACCT 4410), these courses may not be taken at the graduate level. This does not reduce the number of credit hours or courses required to earn the MSA degree. The student will select a different option with the Accounting Department Chair and MSA Program Advisor. Other courses from the College of Business and Innovation (or, in the case of a JD/MSA student, a course from the College of Law) may also be approved for the three areas above, with good cause shown, by the Accounting Department Chair and/or MSA Program Advisor.
MSA Common Body of Knowledge
Based on the candidate’s prior course work, any or all of the MSA Common Body of Knowledge may be waived (each course is three semester hours):
If a student can demonstrate that he/she has completed equivalent course work at the undergraduate level prior to admission to the M.S.A. program and has earned a grade of C (2.0) or better in the course(s), the corresponding course below may be waived. The undergraduate and graduate equivalents are below.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 5000 | Financial And Managerial Accounting 1 | 3 |
| ACCT 3100/5100 | Financial Accounting and Analysis | 3 |
| ACCT 3110/5110 | Intermediate Financial 1 | 3 |
| ACCT 3120/5120 | Intermediate Financial 2 | 3 |
| ACCT 3210/5210 | Individual Taxation | 3 |
| ACCT 3310/5310 | Accounting Information Systems And Controls | 3 |
| ACCT 3320/5320 | Cost Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT 4420/5420 | Auditing | 3 |
| FINA 5210 | Economics For Business Decisions 2 | 3 |
| FINA 5310 | Managerial Finance 3 | 3 |
| OSCM 5510 | Business Statistics With Computer Applications 4 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | |
| 4 |
Students must have an average GPA of 3.0 or higher in the common body of knowledge courses in order to proceed into 6000 level accounting classes.
Early admission/bridge program - BBA - MSA
Undergraduate students accepted in the BBA-MSA option will be admitted to the Master of Science in Accountancy program and allowed to complete up to three graduate level classes (nine credit hours) during their final academic year of undergraduate studies. Students admitted into the pipeline program must apply for admission to the College of Graduate Studies for the semester that they intend to matriculate. They will then continue in the MSA program upon completion of the undergraduate degree requirements. The graduate coursework (up to nine hours) may be applied to completion of both undergraduate and MSA degree requirements.The following provisions apply for classes taken for graduate credit: 1) graduate classes taken at The University of Toledo only after the student is accepted in the MBA joint program, 2) only BUAD 6200, BUAD 6300, BUAD 6400, BUAD 6500, BUAD 6800, ACCT 6130, ACCT 6190, ACCT 6250, OSCM 6250 may be included in the approved nine semester hours of graduate credit taken as an undergraduate.Students must have at the time of application 1) a minimum of 3.0 cumulative undergraduate grade point average that will include undergraduate credits earned at other institutions and transferred to UT, 2) undergraduate advisor's approval, and 3) graduate advisor’s approval.Students interested in the joint BBA / MSA program must submit 1) a letter of interest, 2) a completed graduate admission application, 3) at least 2 letter(s) of recommendation from faculty members. After successful completion of the application process, students will apply to the graduate program.
Apply advanced concepts to prepare the general purpose financial statements
Evaluate business risks, related to data collection, storage and use
Demonstrate ability to collect, clean, analyze and interpret data for decision-making
Identify ethical implications of accounting decisions on firm and capital markets
Locate areas of risk within an enterprise and suggest appropriate responses
Identify and evaluate current accounting issues