ACCOUNTING

PROFESSORS: Armitage, File, Kwak, Ortman: Armitage, File, Kwak, Ortman
ASSOCIATE PROFESSORS: Copple, Kealey, Watanabe: Copple, Kealey, Watanabe
ASSISTANT PROFESSORS:

Eldridge, Blaskovich

Objectives of the Master of Accounting MAcc Program

The primary objective of the MAcc degree program is to provide a graduate-level educational experience as a basis for a career in accounting. Students with or without undergraduate degrees in accounting can be admitted to this program. The program provides a broad-based preparation for individuals seeking careers in public, private or not-for-profit organizations. By choosing specific elective courses, however, individuals desiring a particular career path may pursue an area of specialization, such as Auditing, Information Systems, Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting or Taxation. For more information regarding these areas of specialization, please call 554-3650.

The MAcc program is designed for dedicated students with career aspirations demanding a high level of accounting expertise. As such, the program involves both intensive and extensive professional preparation. Upon completion of the program, most students will have met the educational prerequisites for the following professional examinations: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Financial Manager (CFM), and Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). Students planning to sit for any certification examination should see their MAcc Advisor as soon as they begin their master's program.

Program of Study

The MAcc program has two alternative tracks. The first is a 152-hour undergraduate-graduate option that requires UNO undergraduate accounting majors to apply to the MAcc program before they achieve senior status. Application to the 152 MAcc track requires that the student successfully complete the GMAT. UNO undergraduate accounting majors should see the Director of the MAcc program in their junior year to determine how they can enroll in this joint program. UNO's MBA Program does not accept graduate fourses taken by 152 MAcc students who have not earned their Bachelor's Degree. Therefore, if you are not vertain that you will continue with your MAcc Program after earning your BSBA, you should be certain that the graduate program to which you are thinking of applying accepts graduate courses taken before the Bachelor's Degree is earned.

The second option is for graduates of accredited undergraduate institutions who wish to earn a Masters degree in accounting. The first stage of this track (the foundation courses) of the MAcc program contains sufficient undergraduate accounting preparation to pursue graduate education. These courses will be waived upon satisfactory evidence of prior preparation. In the second stage, students complete a core of required courses in accounting and supporting business disciplines. In consultation with an adviser, electives are selected to meet a student's specific career goals.

Admission Requirements

All applicants must meet the requirements of the Graduate College. All applicants must submit a completed application, a recent resume, two official copies of all transcripts, and results of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) prior to admission to the program. Although other factors are considered, the general admission formula is:

GMAT (minimum 550*) + (200 x Upper Division GPA) ≥ 1170
*(minimum verbal 26 or 40th percentile; minimum quantitative 35 or 40th percentile)

International students must provide statements of financial independence and evidence of ability to speak and write the English language; i.e. a minimum of 600 on the paper-based TOEFL (250 if computer-based; 100 if internet-based). The baccalaureate degree must have been received from a properly accredited institution.

There is no guarantee that admission will be granted simply because the indicated scores have been achieved. If granted provisional admission, the student must earn grades of "B" (3.0 on a 4.0 scale) or above in the first 12 hours of MAcc course work (in some cases the first 18 hours). Students not meeting this standard are subject to dismissal.

Foundation Courses

OR
Select one of the following:

OR BOTH

1) Prior to applying to the MAcc Program these MAcc foundation courses can be successfully completed (i.e. earning a 2.0 grade, “C” or higher on a 4.0 system) in the applicant’s undergraduate program at a properly accredited institution.

2) Otherwise, MAcc applicants who have not yet completed all or some of the above MAcc foundation courses will be admitted to the MAcc Program provisionally, which means that prior to enrolling in MAcc Program graduate courses, provisionally admitted MAcc students must earn a “B” or better in each foundation course not completed when provisionally admitted.

Academic Performance

In addition to the Quality of Work Standards, MAcc students may repeat only once any ACCT 8--0, or 8--6 level course in which they receive any grade, including "W" or "I".

Students earning a third grade of "C+" or lower (or any single grade below "C- "(1.67 on a 4.0 scale) will be automatically dismissed from the MAcc program. Dismissed students will be immediately administratively withdrawn from all courses in which they are enrolled for MAcc credit in any subsequent semester or summer session until reinstatement has been granted by the MAcc Graduate Program Committee (MAcc GPC).

Students who have been dismissed from the MAcc program may submit a written petition for reinstatement to the MAcc GPC. Students who have petitioned the MAcc GPC for reinstatement may not enroll in any courses for MAcc credit. Upon receiving a petition for reinstatement, the MAcc GPC will evaluate the student's petition. As part of the reinstatement petitioning process, the MAcc GPC reserves the right to examine the student's academic record and reserves the right to speak to any previous instructor who has taught the student, and this information may be used by the MAcc GPC in the reinstatement decision. Information provided by previous instructors will not be shared with the student. Reinstatement is a privilege, and not all students who are dismissed will be reinstated. Students who have been reinstated will serve a probationary period of the MAcc GPC's discretion and must satisfy the probationary conditions specified by the MAcc GPC. In addition to probationary conditions, reinstated students will be subject to additional reinstatement conditions as specified by the MAcc GPC. These reinstatement conditions will include retaking one or more courses in which the student must earn a grade of "B" (3.0) or higher (the exact grade requirements for retaken courses may in fact be higher than "B" (3.0)). Students not achieving the probationary or reinstatement conditions will be automatically dismissed.

Master of Accounting

Core Courses-15 hours
Select any five of the following:
    ACCT 8210 Financial Accounting Theory
    ACCT 8220 Federal Estate and Gift Taxation
    ACCT 8230 Strategic and Operational Planning and Control
    ACCT 8250 Seminar in Financial Statement Analysis²
    ACCT 8260 Federal Tax Research and Planning
    ACCT 8290 Advanced Financial Auditing
    ACCT 8900 Independent Research³
    ACCT 8910 Special Topics in Accounting
NOTE: If a MAcc program does not contain ACCT 8900, a comprehensive final examination will be required. See the MAcc adviser for details.
Contemporary Business Environment - 9 hours
    Required Courses⁴
    BSAD 8010 Legal, Ethical and Social Environment
    BSAD 8400 Marketing Policies
    BSAD 8500 Financial Management
Electives - 12 hours⁵
In consultation with the MAcc adviser, twelve (12) hours of additional graduate work must be selected. These graduate courses can be taken in any area the student desires. Students may select a minor in an area of interest. A minor usually requires nine (9) graduate hours (no 8--6 courses) and the permission of the minor department. If interested in seeking a minor, see the MAcc adviser.
Other Requirements
1. A maximum of nine (9) hours of "8--6" (cross-listed) courses may be included in a graduate program of study.
2. Students also are subject to all policies and procedures of the Graduate College as stated in the Graduate Catalog.
3. A student may elect to write a thesis for 6 credit hours in lieu of 3 elective hours and 3 accounting core course hours.

Footnotes:

¹ Those who will be sitting for the CPA exam in Nebraska must take Accounting Information Systems (ACCT 3080); neither Management Information Systems (BSAD 3100) nor Organizations, Applications and Techniques (CIST 3100) will fulfill the requirement.

² The content of this course may change with each offering, and if this is so, it may be repeated up to six (6) hours.

³Before registering for this course, a student must complete an ACCT 8900 Application Form.

⁴Students who have completed courses in one or more of these areas must, in consultation with their MAcc adviser, select another non-accounting graduate course(s). If you have completed FNBK 4150 within the last five years, you should not take BSAD 8500.

⁵Those who will be sitting for the CPA exam in Nebraska must take: 1) ACCT 8076 Governmental/Nonprofit Accounting and Auditing (this course can be taken as an elective in the MAcc Program, assuming that a student has not already taken 9 hours of 8--6 courses), and 2) Managerial Communications (MGMT 3200) or an equivalent business communications course.

Internships

Students in the 152-hour MAcc program are encouraged to apply for full- or part-time internships. Internships for International students maybe available; see the Director of the MAcc Program for details. The MAcc program does not grant graduate credit for internships nor is an internship required by the program. Students seeking information about internships should see the Accounting Department's Director of Internships.

Financial Assistance

For more information...

Course Descriptions--Accounting

Course Descriptions--Business Administration

UNO Course Descriptions

College/Dept: (GR) Graduate College / (ACCT) Accounting

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8016 Advanced Financial Accounting (3) Mergers and corporate acquisitions including consolidation techniques are studied. Other topics include: translation of foreign currency financial statements; accounting for foreign currency denominated transactions; financial instruments and hedging transactions; accounting and reporting for individuals and their estates, as well as partnerships. Prereq: ACCT 3040. Not open to nondegree students. (Cross-listed with ACCT-4010.)

8046 Advanced Federal Income Taxation (3) Taxation of corporations and partnerships, including transactions between corporations and their shareholders and partnerships and their partners. Analysis of various advanced tax issues such as: capital gains and losses, the sale of business property, and tax-deferred exchanges. Prereq: ACCT 3020. Not open to nondegree students. (Cross-listed with ACCT-4040.)

8066 Advanced Managerial Accounting (3) An intensive analysis of current topics in managerial accounting. Prereq: ACCT 3050. Not open to nondegree students. (Cross-listed with ACCT-4060.)

8076 Governmental/Nonprofit Accounting and Auditing (3) Study of budgeting, accounting, financial reporting and auditing in governmental and nonprofit entities. Prereq: ACCT 3080 with a 'C' or better (or permission of instructor). Not open to nondegree students. (Cross-listed with ACCT-4070.)

8096 Advanced Auditing (3) A more intensive study of the basic concepts and principles covered in ACCT 4080, as well as the study of selected additional advanced auditing topics. Prereq: ACCT 4080. Not open to nondegree students. (Cross-listed with ACCT-4090.)

8210 Financial Accounting Theory (3) The development of accounting, current accounting theory and present controversies and suggested theory and practice. Prereq: ACCT 3040. Not open to nondegree students.

8220 Federal Estate and Gift Taxation (3) Analysis of the federal income taxation of estates, trusts and their beneficiaries; wealth transfer taxes, basic concepts of international taxation and other business-related taxes. Prereq: ACCT 4040/8046. Not open to nondegree students.

8230 Strategic and Operational Planning and Control (3) An analysis of information to assist managers in determining successful strategies, developing those strategies into plans and controlling operating activities to achieve strategic goals. Prereq: ACCT 3050 or BSAD 8200. Not open to nondegree students.

8240 Professional Problems (3) Questions, problems and cases are used to develop and refine accounting analysis techniques and written communication abilities. Prereq: LAWS 3230; ACCT 3020, 3050, 4010, 4080; and permission of instructor. Not open to nondegree students.

8250 Seminar in Accounting (3) A study of a specific area within the accounting discipline. Possible areas include: auditing, financial, managerial, systems and tax. May be repeated, but no area can be taken more than once. Prereq: Admission to MAcc program or permission of instructor. Not open to nondegree students.

8260 Federal Tax Research and Planning (3) This course is designed to provide students an opportunity to gain expertise in federal tax research methodology to solve both the routine and complex federal tax problems. Students will use the Internal Revenue Code and Regulations, case law and other primary authority, tax reporter services, and computer research tools. Prereq: ACCT 4040/8046. Not open to nondegree students.

8900 Independent Research (1-3) Individual research supplementing graduate study in a specific area within the Accounting discipline. May be repeated to a maximum of six hours. Prereq: Admission to MAcc program and approval of written proposal. Not open to nondegree students.

8910 Special Topics in Accounting (3) A variable content course with accounting topics selected in accordance with student and faculty interest. May be repeated to a maximum of six (6) hours. Prereq: Permission of instructor. Not open to nondegree students.

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