Master of Science in Accounting

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN

ACCOUNTING Meinders School of Business, Oklahoma City University

WE EAGERLY SEEK INPUT FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY. In our view, the key indicator of our success is the degree to which our graduates attain the knowledge and skills employers seek, which cluster into three goals: instilling technical acumen, honing communication skills, and inculcating ethical awareness and prudence.

Meinders School of Business ranks in the top 4.5% of business schools in the world.

A TOP-TIER EDUCATION The Meinders School of Business is accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the benchmark of quality for business education worldwide.

AACSB’s accreditation standards are rigorous, relevant, and benchmarks of quality that drive impact, innovation, and engagement with students, employers, and various stakeholders. Visit accredited.aacsb.edu to learn more about the importance of choosing a university accredited by AACSB International.

TECHNICAL ACUMEN Our faculty members provide focused, informative lectures and innovative assignments that maximize learning, while respecting student time. CPA Exam Prep classes using the Becker CPA Exam Review materials are offered for academic credit. In short, our technical preparation for the CPA Exam is second to none. Of course, technical acumen encompasses more than CPA Exam preparation.

It also encompasses practical knowledge that can only be learned from those with years of real world experience. This is why our accounting classes are taught by instructors who bring public, industry, and government experience to the classroom.

THE MEINDERS SCHOOL OF BUSINESS (MSB) DEPARTMENT OF ACCOUNTING IS EXCEPTIONALLY STUDENT-FOCUSED. Accounting firms (including the Big Four), Fortune 500 corporations and government employers, among others, enthusiastically recruit MSB accounting graduates. In fact, our graduates typically must decide between multiple job offers—a nice decision with which to wrestle.

Accountants may become public accounting firm partners or attain the highest echelons of corporate leadership (e.g., Chief Financial Officers and Controllers). Or, they may “hang out their shingle” and serve communities. Rarely will you find a more flexible career choice.

If you are not yet familiar with the employer demand for Accounting graduates, you may want to read “Demand for Accounting reaches all-time high”, a June 2013 Journal of Accountancy article.

If you are not yet familiar with the many career paths you can take with an Accounting degree, you may want to check out the “Become a CPA” portion of the AICPA website.

Respected and admired by their peers, clients and society, CPAs are often viewed as an elite group of professionals. After years of academic and technical training—and passing the rigorous CPA exam —CPAs achieve a level of expertise and proficiency beyond that of a “standard” accountant —proudly earning them the designation of CPA.

- NASBA (National Association of State Boards of Accountancy)

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS • Master’s classes are taught in the evening to accommodate working students.

• Graduates have excellent job placement and CPA Exam passage rates.

• Competitive tuition rates and scholarship opportunities.

• Professors bring public, industry and government experience to the classroom.

• Class size is limited (typically 10-25 students) to allow professors to focus upon honing communication and criticalthinking skills.

• All classes held in the Meinders School of Business, a centrally-located, state-of-the-art facility with ample parking.

• Up to six hours of academic credit for CPA Exam preparation classes.

• Access to premier financial and investment information at the Bloomberg Terminal facility.

ETHICAL AWARENESS & PRUDENCE An Accounting Ethics course is required of all MSA students. The course thoroughly examines accounting ethical standards and surveys ethical and legal standards specified for the CPA Exam. Readings and class discussion also address practical topics such as the need for cognizance of common psychological judgment biases.

MASTER OF SCIENCE - ACCOUNTING ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS Applications are evaluated based on several factors, including: • Prior college cumulative GPA • Professional work experience, academic and/or professional accomplishments • Letters of recommendation and personal statement • GMAT score1 GMAT score not required with either (1) 15 accounting hours with ≥ 3.00 GPA (Students planning to take additional Accounting prerequisite courses may be admitted to the MSA program subject to the condition that their Accounting course grades subsequently satisfy this standard) or (2) 5 years accounting experience. International students must demonstrate adequate English proficiency.

Prerequisites may be required before student can enter into the MSA program if certain criteria are not met.

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All waivers and agreements are subject to compliance with the appropriate OCU bulletin or approval of the Dean.

REQUIRED CORE COURSES ACCT 5123 Accounting Theory ACCT 5313 Auditing Policies, Frameworks, & Practices ACCT 5613 Accounting Ethics ACCT 5513 AIS and EDP Control FIN 5303 Financial Strategy & Decision Making ELECTIVE Choose 4 Electives1 At least 1 elective must be Accounting; remainder at approval of Accounting Advisor.

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ELECTIVES ACCT 5133 International Accounting

PREREQUISITES

ACCT 5163 Energy Accounting

The following prerequisites may be required before students can take certain MSA classes.

ACCT 5913 Special Topics of Study in Accounting ACCT 5713 CPA Exam Review Part I (Using Becker CPA Exam Review materials)

ACCT 2113 Financial Accounting

ACCT 5723 CPA Exam Review Part II (Using

ACCT 2213 Managerial Accounting

Becker CPA Exam Review materials)

MGMT 2213 Business Law1,2

MGMT 5703 Ethical, Societal, & Legal

ACCT 3113 Intermediate Accounting I2

Environment of Business

ACCT 3123 Intermediate Accounting II2

ACCT 5413 Income Taxation of Entities

ACCT 3413 Introduction to Taxation

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ACCT 4313 Auditing2 May be waived if MGMT5703 Ethical, Societal, & Legal Environment of Business is taken as an MSA elective 2 Must be taken at a regionally-accredited U.S. school 1

For further information, contact

Cindy Treadway

Graduate Advisor (405) 208-5154 ctreadway@okcu.edu

2501 N Blackwelder / Oklahoma City, OK 73106

okcu.edu/business

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