Master of Professional Accountancy

Get Started on Your Graduate Degree Online Today!

Today's business environment is one of constant change. A Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) degree from Mississippi State University Online will further your knowledge and equip you with the skills needed for a successful professional career in accountancy.

The Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) program advances the student’s knowledge base in business and accounting while preparing for a professional career in accountancy. The accountancy program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), as part of the overall accreditation of the College of Business, as well as the supplemental AACSB accreditation of accounting programs. The AACSB is the world’s largest business education network and longest-serving accrediting body for business schools with undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition per credit hour	$581.00
Instructional Support Fee per credit hour	$25.00

Please refer to the master class schedule for individual course charges. Tuition and fees listed are subject to change and do not include all possible charges. Additional fees may apply.

The Adkerson School of Accountancy combines general, broad business and accounting education into a specialized curriculum designed to meet the greater demand for accountants, stemming from developments in information technology, increasingly complicated taxation and governmental control measures, and a growing awareness of the need for accurate control methods in existing businesses. The Master of Professional Accountancy program prepare students for positions in public, private, or governmental accounting.

Prospective Career Paths include, but are not limited to:

Private Accountant
Public Accountant
Government Accountant
Auditor
Controller
Fraud Examiner
Entrepreneur
Attorney

Program Structure

The Master of Accountancy is a non-thesis degree program and requires 30-semester hours in coursework. At least 24 of semester hours must be in graduate level accounting courses. A minor in Accounting Data Analytics is also available.

Curriculum

Admissions Process

Admission to the graduate programs at the Adkerson School of Accountancy is competitive. We expect to receive more applications than we have the capacity to accommodate in our programs. A committee of faculty members from the Adkerson School of Accountancy will review applications. A student applying to the Adkerson School of Accountancy for the Master of Professional Accountancy or the Master of Taxation must meet the following requirements for their application to be reviewed for admission:

Complete an Application
- GMAT is waived for Fall 2021 Admissions.
A 3.0 GPA or above on all course work or the last 60 hours of courses attempted.
A 3.0 GPA or above in all Accounting classes.
Hold a four-year, regionally accredited (SACS, NCACS, NEACS, etc.) bachelor's degree from a U.S. institution
Be a U.S. citizen or a Green Card holder (Permanent Resident) and have either a USA or APO address
Completion of prerequisites or the equivalent in a curriculum emphasizing Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) as established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB).

The application deadlines for Master of Professional Accountancy and Master of Taxation are as followed:

Deadlines
Fall	Aug 1
Spring	Dec 1
Summer	May 15

Domestic/International Classified Admissions
Readmission

Domestic/International Classified Admissions

Complete and submit the online Graduate Admission Application. You will choose the Master of Professional Accountancy as your Program of Study and Online Education as your campus.
Upload Statement of Purpose - Provide two to three paragraphs on who you are, explain why you are pursuing graduate studies, and share why you have selected the Mississippi State Online program. You may even discuss your past academic performance, and what that says about your ability to succeed in a graduate level program.
Three letters of recommendation
- You will be asked to list three names and three email addresses of individuals you are using as references. Once you click submit, these individuals will be sent an email from MSU, which will provide a link to an online form for completing their recommendations.
TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for international students
- ETS is providing home testing for the TOEFL iBT test, and MSU is encouraging students to take advantage of this testing option. For those students applying who have taken the TOEFL within five years of the semester they plan to enroll and are unable to access the TOEFL iBT test from home, we will accept your previous test scores.
One official transcript showing bachelor’s degree or progress toward degree. (For international students, please submit a copy in native language along with translated copies, if appropriate.)
One official transcript showing ALL work after bachelor’s degree. (For international students, please submit a copy in native language along with translated copies, if appropriate.)
- Electronic transcripts should be sent to: Mississippi State University, Graduate School, gradapps@grad.msstate.edu. Only one copy of an electronic transcript is required.
- Paper transcripts should be mailed to: Mississippi State University
  The Office of the Graduate School
  P.O. Box G
  Mississippi State, MS 39762
  Physical Street Address (for DHL, Fed Ex, UPS, DHS, etc.):
  Mississippi State University
  Office of the Graduate School
  255 Lee Blvd
  Mississippi State, MS 39762
Payment of $60 non-refundable application processing fee for domestic students.
Payment of $80 non-refundable application processing fee for international students.
Once you are admitted, you will receive an email with complete instructions on registering for classes and contacting your advisor

Readmission

Once enrolled in graduate study, a student who fails to meet the continuous enrollment requirement must complete an Application for Readmission to register for classes. Continuous enrollment is defined as enrollment in two of three semester terms (Fall, Spring, or Summer) with Fall enrollment required. Students who have not been enrolled for a period of three years or longer and are in good academic standing, are eligible to reapply to through the Lapsed Student Program. Readmission is not guaranteed and must be approved by the Department Head, Academic Dean, and Dean of the Graduate School. Interested students or academic departments should contact the Graduate School for more information.

Attention International Students

Applicants whose native language is not English must submit the results of either the TOEFL or IELTS exam. Prospective students should contact ETS (TOEFL) or IELTS for testing information. The Graduate School maintains a list of countries exempt from English language requirements. Please consult the Graduate Catalog for specific English Language test score requirements.

TOEFL Essentials	TOEFL iBT	IELTS	Admission Eligibility	Outcome
9 and above	79 and above	6.5 and above	Eligible for admission for any term and a graduate assistantship	Considered proficient in English. Applicant is not required to enroll in an ESL course unless his/her academic program requires a higher test score.
8.0-8.5	69-78	6.0-6.4	Eligible for admission for Fall, Spring, or Summer and a graduate assistantship.	Scores indicate a need for assistance in English writing, research, and editing skills. Applicant must enroll in EAP 5323 Academic Research and Writing. Student may enroll in up to 6 credit hours in his/her graduate program.
7.0-7.5	61-68	5.5-5.9	Eligible for admission for the Fall & Spring terms only. Not eligible for a graduate assistantship until ESL requirements are met.	Applicant is required to enroll in ESL 5120, a 9-hour intensive English course (graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis). The student must complete this course prior to registering for courses in his/her graduate program. The student must then enroll in EAP 5323.
6.0-6.5	54-60	4.6-5.4	Eligible for admission for the Fall term only. Not eligible for a graduate assistantship until ESL requirements are met.	Applicant is required to enroll in ESL 5110, an intensive English course (graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis). The student cannot enroll in courses in his/her program until ESL 5110 and ESL 5120 have been successfully completed. The student must then complete ESL 5120 before proceeding to enroll in EAP 5323.
5.5 and below	53 and below	4.5 and below	Not eligible for admission to the Graduate School.	Applicant can enroll in the English Language Institute on a non-credit basis after which he/she can retake the English-language test in preparation for submitting another application to graduate study at MSU.

Academic Advising

After gaining admission to the university, you must contact one of your advisors to determine the courses that are most appropriate for you to take. Approximately two months prior to the upcoming semester, your advisor will send an email to your MSU email account, making course recommendations based on your program of study.

Mississippi State University uses email as its official means of communication with all MSU students. Please check your MSU email account (NetID@msstate.edu) daily. Information on setting up your MSU email can be found at the link for student services.