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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.

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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 $558.50
Instructional Support Fee per credit hour $25.00

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

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

Chartered in 1979, the Adkerson School of Accountancy became the only named unit within the College of Business in 2007. It was at this time that Richard C. Adkerson, a 1969 graduate and current president, CEO, and vice chairman of Freeport-McMoRan, established an endowment for the naming of the School of Accountancy. Mr. Adkerson continues to support the program both financially and with his time.

The Adkerson School of Accountancy has 14 faculty members, of which three are tenured, three are clinical, one is an instructor, and six are progressing toward tenure. Most of the faculty have professional accounting and business experience. Faculty members boast such awards as the Mississippi and Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants’ Educator of the Year Award.

The Adkerson School of Accountancy Advisory Council consists of 41 members and is predominately made up of Mississippi State alumni. In addition, members of the Advisory Council represent companies and firms that hire many of our graduates. As a result, the Advisory Council has a vested interest in both the students and the faculty of the Adkerson School of Accountancy. The primary roles of the Advisory council include serving as a sounding board for the faculty regarding practical applications of concepts and principles being taught in courses, meeting with students and speaking with various groups about career opportunities, and providing oversight for the resources of the Adkerson School of Accountancy. The members of the Advisory Council also provide financial support for the Adkerson School of Accountancy and have encouraged other alumni and friends to give to the School.

 

What are some potential careers?

 

Program Structure

The Master of Accountancy is a non-thesis degree programs 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.

Required Courses (15 hours)

  • ACC 6063 Income Tax II
  • ACC 8013 Seminar in Financial Accounting Theory
  • ACC 8023 Advanced Managerial Accounting
  • ACC 8033 Assurance & Audit Data Analysis
  • ACC 8043 Fraud and Data Analysis Examination*

Accounting Electives (choose 9 hours from the below)

  • ACC 8053 Financial Accounting Policy (incorporates CPA exam prep)
  • ACC 8063 Research in Tax Practice & Procedures
  • ACC 8073 Taxation of Corporations & Shareholders
  • ACC 8093 Taxation of Partnerships, S-Corporations, Trusts, & Estates
  • ACC 8113 Advanced Individual Tax & Wealth
  • ACC 8123 Tax Topics
  • ACC 8183 International Accounting

Business Electives (6 hours) (these are examples others may become available)

  • Any of the above Accounting Electives not taken as a required course
  • ACC 8143 Accounting Data Analytics*
  • BIS 8413 Data Analytics*
  • BQU 6413 Business Forecasting and Predictive Analytics
  • BIS 6113 BIS Security Management
  • BIS 6523 Business Programming w/COBOL
  • BIS 8113 Mgt Info Tech & Sys
  • BIS 8213 Secure System Analysis & Design
  • BIS 8313 Advanced Database Design and Administration
  • BL 6243 Entrepreneur Law
  • BL 6333 Real Estate Law
  • BL 8113 Law Ethics & Dispute Resolution
  • BQU 6423 Business Decision Analysis
  • FIN 8113 Corporate Finance
  • MGT 8103 Strategic Entrepreneurial Management
  • MGT 8113 Leadership Skills
  • MKT 6143 Sales Management
  • MKT 8153 Strategic Marketing Management

*These courses are required for the Accounting Data Analytics Minor in the Master of Professional Accountancy Program

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 the following prerequisites or the equivalent in a curriculum emphasizing Generally Accepted Accounting Principles as pronounced by the Financial Accounting Standards Board:
    • ACC 3003 Accounting Information Systems I
    • ACC 3013 Cost Accounting
    • ACC 3023 Intermediate Accounting I
    • ACC 3033 Intermediate Accounting II
    • ACC 4013 Income Tax
    • ACC 4033 Auditing
  • Completion of the following prerequisites or the equivalent:
    • BL 2413 Legal Environment of Business
    • EC 2113 Principles of Macroeconomics
    • EC 2123 Principles of Microeconomics
    • FIN 3123 Financial Management
    • A course demonstrating computer literacy
    • A course demonstrating written communication skills

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

Priority Application Deadlines
Fall May 1
Spring Oct 1
Summer March 1

We will continue to consider applications up to the following dates if program capacity has not been reached:

Regular Deadline
Fall Aug 1
Spring Nov 1
Summer May 15

Domestic/International Classified Admissions

  1. Complete and submit the online Graduate Admission Application. You will choose either the Master of Professional Accountancy or the Master of Taxation as your Program of Study and Online Education as your campus.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.)
  6. 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
      175 President Circle
      116 Allen Hall
      Mississippi State, MS 39762

  7. Payment of $60 non-refundable application processing fee for domestic students.
    Payment of $80 non-refundable application processing fee for international students.
  8. Once you are admitted, you will receive an email with complete instructions on registering for classes and contacting your advisor

Courses

ACC 6063 Income Tax II: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in ACC 4013). Three hours lecture. Examining federal tax implications of property transfers between entity and owners on formation, reorganization, and liquidation of corporations and flow-thru entities; brief study of trust and federal transfer taxes (gift/estate)

ACC 8013 Seminar in Financial Accounting Theory: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ACC 3033) . Examination of the theoretical concepts, definitions, and models espoused in the accounting literature and relevant to analyzing various contemporary issues in financial accounting and reporting

ACC 8023 Advanced Managerial Accounting: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ACC 3013). Three hours lecture. The study of theoretical conceptual and technical issues in planning, control and decision making

ACC 8033 Assurance and Audit Data Analysis: 3 hours.

Three hours lecture. Students will gain an in-depth knowledge of professional auditing standards, financial statement auditing procedures, and audit reporting requirements. Students will develop data analysis skills applicable to auditing practice. Students will also gain exposure to theoretical arguments surrounding professional rules of conduct and audit quality indicators

ACC 8043 Fraud Examination and Data Analysis: 3 hours.

Three hours lecture. Students will gain an in-depth knowledge of the nature of fraud, fraud examination, and the communication of the findings from a fraud examination. Emphasis will be placed on the use of advanced data analysis techniques and procedures to detect errors and frauds

ACC 8053 Financial Accounting Policy: 3 hours.

(Prerequisites: ACC 3033). Three hours lecture. Integrative course examining recent trends and developments in public accounting. Various problems and cases in financial reporting issues, ethics, and other accounting topics

ACC 8063 Research in Tax Practice and Procedures: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ACC 4013) . Three hours lecture. Preparation of tax protests, tax planning; use of tax services; client representation; structure of Internal Revenue Service; and research problems in taxation

ACC 8073 Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ACC 4013) Examination of federal income tax laws as applied to corporations and shareholders with an emphasis of how research issues deal with these topics

ACC 8093 Taxation of Partnerships, S Corporations, Trusts, and Estates: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ACC 4013). Three hours lecture. An examination of the income taxation of partnerships, S corporations, trusts, and estates with an emphasis on how to research issues dealing with these topics

ACC 8113 Advanced Individual Taxation and Wealth Management: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ACC 4013 or consent of instructor). Three hours lecture. An in-depth examination of advanced topics related to individual taxation and transfer taxes

ACC 8123 Tax Topics: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite : ACC 4013). Three hours lecture. An examination of specialized taxation topics such as real estate taxation, state and local taxation, and bank taxation

ACC 8143 Accounting Data Analytics: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: Graduate standing). Three hours lecture. This course will build a practical foundation for machine learning by teaching students basic tools and techniques that can scale to large computational systems and massive data sets. This course introduces machine learning with a focus on business applications.

ACC 8183 International Accounting: 3 hours.

(Prerequisite: ACC 2023). A study of the international dimension of accounting as it relates to multinational corporations and the international environment. Some specific topics include international financial reporting; financial reporting outside the USA; foreign exchange; accounting harmonization; international financial disclosure issues

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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.

Trina Pollan headshot

Trina Pollan

Adkerson School of Accountancy

  • Academic Coordinator

Contact Information

Photo of Samantha Clardy

Samantha Clardy

Enrollment & Onboarding Coach

  • General Program Questions
  • Assistance with Admissions Process & Requirements
Headshot of Mark Jimerson

Mark Jimerson

Retention & Engagement Coach

  • Current Student Inquires
  • Academic & Support Services Assistance
Shawn Mauldin Headshot

Dr. Shawn Mauldin, CPA, CMA, CFP

Adkerson School of Accountancy

  • Director and Professor
Trina Pollan Headshot

Trina Pollan

Adkerson School of Accountancy

  • Academic Coordinator