Nov 24, 2024

2012-2013 Graduate Catalog

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2012-2013 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Master of Accounting

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Graduate Business Programs
238 Elliott Hall (map)
(248) 370-3287 • Fax (248) 370-4964
http://www.sba.oakland.edu

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Program coordinator:
Donna K. Free
412 Elliott Hall
(248) 370-3281
free@oakland.edu

Program description

The Master of Accounting (MAcc) is offered in the Department of Accounting and Finance within the School of Business Administration. The MAcc is designed for students who are interested in careers in public, corporate, and non-business accounting.

The degree will assist accounting professionals in the dynamic corporate environment. Professionals in the field are required to be effective communicators, maintain a high level of expertise, and uphold ethical responsibilities, while providing financial information, analysis of the economic environment and input in decision-making activities.

Keeping these qualities in view, the MAcc is designed to achieve the following goals:

Offer a graduate-level program developing superior technical knowledge and application skills beyond the baccalaureate accounting program
Enhance students’ analytical, communication and decision-making skills
Provide a sound base in ethics and professional behavior
Prepare students for careers in public, corporate, and non-business accounting positions
Provide students with the educational requirements necessary to be eligible to take professional exams.

Admission terms and application deadlines

Before an applicant’s file can be reviewed for full program admission, all application documents must be received in Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning by the semester deadlines listed below. Incomplete applications will not be sent to departments for admission review.

July 15 for fall semester
November 15 for winter semester
March 15 for summer semester

Readmission and program transfer

Requests for readmission and program transfers must be completed and approved prior to the beginning of a semester.

International application deadlines

International applications are reviewed for fall and winter admission only. To ensure adequate time for review, international applications must be completed at least six months before the desired date of intended enrollment in the University. All international application materials must be submitted by May 1 for fall admission and by September 1 for winter admission. International applicants are not eligible for Special Graduate classification.

Special Graduate classification

Applicants who are seeking a graduate degree or graduate certificate, but are unable to meet the deadline for filing all required application materials or credentials for graduate admission, may contact the department and request Special Graduate temporary admission. The applicant must submit an Application for Admission to Graduate Study, plus a copy of a transcript providing evidence of a bachelor’s degree awarded and any specific evidence concerning their qualifications for graduate study as required by the department. Up to 12 credits may be earned in the Special Graduate classification. Admission as a special graduate student in no way assures subsequent admission to a degree or graduate certificate program. The Special Graduate classification is not eligible for financial aid.

Students may request special graduate classification beginning with the dates below.

August 1 for fall semester
December 1 for winter semester
April 1 for summer semester

Note: Special Graduate classification will not be granted after the first week of classes in a semester.

Application requirements

To be considered for graduate admission, applicants must submit all of the following university and program application documents by the published application deadlines.

Application for Admission to Graduate Study
Official transcripts providing evidence of an earned baccalaureate degree from an accredited U.S. institution, OR a degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. baccalaureate degree from a college or university of government-recognized standing.
Official transcripts for all post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned a degree (beginning with the first baccalaureate) and for all enrollment in graduate-level coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree. International university transcripts must be evaluated by a professional credential evaluation service.
- As part of the admission requirements, graduate programs may require official transcripts from post-secondary educational institutions from which the applicant earned an associate’s degree and all enrollment in coursework both pre- and post-bachelor’s degree.
Two official and original Recommendation for Graduate Admission forms.
Proof of English language proficiency
International supplemental application and supporting documentation must be submitted before international applicants can be issued the Certification of Eligibility (I-20). This certificate is required to apply for a student visa from the U.S. embassy or consulate.

Program application requirements

Supplemental Application Form
Official Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores. The GMAT scores must be five years or less at the time of the applicant’s intended enrollment at Oakland University.
- Applicants who have earned a master’s degree (or higher) may request a waiver of the GMAT score. To request a waiver, an applicant must include a GMAT waiver form for consideration as part of their admission packet. The request for waiver is subject to the approval of the Graduate Admissions Committee.

Admission review and assessment

Admission to the Master of Accounting degree program is selective and depends on several elements, including scholarship and an ability to communicate effectively. In making admission recommendations, the admission committee assesses the potential of applicants for success in the MAcc program by examining their undergraduate records, their GMAT scores, their responses to questions on the supplemental application, and their recommendation forms.

MAcc program prerequisites

Students admitted to the MAcc program must demonstrate proficiency or complete coursework in the following areas.

ACC 200, Introductory Financial Accounting
ACC 210, Managerial and Cost Accounting I
ACC 310, Intermediate Financial Accounting I
ACC 311, Intermediate Financial Accounting II
ACC 320, Managerial and Cost Accounting II
A college course in Micro or Macro Economics

These program prerequisites must be completed prior to beginning MAcc coursework.

Degree requirements

The Master of Accounting degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of a minimum of 30 credits in an approved program of study. It consists of two or three parts depending on a student’s undergraduate education.

Course requirements

a. Foundation courses (24 credits)

A foundation course may be waived if an equivalent course was previously completed with a grade of “C” or above. The MAcc student who is waived from foundation requirements must substitute graduate business electives to complete their 30-credit program. The student’s adviser must approve these electives.

The following courses are required of all MAcc students:

ACC 531 - Advanced Financial Accounting (3 credits)
ACC 522 - Auditing (3 credits)
ACC 515 - Federal Income Taxation (3 credits)
ACC 518 - Introduction to Accounting Information Systems and Databases (3 credits)
ACC 601 - Financial Analysis and Valuation (3 credits)
ACC 622 - Advanced Auditing (3 credits)
FIN 533 - Financial Management (3 credits)
QMM 510 - Statistical Analysis for Managers (3 credits)

b. Core requirements (minimum of 9 credits)

Each MAcc student will be required to take a minimum of 9 credits of accounting electives from the following list. All courses are 3 credits unless otherwise noted.

ACC 524 - Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting (3 credits)
ACC 505 - Business Law for Accountants (3 credits)
ACC 521 - Federal Income Tax II (3 credits)
ACC 526 - Accounting Information Systems: Audit and Control (3 credits)
ACC 533 - Accounting Information Systems: Analysis and Design (3 credits)
ACC 617 - International Financial Accounting Standards and Reporting (3 credits)
ACC 620 - Cost Management (3 credits)
ACC 625 - Federal Income Taxation for Business (3 credits)
ACC 626 - Assurance of Corporate Governance (3 credits)
ACC 630 - Accounting and Communications (3 credits)
ACC 631 - Fraud Examination (3 credits)
ACC 650 - Professional Issues in Accounting (3 credits)
ACC 680 - Special Topics in Accounting (3 credits)
ACC 690 - Independent Study in Accounting (3 credits)
FIN 633 - Advanced Financial Management (3 credits)
FIN 680 - Special Topics in Finance (3 credits)

c. Electives (0-12 credits)

The MAcc student who is waived from foundation requirements will choose graduate business electives to complete their 30-credit program. The MAcc Coordinator must approve these electives.

d. Exit

All students are required to take the Professional Accounting Research course. This course should be taken during the last semester, and coordinator permission is required.

ACC 660 - Professional Accounting Research (3 credits)

Additional program information

No more than 12 credits of Oakland University courses may be obtained from courses numbered 400-499. No course numbered below 400 will apply toward the graduate degree.
In compliance with university policy, no undergraduate courses will be transferred from another college or university and applied toward graduate degree requirements.
Students must meet the prerequisites for all MAcc courses.

Satisfactory academic progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is the term used to denote a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a certificate or degree. Federal regulations require the Office of Financial Aid to monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress for all financial aid recipients each semester.

Students who fall behind in their coursework, or fail to achieve minimum standards for grade point average and completion of classes, may lose their eligibility for all types of federal, state and university aid. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional details.

Good academic standing

All graduate students are expected to remain in good academic standing throughout the entire course of their graduate program. To be in good academic standing, a graduate student must make satisfactory progress toward fulfilling degree requirements, including the completion of critical degree milestones as set forth by the academic program. The student must also maintain a minimum semester and overall GPA of 3.0.

Good academic standing is a requirement for:

Holding a Graduate Assistantship
Receiving a fellowship or scholarship
Advancing to candidacy for a graduate degree
Going on a leave of absence
Obtaining a graduate certificate or degree from Oakland University.

Additionally, graduate students must meet all department academic standards which may be more stringent than the minimum set forth by the University.

Department requirements: In accordance with the university requirements for graduate students, a grade-point average of 3.0 is required for graduation. Students, therefore, should maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. Students may be dismissed if they do not maintain a GPA of 3.0 or appropriate progress toward the degree as determined by the Office of Graduate Business Programs. Any course resulting in a grade below 2.0 must be repeated.

Graduate students who are not in good academic standing for any reason are subject to probation and/or dismissal from further graduate study.

Related program information

Plan of Study

All accepted applicants, in consultation with their assigned faculty program adviser, must develop a plan of study that details specific courses the students will use to satisfy their degree requirements. The plan of study must be approved by the faculty program adviser and submitted by the student to Graduate Study and Lifelong Learning.

Master’s and graduate certificate students must submit a department-approved plan of study by the end of their first semester of graduate coursework. Doctoral students must submit an approved plan of study prior to completion of the first year of coursework.

Note: Credit granted for successful completion of a course toward an undergraduate degree program may not be repeated for a graduate degree. If a substitution is approved, the minimum number of program-approved graduate credits will be required. A Petition of Exception - OU Course Waiver/ Substitution requesting the substitution must be approved.