Program Director: Dr. Qianhua Ling, Ph.D.
MS in Accounting website
Degree Offered
Master of Science in Accounting, Plan B Non-Thesis option only.
Program Description
The master of science in accounting (M.S.A.) program is designed to provide students with the broad range of skills that successful accounting professionals need in today's complex and changing business environment. Courses emphasize technical knowledge in the functional areas of accounting, stress communication skills and promote awareness of the accountant's ethical and social responsibilities. The M.S.A. program meets the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) requirement for individual membership in that organization, and eligibility to take the CPA examination. The M.S.A. program is accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB-International) and reflects the high standards and expectations of that accreditation.
Prerequisites for Admission
Admission to the M.S.A. program requires:
- a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a major in accounting or equivalent undergraduate course work preferred;
- an acceptable record of academic achievement at the bachelor's level, with a GPA of at least 2.750, and in any previous graduate course work;
- acceptable scores on required admission tests, if required; and
- an overall composite profile of admission data (including an evaluation of previous work experience) that predicts success in the program.
Application Requirements
Application requirements and the online application link are available through the GSM website.
Note: Students may apply for regular degree, non-degree or temporary non-degree status. Non-degree applicants and temporary non-degree applicants must submit all required application materials, except the GMAT/GRE scores. Non-degree and temporary non-degree status are not available to international students. International applicants must apply for regular degree admission status.
Students are encouraged to complete all application materials and apply for degree status. Non-degree status and temporary non-degree status are valid for a term or limited number of terms as approved by the program director. Students with non-degree or temporary non-degree status are not eligible to continue taking GSM classes beyond the time frame the approved term(s) without degree admission. Typically, non-degree admission is not recommended in the M.S.A. program.
Master of Science in Accounting (M.S.A.)
The M.S.A. program requires a minimum of 30 credit hours: 21-24 hours of accounting courses (9 credit hours required and 12-15 credits of electives) and 6-9 credits of non-accounting courses.
The course work involves six functional areas of accounting: financial, managerial, taxation, systems, auditing and governmental/not-for-profit.
Accounting Required course work
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| ACCO 6511 | Taxation of Corporations and Partnerships | 3 |
| ACCO 6520 | Advanced Corporate Issues | 3 |
| ACCO 6535 | Fraud Examination and Analytics | 3 |
| or ACCO 6065 | Advanced Auditing and Analytics |
| Total Credit Hours: | 9 |
Accounting Elective course work (12-15 credit hours required)
Business Elective course work (6-9 credit hours required)
Select from other graduate-level business/GSM courses or, with the permission of the program director, other graduate-level non-business courses excluding:
Course List | Code | Title | Hours |
| Financial Statement Analysis | |
| Managerial Accounting for Decision Making | |
| Legal Issues in Business and Technology | |
| Accounting and Finance for the Non-Financial Manager | |
| Economic Foundations for Marketing Decisions | |
| Quantitative Analysis | |
| Business Essentials: Accounting, Economics and Finance | |
| Business Essentials: Marketing, IT and Operations and Supply Chain | |
| Strategic Management Introduction | |
Accelerated Degree Program
This five-year bachelor's-master's program allows students to earn both their master of science in accounting (M.S.A.) and an undergraduate degree from the College of Business Administration. Undergraduate students begin their graduate work in their junior year by taking two to three graduate level courses or 6-9 credit hours.
These graduate courses double-count toward the undergraduate and graduate degrees. Should a student be denied admission to the M.S.A. program, the courses will be counted toward the undergraduate degree only. A minimum grade of B is required for courses taken as a undergraduate student for graduate credit to apply toward graduate program requirements. Upon completion of the first term as a master's candidate, the student must petition the appropriate Graduate School of Management program director to transfer the courses taken as an undergraduate to the master's degree.
To be considered for admission to the five-year program, applicants must formally apply to the Graduate School of Management during their senior year at Marquette University, complete all of the application requirements as listed above and indicate on their application that they are applying for the five-year program. For information, contact the Accounting Department at (414) 288-8069, or send an email to qianhua.ling@marquette.edu.
