Professional Accounting, Non-Thesis, MPAcc

Location(s): WWU - Bellingham

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Department of Accounting, College of Business & Economics

For further information contact the Department of Accounting, Western Washington University, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225, Phone: (360) 650-3202, Email: greerr2@wwu.edu

Graduate Faculty

Chen, Hanmei, PhD, financial accounting.
Dolar, Burak, PhD, financial accounting.
Drum, Dawna, PhD, systems accounting.
Hao, Yamin, PhD, financial accounting,
Li, Shuo, PhD, financial accounting.
Liu, Zenghui, PhD, auditing/financial accounting.
Moore, Jared, PhD, financial accounting/taxation.
Singleton, William R., PhD, financial accounting/taxation.
Smith, Steven H., PhD, financial accounting/taxation.
Taylor, Audrey, PhD, managerial accounting.

Graduate Program Office, Parks Hall 419, 360-650-3898
E-mail: greerr2@wwu.edu; fax: 360-650-4844
Program Advisor: Dr. Burak Dolar
Department of Accounting: Dr. Audrey Taylor, Chair

Accreditation

The College of Business and Economics is accredited by the AACSB International-The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business at both the graduate and undergraduate levels.

Goals

The MPAcc program is a 48-credit graduate degree to be completed in three quarters. It is designed to:

Provide opportunities for students to improve their expertise in a field that is rapidly becoming more complex.
Provide students with an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills required in Washington for professional licensing as CPAs.
Help meet the demand in Washington for well-trained professional accountants.

Admission and Prerequisites

A bachelor’s degree with an accounting emphasis from an AACSB-accredited business school is required for admission to the program.
A minimum 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in the last 90-quarter or 60-semester hours of study.
A minimum 3.2 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in upper-division accounting courses.
Applicants must demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively and to reason analytically, logically, and creatively.
Students must achieve an acceptable Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) score. Applicants who are not native English speakers must submit an acceptable TOEFL or IELTS score.

Application Information

Official application form to the Graduate School
Transcripts (from each institution attended).
Personal statement, including background and intention.
Résumé showing work experience.
Review of application begins on February 15 and continues until spaces are filled.
Optional-GMAT scores and, if applicable, TOEFL or IELTS scores *based in GPA minimum.

To apply for admission, send the application and supporting documents to the Graduate School. Further information is provided in the Graduate School section of this catalog.

Program Requirements (48 credits)

Core Curriculum

❑ MPAC 564 - Professional Accounting Research Credits: 2 (must be taken twice)
❑ At least 4 credits of MPAC 595 - Accounting Colloquium
❑ At least 24 credits from the following courses, *under advisement:
*(Course availability may vary from year to year)
MPAC 521 - Seminar in Accounting Information Systems Credits: 4
MPAC 531 - Accounting Communications Credits: 4
MPAC 535 - Seminar in Management Accounting Credits: 4
MPAC 541 - Seminar in Advanced Financial Accounting Credits: 4
MPAC 543 - Financial Accounting Research & Communication Credits: 4
MPAC 545 - Seminar in Accounting Theory Credits: 4
MPAC 547 - Seminar in Government and Not-For-Profit Accounting Credits: 4
MPAC 551 - Seminar in International Accounting Credits: 4
MPAC 561 - Seminar in Professional Auditing Credits: 4
MPAC 566 - Seminar in Fraud Examination & Forensic Accounting Credits: 4
MPAC 571 - Seminar in Law for Accountants Credits: 4
MPAC 575 - Seminar in Taxation Credits: 4
MPAC 577 - Tax Research, Planning, and Policy Credits: 4
MPAC 581 - Ethics and Accountability Credits: 4
MPAC 585 - Sustainability Accounting and Reporting Credits: 4
❑ MPAC 590 - Internship in Professional Accounting Credits: 16

Integrated 3+2 BA/MPAcc Option

This option makes it possible for exceptional undergraduate accounting majors to enter the MPAcc program at the beginning of their senior year, and complete both a B.A. in Accounting and a Master of Professional Accounting in at most 5 years of study. Students interested in this program are encouraged to consult with their advisor early in their junior year.

Eligibility & Admission

Applications are open February each year, and admission decisions will be made before the end of spring quarter. To be eligible the student must have, at the time of application:

Completed at least 110 undergraduate credits with an overall GPA of 3.0 or better
Completed at least 16 upper-division accounting credits, including ACCT 342, with a GPA of at least 3.2
Demonstrated an ability to communicate effectively, and to reason analytically, logically, and creatively
Recommendations from at least two WWU accounting faculty
Statement of Purpose
Official application form to the Graduate School

To apply for admission, send the application and supporting documents to the Graduate School. Further information is provided at the Graduate School’s website.

This program is selective; eligibility does not guarantee admission.

Requirements for the 3+2 Option:

Candidates are conditionally admitted to the MPAcc at the time of acceptance into the integrated 3+2 program. At the end of the fourth year, conversion to full graduate status is granted by the Graduate School upon the recommendation of the MPAcc committee, provided that the candidate has:

Been awarded the undergraduate degree
Maintained an acceptable GPA in all courses taken

All of the program requirements for the MPAcc are listed above; except 3+2 options will incorporate 8 credits into their senior year coursework and take the remaining 40 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree to complete a total of 48 credits.

Additional Information

Information on the MPAcc program is available in the College of Business and Economics, Accounting section of this catalog.