College of Business -- Master of Professional Accountancy

The Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAc) degree is designed to prepare students for professional careers in the field of accounting. With the assistance of an advisor, students will formulate a graduate program which will integrate their background, areas of interest and career path.

Our accounting program has a long history of success. The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy has included this program in the top five in the nation for consistent success on the CPA exam.

This emphasis on excellence has created an increasing demand for our accounting graduates. Companies from every state in the western United States and from many Midwestern states recruit on campus. We successfully place our graduates with public accounting firms, industry, and federal and state government entities.

Mission & Goals

The mission of the Master of Professional Accountancy program is to prepare students for professional careers in accounting. Candidates for the degree will build on the broad general and business education obtained at the undergraduate level to gain more advanced competencies in the practice and theory of financial accounting, auditing, taxation, law, and other business and professional areas. Students will also be introduced to research methods and resources used by accounting professionals.

To produce graduates who will have long-term success in their accounting careers.

To prepare our graduates to meet the educational requirements recommended by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

To provide our students with access to professional opportunities through career placement services

Admission requirements

A baccalaureate degree in accounting from an accredited college or university provides the best foundation for this program. Students who have undergraduate course deficiencies may be provisionally admitted while attending to subject matter deficiencies. Applicants must be formally admitted to the College of Graduate Studies after the recommendation for admission is reached by the College of Business. See below for details on admission requirements for applicants who do not have a baccalaureate degree in accounting.

Applicants must submit scores from the GMAT (Graduate Management Admissions Test) or GRE (Graduate Record Examination) along with other application materials. Click here for a list of the materials needed to complete your application.

All students meet with the graduate program director during their first semester of graduate study. This conference is intended to assist the student in formulating a graduate program which integrates the student's background and areas of interest.

The master's program requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of acceptable course work beyond a bachelor degree. A minimum of 21 credits of course work must be taken on campus at Montana State University-Bozeman. The number of required credit hours may vary, depending on prior course work. Students with a degree in accounting generally complete their course work in one full year (three semesters).

Required courses:

ACCT 521	Advanced Auditing
ACCT 525	Accounting Theory & Advanced Issues in Accounting
ACCT 526	Corporate/Tax Research Methodology
ACCT 528	Legal Issues for Accountants
ACCT 529	Survey of Research in Accounting

In addition students are required to complete 13 semester credits of approved electives in accounting and business; consideration is given to 400/500 level courses in: agricultural economics, business education, computer science, economics, education, finance, industrial & management engineering, management, marketing, psychology, public administration and statistics.

Academic requirements

Students are required to maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA at all times while in the Master of Professional Accountancy program.

In addition to meeting the requirements listed above, applicants who do not have an undergraduate degree in accounting may have to complete additional course work. Depending on the number of prerequisite courses to be taken, a student may have to remain in non-degree graduate status until the prerequisite course work is completed. Completion of the prerequisite courses does not guarantee admission into the MPAc program.

The requirements listed below assume no prior background in business or accounting. An applicant with a degree in a business area other than accounting may have fulfilled several of the courses. The MPAc Advisory Council will assess the applicant's transcript and determine which prerequisite courses have been fulfilled. An applicant with a non-business degree must complete all of the required prerequisite courses before he or she will be considered for admission into the MPAc program.

BUS 221	Principles of Accounting I
ACCT 223	Principles of Accounting II
ACCT 325	Accounting Information Systems
ACCT 327	Intermediate Accounting I
ACCT 328	Intermediate Accounting II
BUS 301	Management & Organization
BUS 311	Information Systems
BUS 341	Marketing
BUS 351	Finance
BUS 361	Introduction to Law

ACCT 421	Principles of Auditing
ACCT 425	Income Tax Accounting
ACCT 432	Governmental Accounting
ACCT 433	Cost/Management Accounting I
ACCT 434	Cost/Management Accounting II**
ACCT 436	Advanced Accounting

*Credits earned above the 9 credit prerequisite requirement may be applicable to the graduate program.

**Students satisfying an undergraduate accounting degree equivalency should expect to complete all 400 level accounting courses except ACCT 434 Cost/Management Accounting II.

Length of program

Students having a baccalaureate degree in business, but not accounting, must complete course work equivalent to that for an undergraduate accounting degree at Montana State University, which averages approximately 1and 1/2 years of additional study.

Students with a baccalaureate degree in a non-business area must complete a common body of knowledge in business courses (finance, information systems, law, management, and marketing) in addition to the undergraduate accounting courses, which averages approximately 2 years of additional study.

Transfer credits

A maximum of nine (9) graduate credits taken at another accredited four-year college or university may be transferred and accepted toward a degree at Montana State University. For further details, please consult the Graduate and Undergraduate Bulletin.

Program load

Nine (9) to fifteen (15) semester credits is considered a full graduate load for a student in the Master of Professional Accountancy program.

Application process

Students interested in applying to the MPAc program should contact us by email (busgrad@montana.edu) or by U.S. mail. An application packet will be sent. Please include a current mailing address and email address (if available) with your application request.

Application materials needed

U.S. applicants	International applicants
Graduate Application for Admission Application includes 3 recommendation forms and Grade Calculation Sheet. A brief essay/personal statement is also required.	International Graduate Application for Admission Application includes the Financial Certificate. Three (3) letters of recom- mendation and a brief essay/personal statement are also required.
Official transcripts*	Official transcripts* (English translation)
GRE or GMAT scores (official)	GRE or GMAT scores (official)
	TOEFL scores (official)
$50 application fee	$50 application fee

*Official transcripts of all baccalaureate degree work and any college or university which you attended while doing post-baccalaureate work. International students must provide official transcripts translated into English.

It is strongly recommended that international applicants provide course descriptions for all business courses listed on their transcripts, particularly accounting courses, including textbook and author information.

Application deadlines

U.S. applicants		International Applicants
Fall admission	June 30	Fall admission	March 1
Spring admission	November 15	Spring admission	August 15
Summer admission	March 15	Summer admission	January 1

Return application materials to

Office of Student Services
College of Business
338 Reid Hall
P.O. Box 173040
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717-3040
U.S.A.

The professional program in accountancy is a selective program with a limited number of openings available to qualified students. The MPAc Advisory Council will admit those students whose previous academic performance and/or work experience indicate a desire and ability to excel. Test scores and records of academic performance are evaluated individually in the admissions procedure. Of equal importance, however, are the applicant's personal qualifications, accomplishments and letters of recommendation. The applicant's entire file is reviewed in order to ensure the admission of those with the highest aptitude, motivation and qualifications.

Financial assistance

The College of Business offers scholarships for graduate students. Application is made during the month of November only and is an electronic application (no paper copy). Students who wish to be considered for a scholarship must apply during this time at the following web site: http://www.montana.edu/cob. Look for the heading "Students--Scholarships" on the left side of the page.

Teaching assistantships are also available to fully admitted graduate students and are awarded on a competitive basis. To be awarded a teaching assistantship, U.S. students must have a minimum GMAT verbal score of 29 (or GRE verbal score of 480). International students must have a minimum GMAT verbal score of 29 (or GRE verbal score of 480), a minimum TOEFL score of 580, and have successfully passed the TSE (Test of Spoken English). A TOEFL score of at least 550 is need to be a test grader assistant.

Teaching assistantships are normally semester assignments. Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) must enroll in a minimum of three (3) credits per semester. To qualify for a fee waiver, GTAs must enroll in a minimum of six (6) credits per semester. Fee waivers are proportional to expected hours of service.

International students: please click here and read about the Financial Certificate.

File name: http://www.montana.edu/cob/Graduate/MPAc2002.htm
Auditor: Vici Bice
Date audited: 02/05
Date last updated: 02/05
Send comments or suggestions via e-mail: busgrad@montana.edu

Montana State University
Academics | Administration | Admissions | A-Z Index | Directories

Transfer credits

Graduate Program Director

MPAc Advisory Council

Montana State UniversityAcademics | Administration | Admissions | A-Z Index | Directories

Transfer credits

Graduate Program Director

MPAc Advisory Council

Montana State University
Academics | Administration | Admissions | A-Z Index | Directories