Accounting (M.S.A.)
Admission Requirements
Admission to any graduate program is contingent upon admission to the Graduate School. In addition, applicants to the M.S.A. program must comply with the following:
Admission to the Master of Science in Accounting (M.S.A.) program is limited to students who demonstrate high promise of success and hold a baccalaureate degree in business administration, a discipline area of business administration, or accounting from regionally accredited institutions. Several measures of probable success that may be considered in the evaluation of an applicant include but are not limited to:
- Performance on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
- Undergraduate grade point averages and the trend of grades earned during undergraduate education.
- Other relevant factors such as employment and leadership experience.
The M.S. in Accounting Committee is authorized to review the credentials of each applicant. Final approval of the applicant's admission to graduate study in accounting is authorized by the Dean of the Mike Ilitch School of Business or the Dean's designee, upon recommendation of the M.S.A. Committee. Appeals to an admission denial must be made in writing to the Director of Graduate Programs, Mike Ilitch School of Business. A copy of the guidelines for formal appeals is available in the School's Graduate Programs Office.
Before an applicant can be considered for admission, the following material must be timely submitted:
- an online W.S.U. Application for Graduate Admission;
- an official transcript from each college or university previously attended by the applicant;
- an official notification of the applicant’s score on the GMAT and, if required, the TOEFL. For information regarding the GMAT.
Program Requirements
The M.S.A. degree program requires completion of thirty credits in final-program course work with a grade point average of not less than 3.0. Additional foundation coursework may also be required prior to starting the thirty credits of final-program coursework. Degrees are granted upon recommendation of the faculty of the Mike Ilitch School of Business. Consideration is given to both scholastic achievement and the extent to which the candidate has met the standards and requirements of the School. All course work must be completed in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School and the Mike Ilitch School of Business governing graduate scholarship and degrees; see the sections beginning under Academic Regulations and Academic Regulations for the Mike Ilitch School of Business, respectively. University policies on transfer of credits from other institutions will apply.
Course Distribution Requirements (M.S.A.)
The M.S.A. program consists of four course categories, as follows:
Foundation Courses are required pre-professional courses but ones for which credit is not applicable to the M.S.A. degree. Applicants who have already earned a degree in business administration or accounting may usually be able to waive most, if not all, of the foundation course requirements.
Core Courses comprise 18-24 credits, which must include each of the courses listed under the chosen concentration, providing in-depth coverage of the body of knowledge associated with studies in accounting. Applicants who have already earned a degree in accounting may be able to waive many of the core courses and substitute accounting electives in their place.
Elective Courses are 1-3 additional courses surrounding coverage of the body of knowledge associated with studies in accounting.
Capstone Course: When nearing the conclusion of the M.S. in Accounting program, the degree candidate will take ACC 7998, Seminar in Tax and Accounting Policy.
Foundation Requirements (M.S.A.)
The M.S.A. is an advanced degree. Before progressing to the core courses of the program, the student should possess a solid foundation in accounting as comprised by the following courses:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BA 6000 | Introduction to Accounting and Financial Reporting | 3 |
| ACC 7100 | Financial Accounting for Decision Making (Required for Financial Reporting and Professional Accounting Concentrations) | 3 |
| ACC 7120 | Introduction to Taxation: Individuals (Required for Taxation Concentration) | 3 |
| BA 7000 | Managerial Accounting | 3 |
However, if the applicant's business administration or accounting degree is from a college or university located outside of the United States, some or all of the foundation requirements may not be waived because U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (US GAAP) may not have been studied.
The graduate-level foundation courses cited above are open only to students who have been formally admitted to a graduate program at Wayne State University. Analogous courses offered at the undergraduate level (as determined by the admission evaluation process) may be taken to satisfy foundation requirements prior to graduate admission. However, once a student has been formally admitted to the M.S.A. program, NO graduate credit will be allowed for subsequent registration in undergraduate courses.
A cumulative grade point average of 3.0 ('B') is required in foundation requirements courses. No individual grade below 'C' (2.0) is acceptable. Students may begin taking Core courses during the semester in which they elect Foundation Requirements, subject to the prerequisite and corequisite requirements of the Core courses.
Core Requirements (M.S.A.)
(18-24 Credits)
The following core courses are required of all students depending on the chosen concentration and are prerequisite or corequisite to subsequent/concurrent elective courses. ACC 7300 must be completed within the first nine credits of the program.
For students in the Professional Accounting Concentration, ACC 7120 is considered a core course, and credit from this course will be applied to the M.S.A. For students in the Financial Reporting and Auditing Concentration or the Taxation Concentration, ACC 7120 is considered a foundation course, and credit from this course is not applicable to the M.S.A degree requirements.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Accounting Concentration Core Requirements | ||
| ACC 7115 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| ACC 7120 | Introduction to Taxation: Individuals | 3 |
| ACC 7130 | Intermediate Managerial Accounting | 3 |
| ACC 7145 | Accounting Systems: Design and Controls | 3 |
| ACC 7180 | Auditing | 3 |
| ACC 7188 | Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting | 3 |
| ACC 7300 | Accounting and Tax Research and Professional Communications | 3 |
| ACC 7310 | Business and Professional Ethics for Managers and Accountants | 3 |
| ACC 7998 | Seminar in Tax and Accounting Policy | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Advanced Accounting I | ||
| ERP Systems and Business Integration | ||
| Forensic Accounting | ||
| Internal Audit I | ||
| International Accounting | ||
| Advanced Auditing | ||
| Accounting Data Analytics | ||
| Blockchain: An Accounting and Business Perspective | ||
| Introduction to Taxation: Business Entities | ||
| Advanced Tax Research and IRS Procedures | ||
| Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders | ||
| Taxation of Pass-Through Entities | ||
| Taxation of International Business and Multinational Transactions | ||
| Tax Accounting Methods and Accounting for Income Taxes | ||
| Taxation by State and Local Jurisdictions | ||
| Taxes and Business Strategy | ||
| Internship in Accounting or Tax Practice | ||
| Directed Study in Accounting | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Reporting and Auditing Concentration Core Requirements | ||
| ACC 7115 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| ACC 7122 | Advanced Accounting I | 3 |
| ACC 7180 | Auditing | 3 |
| ACC 7280 | Accounting Data Analytics | 3 |
| ACC 7300 | Accounting and Tax Research and Professional Communications | 3 |
| ACC 7310 | Business and Professional Ethics for Managers and Accountants | 3 |
| ACC 7998 | Seminar in Tax and Accounting Policy | 3 |
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Introduction to Taxation: Individuals | ||
| Intermediate Managerial Accounting | ||
| Accounting Systems: Design and Controls | ||
| ERP Systems and Business Integration | ||
| Forensic Accounting | ||
| Internal Audit I | ||
| International Accounting | ||
| Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting | ||
| Advanced Auditing | ||
| Blockchain: An Accounting and Business Perspective | ||
| Introduction to Taxation: Business Entities | ||
| Advanced Tax Research and IRS Procedures | ||
| Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders | ||
| Taxation of Pass-Through Entities | ||
| Taxation of International Business and Multinational Transactions | ||
| Tax Accounting Methods and Accounting for Income Taxes | ||
| Taxation by State and Local Jurisdictions | ||
| Taxes and Business Strategy | ||
| Internship in Accounting or Tax Practice | ||
| Directed Study in Accounting | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation Concentration Core Requirements | ||
| ACC 7280 | Accounting Data Analytics | 3 |
| ACC 7300 | Accounting and Tax Research and Professional Communications | 3 |
| ACC 7310 | Business and Professional Ethics for Managers and Accountants | 3 |
| ACC 7320 | Introduction to Taxation: Business Entities | 3 |
| ACC 7325 | Advanced Tax Research and IRS Procedures | 3 |
| ACC 7335 | Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders | 3 |
| ACC 7340 | Taxation of Pass-Through Entities | 3 |
| ACC 7998 | Seminar in Tax and Accounting Policy | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Financial Statement Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Taxation: Individuals | ||
| Advanced Accounting I | ||
| Intermediate Managerial Accounting | ||
| Accounting Systems: Design and Controls | ||
| ERP Systems and Business Integration | ||
| Forensic Accounting | ||
| Internal Audit I | ||
| International Accounting | ||
| Auditing | ||
| Governmental and Not-for-Profit Accounting | ||
| Advanced Auditing | ||
| Blockchain: An Accounting and Business Perspective | ||
| Taxation of International Business and Multinational Transactions | ||
| Tax Accounting Methods and Accounting for Income Taxes | ||
| Taxation by State and Local Jurisdictions | ||
| Taxes and Business Strategy | ||
| Internship in Accounting or Tax Practice | ||
| Directed Study in Accounting | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
For students who have completed undergraduate or graduate courses equivalent to Core courses within the preceding three years with a grade point average of 3.0 or above, one or more advanced courses in accounting may be substituted for Core courses, at the discretion of the M.S.A. committee.
Students may choose electives from graduate business courses (offered at the 7000 level) based on their professional interests, with prior approval from the M.S. in Accounting Committee.
Capstone Requirement (M.S.A.)
ACC 7998, Seminar in Tax and Accounting Policy, is the capstone course for all M.S.A. degree candidates; it must be elected as part of the final nine credits in the student’s program. ACC 7998 provides the opportunity to combine concepts developed by students in their professional and educational experience with economic, social, industrial, administrative, and legislative policy considerations.