Accountancy (MACC)

Objectives and Outcomes

The MACC program will:

• Provide students with the knowledge and tools needed to obtain meaningful employment;
• Prepare students for careers in accounting;
• Prepare students for management positions; and,
• Provide the educational background for students to meet the educational requirements of various accounting certifications.

Additionally, the MACC program has been designed to enable students to achieve the following learning objectives:

• Improve students’ ability to focus on appropriate issues and develop solutions to problems where needed;
• Further refine students’ oral and written communication skills;
• Broaden students’ understanding of global issues;
• Expand students’ understanding of professional and ethical issues faced by accountants; and,
• Improve students’ ability to use essential technology in the accounting field.

Admission (Accounting Background)

Admission to the graduate phase of the MACC program is based upon the combination of an applicant’s academic record and score on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). In some cases, at the discretion of the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies, the GRE may be accepted in place of the GMAT. In this case, the GRE score will be converted to a “GMAT equivalent” using the tool provided at the following link: www.ets.org/gre/institutions/about/mba/comparison_tool.

Applicants meeting all three of the following criteria  are eligible for unconditional admission to the MACC program:

• A composite score of at least 1,100 (calculated 200 x undergraduate GPA + GMAT score), or 1,150 when calculated using the undergraduate GPA from the applicant’s last 60 credit hours,
• An undergraduate GPA ≥ 2.75, and,
• A GMAT ≥ 450

Applicants failing to meet the above requirements, but scoring at least 90% in all three criteria, (composite score ≥ 990, undergraduate GPA ≥ 2.48, and GMAT score ≥ 405) may be considered for conditional admission into the MACC program. Students may enter the program any quarter and each student is assigned an advisor to help plan his/her program of study.

Transcripts of students entering the MACC program at the graduate level are evaluated and proper courses prescribed to satisfy the degree requirements. The curriculum for the undergraduate degree in Accounting at Louisiana Tech is given in the Accounting section of the undergraduate portion of this Catalog.

The MACC degree requirements can normally be completed in one year by those with Accounting undergraduate degrees. Upon approval of the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Research, students may transfer up to six hours of graduate credit toward the MACC degree. For transfer courses to be accepted for graduate credit, courses must have been taken at a college of business accredited by the AACSB.

Total Semester Hours 30

*Any course taken at the undergraduate (400) level may not be retaken for credit at the graduate (500) level. Also, ACCT 505  cannot be taken for credit as either an accounting or business elective.

Those without an undergraduate degree in accounting may also pursue the MACC. Students without the necessary background may be required to complete the foundation courses described below.

Foundation Requirements

Foundation Requirements

Students entering the MACC program with undergraduate degrees, other than accounting need to demonstrate a knowledge base sufficient to enable them to complete graduate-level work in accounting. At a minimum, each student is presumed to have had recent college-level course work in the following core areas (with Louisiana Tech course numbers in parentheses):

• Financial and managerial accounting (ACCT 201  and ACCT 202  , or ACCT 494 )
• Intermediate accounting (ACCT 303 , ACCT 304 , and ACCT 305 )
• Income tax accounting (ACCT 307 )
• Managerial cost accounting (ACCT 308 )
• Auditing (ACCT 413 )
• Legal environment of business (BLAW 255 )
• Principals of information systems (CIS 310 )
• Economics (ECON 202  or ECON 494 )
• Business finance (FINC 318  or FINC 494 )
• Basic business statistics (QA 233  or QA 494 )

The 494-level foundation courses are self-paced, pass/fail courses which may be used to satisfy certain MACC foundation requirements. Registration in these courses require the permission of the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Research of the College of Business.

The Associate Dean of Graduate Programs and Research of the College of Business, in concert with the Director of the School of Accountancy, determine the acceptability of all work submitted in satisfaction of the foundation requirements and prescribe appropriate courses to be taken to remove any deficiencies.

The student may complete the foundation and graduate course requirements simultaneously so long as the specific prerequisite foundation course(s) for each graduate course is completed before enrolling in that graduate level course.