Master of Accounting (MAcc)

The Master of Accounting (MAcc) degree equips students to reach their professional goals by providing the requisite knowledge to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination and to enter the profession of public accounting. The degree is designed to complement prior education and experience, or to prepare students without an accounting background for this professional field. The MAcc is backed by Drake University’s full resources and reputation and is fully accredited by AACSB – the hallmark of excellence in business education and earned by less than five percent of business schools.

Admission Requirements: (previous degrees, exams, etc)

Master of Accounting applicants must meet the following admission requirements.

• Graduate Admission Application: Applications are available from the Drake Office of Graduate Admission or you may apply on-line at https://www.applyweb.com/apply/drakeg/index.html

• Application Fee of $25.00. Applicants who have previously paid the fee are not required to do so again.

On-line submissions require electronic fee payment that will be refunded if an application fee was paid for a previous Drake program.

• Official transcripts for ALL undergraduate and graduate coursework from EVERY institution attended (even if a degree was not earned).

• Current professional resume.

• Personal essay: A personal essay no longer than one page should explain the candidate’s reason(s) for pursuing the MBA degree. Examples of leadership background and experience should be included.

• Submission of two (2) letters of recommendation.

• Grade Point Average Criteria: Successful candidates for admission typically have the following minimum graduate point average. Students who do not meet these GPA minimums may contact the Graduate Programs Office of the College of Business and Public Administration for additional information.
• Undergraduate GPA = 3.00 (upper division and cumulative) and
• Graduate GPA = 3.00 (cumulative)

• Test requirement: Applicants must submit official GMAT results. Successful candidates for admission typically have a minimum score of 500. For GMAT testing information, go to: http://www.mba.com/mba/thegmat

GMAT waiver for Drake accounting students:
The GMAT is waived for Master of Accounting (MAcc) applicants who are current Drake University accounting or joint-accounting majors with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25, based upon completion of at least 30-hours at Drake University, 90 or more undergraduate hours completed and in-process at date of application, and who have been fully admitted to the School of Accounting.
The GMAT is waived for Master of Accounting (MAcc) applicants who have received an undergraduate degree from Drake University with a major in accounting or joint-accounting within the past 5-years, and whose final cumulative GPA was 3.25 or higher.

• TOEFL exam: International candidates must submit TOEFL results. Minimum acceptable TOELF score is 213 on the computer-based examination, 550 on the paper-based examination or 79-80 on the internet based test.
• Application deadlines: To be eligible for consideration, applications must be received by the following deadlines.

Fall admission July 15
Spring admission December 1
Summer admission April 15

Graduation Requirements:

1. Number of Credit Hours required:
   
   Thirty to fifty-four hours of credit are required for completion based upon prior academic experience.

1. Required Courses:

1. 1. Foundation Courses (up to 24 Hours)

These requirements may be considered met at time of admission with recent undergraduate course work where grades of “C” or better have been earned. Prior coursework is evaluated at time of application review; any unmet foundation requirements must be taken as part of the Master of Accounting program.

MBA 242: Evaluating Organizational Performance
ACCT 115: Cost Accounting
ACCT 165: Financial Accounting I
ACCT 166: Financial Accounting II
MBA 251: Creating Customer Value
MBA 253: Enhancing Firm Value
MBA 254: Leadership & Human Capital Development
MBA 255: Improving Operations through Data Analysis

1. 1. Preparation for Core & Required Courses (Up to 12 Hours)

If not completed in prior studies, these courses will be taken for graduate credit, and will count against the Advisor Approved Electives block.

ACCT 175: Auditing Principles
ACCT 185: Individual Taxation
ACCT 186: Business Entity Taxation
BLAW 240: Commercial Law

1. 1. Required Core Courses (6 Hours)

ACCT 255: Tax Research, Policy and Writing
ACCT 275: Seminar in Auditing

1. 1. Required Electives (Up to 12 Hours)

Students may choose four courses from this list:
ACCT 210: Accounting for Non-profits
ACCT 265: Emerging Accounting Issues
ACCT 277: Fraud Examination
ACCT 280: Financial Statement Analysis
BLAW 250: Accounting and The Law
IS 289: Web Technology & XBRL

Advisor Approved Electives (Up to 12 Hours)
Each student must choose four elective courses, or balance of credit hours to equal 12 if some Preparation for Core and Required Courses were completed. Courses from the Required Electives beyond the four required can also be included.

Other Requirements (experiential, exams, thesis, etc.)

BUS 205: Leadership Essentials (non-credit workshop)

Each student must complete this elite training experience during the first semester of enrollment. This workshop focuses on communication and leadership skills. The workshop offers a competitive edge by providing you with the skills to consistently lead, influence and inform others. A handful of workshops are offered each term. Students meet over two days, Friday 1:00-8:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Any limitations and special policies (eg., gpa requirement, or requirements that students take certain courses at Drake):

• GPA: Maintain a 3.0 or higher
• Courses must be completed with a “C” or better; no more than two “C” grades may be received; the cumulative grade point, must be a 3.0 or better.
• 9 hours of graduate work may be transferred in from another AACSB accredited university.
• Transfer courses must be advisor approved.
• Courses transferred in are transferred as TR (no grade) and do not affect the Drake GPA.
• Transferred coursework must be at a B level or better.
• Transfer credits earned before admission are counted on the following scale:
• • Courses taken 0-5 years before degree completion may be transferred in as full credit.
  • Courses taken 6-10 years before degree completion may be transferred in as ½ credit.
  • Courses over 10 years old are not accepted.
  • Courses that are accepted must relate to the program of study.

Note:

• Students may complete the MAcc program on either a part-time or full-time basis. Courses, however, are offered only in evening and weekend formats. There are no graduate level daytime courses.

• Students must be admitted to the MAcc program to enroll in graduate courses.