Master of Accountancy

Location(s): West Palm Beach Campus (Evening)

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30 Credit Hours

(31 Credit Hours if Internship Required)

The MAcc program helps prepare students to take the CPA exam. Graduates planning to pursue a CPA, should be prepared to abide by additional requirements when seeking CPA certification in the state of Florida or in the location they seek to be certified.

The principal objectives of the Master of Accountancy degree program are to prepare you for a career as an Accounting Professional. The curriculum is designed to prepare students to become a CPA, and successfully pass the CPA exam. While many students aspire to take the CPA exam, students also pursue a MAcc to expand their understanding of accounting and advance their careers. In order to successfully meet the scheduling needs of the working student, classes are scheduled for the evening on Monday through Thursday or online, or as distance-enabled courses throughout the year—during the Fall semester, Spring semester, and two Summer terms. Students who apply and are approved for admission to the program may begin their enrollment during the Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters.

Licensure and Certifications

PBA’s Master of Accountancy program prepares graduates to become a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA). For CPA licensure you must meet the education, examination, and experience requirements in the jurisdiction in which they plan to work. All CPA candidates must pass the Uniform CPA Examination ® (CPA Exam), which comprises four sections: Auditing and Attestation (AUD), Business Environment and Concepts (BEC), Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR), and Regulation (REG). While the CPA Exam is the same for all candidates, other requirements may differ by jurisdiction. Students should check with their specific Board of Accountancy for requirements in their state/jurisdiction. While it is beneficial to earn a Certified Public Accountant license, it is only required for graduates that are working in public accounting, the segment of the profession that reviews and audits the financial statements of public and private entities

MAcc Degree Requirements

A student with a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from an institutionally accredited university in the U.S. will automatically meet all prerequisite undergraduate course requirements to enter the MAcc degree. Students with a Bachelor’s degree in a field other than accounting or a Bachelor’s degree not earned in the U.S. should complete the MAcc - Accounting Studies Concentration. The MAcc degree consists of 30 credit hours of graduate courses.

MAcc Admission Requirements

Earn a baccalaureate degree in accounting from an institutionally accredited institution or a baccalaureate degree in another major with successful completion of the accounting courses listed in the Accounting Studies Concentration.
Submit:
- A completed online application and $45 nonrefundable fee
- Official transcript from college/university where bachelor’s degree was conferred and from college/university where prerequisite courses were taken
- Transcripts from any prior graduate programs completed, if applicable.
- GMAT scores taken within the past five years, if your undergraduate GPA is below a 3.25 at an AACSB college or university.
- A current resume
- Two letters of recommendation (a recommendation form is part of the online application process)
Faculty interview - Once candidates submit all required documents, the complete application is reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Committee to determine invitations for an interview.

Program Learning Outcomes

“Expected student learning outcomes specify the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes students are expected to attain in courses or in a program.” Page 69. Resource Manual for the Principles of Accreditation: Foundations for Quality Enhancement, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), 2018.

Students will demonstrate research skills to locate and interpret appropriate Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS), and tax guidelines and rules.
Students will analyze financial transactions, financial statements and related accounting disclosure in footnotes to financial statements.
Students will analyze standard and complex business transactions and determine appropriate Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Generally Accepted Auditing Standards (GAAS), and tax guidelines.
Students will exhibit the ability to express a Christian worldview as it relates to business practices.

MAcc Curriculum Requirements

The following courses of instruction are offered in the MAcc program. Undergraduate prerequisites must be successfully completed prior to course registration.

Core Courses (18 credit hours) - All Concentrations

ACG 5113 - Advanced Accounting Theory 3 Credit Hours
ACG 5123 - Advanced Financial Accounting and Reporting 3 Credit Hours
ACG 5133 - Advanced Auditing 3 Credit Hours
ACG 5153 - Financial Statement Analysis 3 Credit Hours
ACG 5163 - Government & Not For Profit Accounting 3 Credit Hours
BUS 5313 - Legal Environment of Business 3 Credit Hours

Specific Courses Required by Concentration

MAcc - Audit Assurance Concentration Courses

This concentration is intended for those students who earned an undergraduate degree in accounting and have completed an undergraduate Auditing course.

MAcc Core Courses
Electives (12 credit hours)

Choose any four (12 credit hours total) courses from MBA business courses. You must meet the prerequisites of the course to register for it. For a list of possible electives, please see the MBA section of this catalog.

MAcc - Accounting Studies Concentration Courses

This concentration is intended for those students who did not earn an undergraduate degree in accounting, or earned an accounting degree outside the United States. In addition to an undergraduate degree, the following additional prerequisites are required.

Program Prerequisites:

ACG 2013 - Financial Accounting (or Equivalent)
ACG 2023 - Managerial Accounting (or Equivalent)
ACG 3113 or ACG 5013 - Intermediate Accounting I (or Equivalent) (This course can be taken concurrently with ACG 5213 , ACG 5233 , BUS 5313 )
ACG 3123 or ACG 5023 - Intermediate Accounting II (or Equivalent) (This course can be taken concurrently with ACG 5213 , ACG 5233 , BUS 5313 )

Concentration Courses:

MAcc Core Courses
ACG 5213 - Enterprise Systems I - Introduction to ERP Systems 3 Credit Hours
ACG 5233 - Federal Taxation I 3 Credit Hours
ACG 5333 - Cost Accounting 3 Credit Hours
ACG 5343 - Federal Taxation 2 3 Credit Hours

Internship Requirements

Full-time international students with valid F-1 visa status are eligible to pursue a 31 credit hour track, which adds a required internship course during the program. F-1 students must apply for Curricular Practical Training (CPT) authorization with PBA’s International Student Services office at least two weeks before beginning the internship course. The internship must be approved by a Designated School Official and must relate directly to the student’s MAcc program studies. Once approved, students will be registered for the business internship course. The internship course can only be taken one time.

BUS 4711 - Internship in Business 1 Credit Hour