Accounting, Master of Accountancy

Department of Accounting

Monte Ahuja Hall 512
(216) 687-4720
https://business.csuohio.edu/academics/master-accountancy

Heidi Meier, Associate Dean, Chair and Graduate Program Director

Programs of Study

Accounting with specializations in tax, analytics, governance, and information systems.

Accreditation

The graduate business programs of the Monte Ahuja College of Business are accredited by AACSB International. In addition to the business accreditation, the curriculum of the Accounting Department has accounting accreditation from AACSB. The accounting programs at Cleveland State were the first in the State of Ohio to receive this accreditation.

Faculty

Current faculty information can be located on the Cleveland State University Faculty Profile page.

Introduction

The primary aim of the program is to develop competent accountants, knowledgeable in the areas of professional practice accounting/audit and tax. The program accommodates students on a full-time or part-time basis.

This program appeals to four general classifications of students:

1. Undergraduate accounting majors who wish to broaden their knowledge of accounting and expand their expertise in accounting/audit or taxation.
2. Undergraduate computer and information science majors who wish to expand their expertise to the area of accountancy.
3. Undergraduate business administration majors in areas other than accounting and computer and information science who wish to specialize in accountancy.
4. Students with undergraduate preparation in any area and a strong interest in the practice of accountancy.

Faculty Research and Publications

Accounting faculty members have published numerous books and journal articles on topics ranging from computer auditing and control, cost accounting, international and financial accounting, to federal taxation. Articles written by department faculty have appeared in the following journals:

Accounting Review
Journal of Accounting Research
Behavioral Research in Accounting
Accounting Horizons
Journal of Accounting and Economics
International Journal of Auditing
Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance
Managerial Auditing Journal
Issues in Accounting Education
Accounting Historians Journal
Accounting Education: An International Journal
Journal of Accountancy
The Internal Auditor
Journal of Business Ethics
The International Journal of Accounting
Strategic Finance
Journal of the American Taxation Association
Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly
Journal of Taxation
Journal of Accounting Education
Journal of Management Information Systems
Information Systems Audit and Control Journal
Tax Adviser
The CPA Journal
Journal of Business, Finance, and Accounting
Bank Accounting and Finance

Extensive computer facilities and databases are available to aid the research efforts of faculty members and graduate students.

Financial Assistance

The College of Business Administration has a limited number of graduate assistantships available each year. Students may apply for an assistantship by completing an application form available from the Graduate Business Programs Office. Copies of completed applications are circulated to department chairs, graduate program directors, and other appropriate parties within the College. Interviews with prospective graduate assistants are arranged directly by department chairs and others who hire and supervise graduate assistants.

Career Information

The Master of Accountancy is designed to prepare students for careers in business, internal audit, government, consulting, and public accounting. The primary goals and objectives of the program are to develop competent accounting professionals who are knowledgeable in the various areas of professional practice and who possess:

• the ability to provide, interpret, and communicate financial and operating information essential to understanding the activities of an enterprise;
• the preparation to assume increasing levels of responsibility and leadership in the organizations they join; and
• the qualifications to enter advanced programs in business and/or accounting.

Programs of Study

The Master of Accountancy allows the student to pursue various avenues of study:

1. For students without an undergraduate degree in accounting, the program is designed to develop competent accountants , who are knowledgeable in financial processes and procedures and are able to provide and interpret sophisticated financial information for the business community.  These students will be able to complete the CPA examination.
2. For students with an undergraduate degree in accounting, the program allows those students to concentrate in up to two highly valuable and challenging specializations.

The Master of Accountancy provides students with the opportunity to develop basic technical and statistical skills, to obtain knowledge of the business disciplines, and to pursue advanced course work in accounting, taxation, governance, analytics, and management information systems. Graduates of the program are prepared to enter the accounting profession and to pursue satisfying and stimulating lifelong careers. Many graduates join public accounting firms, while others seek a variety of positions in the private and public sectors. Graduates of the program are well placed and have performed well in their job assignments, according to employers. A large percentage of students become CPAs, and recently there has been an increased interest in the Certified Management Accountant (CMA), the Certified Fraud Examiner, the Certified Internal Audit (CIA), the Certificate in Financial Management, and the Certified Information Systems Audit (CISA) examinations.

Admission Information

Applicants to the Master of Accountancy program must meet the admission requirements for the Graduate College, as well as the following additional requirements:

1. A cumulative grade-point average of 2.75 or better.
2. For applicants with a 3.0 or better undergraduate GPA from a domestic college or university which is at least regionally acccredited, the GMAT/GRE is not required.
3. Test scores from either the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) are required if any one of the following applies:

• The applicant’s undergraduate degree is from a college or university outside of the  United States.
• The applicant’s undergraduate degree is from a college or university without at least a regional level accreditation.
• The applicant’s undergraduate cumulative grade-point average is below 3.0.

4. The GMAT/GRE is also waived for applicants holding an advanced degree (master’s, doctorate, M.D., J.D.) from a U.S. college or university which is at least regionally accredited, or who are currently enrolled in the Cleveland-Marshall School of Law.
5. For those applicants who must complete the GRE or GMAT, a minimum score of 5th percentile for the verbal portion of the GRE (137 according to old GRE scoring system) or GMAT is required.
6. An official transcript from each college and university attended must be submitted.
7. For applicants whose native language is not English, proof of having met at least one of the English language proficiency requirements is required.  This proof will be per the standards used by the University.

• If the TOEFL is taken, the minimum requirements are at least 550 for the paper-based test, or 213 for the computer-based test, or 78 for the Internet-based test.  (If the Internet-based test is taken, minimum distribution requirements are:  Reading - 20, Listening - 21, Speaking - 20, and Writing - 17).
• Equivalent scores will be used if any other form of English proficiency test is chosen.

8. Students who take the GMAT/GRE and score below the 20th percentile on the verbal section of the test are required to take the following remedial courses in business communication:
   GAD 502 - Intermediate Business English
     (16th through 19th percentile); or
   GAD 501 - Business English
     and
   GAD 502 - Intermediate Business English
     (below 16th percentile).  Students scoring below the 25th percentile on the quantitative section of the GMAT/GRE are required to take a two-credit business mathematics course,
   OSM 500 - Mathematical Models For Business
    .

Apply Now: http://www.csuohio.edu/graduate-admissions/how-apply