Accountancy (Professional Accountancy -MPA)

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30 CREDIT HOURS REQUIRED

Each applicant will be expected to have satisfactorily completed the undergraduate/foundation requirements for study in the Beacom School of Business (see Admissions Information on Accountancy’s Departmental page ).

The MPA degree requires a minimum of 30 graduate hours: a 21-hour graduate accounting core and a group of restricted electives. Plan A (thesis program), Plan B (non–thesis program), and Plan C (internship program) are available options. The Director of the program must approve the remaining restricted elective hours at the graduate level.

All plan options require a comprehensive exam to be completed prior to graduation.

MPA Plan A (thesis): Total 30 credit hours

MPA Graduate Accounting Core 21 credit hours
Thesis 3-6 credit hours
Restricted Electives 3-6 credit hours

MPA Plan B (non–thesis): Total 30 credit hours

MPA Graduate Accounting Core 21 credit hours
Restricted Electives 9 credit hours

MPA Plan C (internship): Total 30 credit hours

MPA Graduate Accounting Core 21 credit hours
Accounting Internship 3 credit hours
Restricted Electives 6 credit hours

MPA Graduate Accounting Core: 21 credit hours

ACCT 720 - COST ACCOUNTING 3 cr hrs
ACCT 731 - TAX PLANNING AND PRACTICE 3 cr hrs
ACCT 740 - ADVANCED ACCOUNTING THEORY 3 cr hrs
ACCT 750 - CONTEMPORARY TOPICS IN AUDITING 3 cr hrs
ACCT 760 - ACCOUNTING IN GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS 3 cr hrs
ACCT 780 - ADVANCED ACCOUNTING 3 cr hrs
BADM 582 - BUSINESS POLICY AND STRATEGY 3 cr hrs *
*BADM 582 may be substituted with an approved graduate elective if a Business Policy and Strategy class has been previously taken.

Joint MPA / J.D. Program

It is possible to concurrently pursue an MPA and a J.D. in the School of Law. Nine hours of accounting may be counted toward the J.D. degree and nine hours of law may be counted toward the MPA degree. For further information on this joint program, contact either the Dean of the Law School or the M.P.A. Director. For more detailed information about any graduate program in business, including the program of study and detailed descriptions and objectives of the required courses, please contact the appropriate program coordinator. For an application packet, please write: Graduate Business Programs Office, University of South Dakota, Beacom School of Business, 414 E. Clark Street, Vermillion, South Dakota 57069 or phone 605-677-5232 or e-mail mpa@usd.edu.