Accountancy

Graduate Business Programs Director: Angeline Lavin, Ph.D.
Beacom School of Business
Master of Professional Accountancy Program
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
Phone: (605) 677-5232 or (866) 890-1MBA
mpa@usd.edu
www.usd.edu/mpa

FACULTY

Professors:

Davies, Thomas, 1987, Associate Dean and Chair, Division of Accounting and Finance, LL.M., University of Missouri-Kansas City, 1992.
Ragothaman, Srinivasan, 1991, Accounting, Ph.D., The University of Kansas, 1991.

Associate Professors:

Butler, Stephen, 2013, Accounting, Ph.D., University of Iowa, 1982.
Korte, Leon, 1992, Accounting, Ph.D., University of Nebraska, 1992.
Porter, Jason, 2014, Accounting, Ph.D., University of Georgia, 2006. #Pending approval
Stephenson, Teresa, 2014, Accounting, Ph.D., University of Kentucky, 2006. #Pending approval

DEGREE

Master of Professional Accountancy

Program Description

The Master of Professional Accountancy program is designed to provide specialized training in accounting and related fields for those who wish to prepare for a career in public accounting. In addition, the program is designed to enable students to meet the 150-hour educational requirement to sit for the CPA exam in most states, although requirements vary by state. In addition, the program provides training in accounting and related subjects for students seeking careers in industry, government service, or accounting education. The primary objectives of this degree program are: 1) to develop judgmental ability relating to the production and use of accounting information; and 2) to assist in the development of professional competence.

The program is offered as a twelve-month, full-time, face-to-face program on the Vermillion campus and as a hybrid program in Sioux Falls, SD. Students in the Hybrid program can “mix and match” face-to-face Sioux Falls classes with online classes for added flexibility. The program is offered online in its entirety to meet the needs of those living throughout the state as well as worldwide. The online courses are offered so that students can complete the program in as little as two years. The full-time, hybrid, and online programs all have identical entrance and graduation requirements, and the courses are taught by the same faculty. Graduation requirements are identical for all modes of delivery, and the timelines for completion discussed herein assume that all foundations coursework has been completed before the start of the program.

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

Two letters of recommendation are required.
A satisfactory score on the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is required.
Each applicant must have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution (minimum GPA of 2.7) or be part of the joint undergraduate/graduate accounting program at USD. International students may be asked to have their transcript evaluated to US equivalency.
A resume and personal statement are required.
Additional requirements exist for international students and applicants with degrees from other countries.
Prerequisites: applicants must have satisfactorily completed an 18 credit hour undergraduate accounting core including Intermediate Accounting I and II (ACCT 310 and 311), Cost Accounting (ACCT 320), Accounting Systems (ACCT 360), Income Tax Accounting (ACCT 430), and Auditing (ACCT 450). The student must have completed the following business prerequisite classes or their equivalent as an undergraduate or while enrolled in the program:
BADM 350 Legal Environment of Business 3 credit hours
BADM 351 Business Law I 3 credit hours
ACCT 520 Foundations of Accounting 3 credit hours
BADM 505 Foundations of Finance 3 credit hours
BADM 520 Foundations of Calculus and Statistics for Business 3 credit hours
BADM 525 Production Operations Management 3 credit hours
BADM 580 Foundations of Marketing and Organizational Behavior 3 credit hours
ECON 580 Foundations of Economics 3 credit hours

Accounting Mission

The mission of the Accounting programs at the University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business is to provide quality professional education in an environment that promotes critical thinking, fosters the exchange of ideas among scholars, and contributes value to the practice of accounting.

Joint B.B.A./M.P.A. Fast-Track Option

Accounting majors meeting requirements for entry into the Professional Accountancy M.P.A. program may opt to complete both the Accounting B.B.A and M.P.A. concurrently. Students who pursue this fast-track option will be awarded their undergraduate and graduate degrees simultaneously, upon completion of the two programs.

Students either completing their junior-level or beginning their senior-level accounting courses may apply for admission to the M.P.A. program using the standard graduate application process. The fast-track option will confer special student status to those admitted, who will then be eligible to apply for graduate assistantships.

Students must complete the requirements of the B.B.A. program in accordance with the undergraduate catalog and of the M.P.A. program in accordance with the graduate catalog. The minimum number of credits to achieve both degrees is 150 hours.

SCHOLARSHIPS

A limited number of graduate assistantships are awarded each year on a competitive basis to fully admitted, full-time, on-campus M.P.A. students. Applications for graduate assistantships are due on April 1.