Accountancy

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Degree:

Master of Professional Accountancy

Program Coordinator and Graduate Director: Professor Jon Carpenter

Program Description

The M.P.A. is designed to provide specialized training in accounting and related fields for those who wish to prepare for a career in public accounting meeting the 150–hour educational requirement of the State of South Dakota for licensure as a CPA. 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.

Accounting Mission

The mission of the Accounting Programs at The University of South Dakota 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.

Graduate Faculty

Thomas A. Buttars, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Jon R. Carpenter, Professor, Ph.D., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Thomas L. Davies, Professor, J.D., University of South Dakota; LL.M University of Missouri–Kansas City, C.P.A.

Kathleen A. Kaminski, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Oklahoma State University, C.P.A.

Leon Korte, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, C.P.A., C.M.A.

Srinivasan Ragothaman, Professor, Ph.D., University of Kansas–Lawrence, C.P.A.

Kirsten M. Rosacker, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., University of Nebraska-Lincoln, C.M.A.

Robert E. Rosacker, Professor, Ph.D., University of Nebraska–Lincoln, C.P.A.

Admission Requirements

• Two letters of recommendation are required.
• A minimum score of 400 450 on the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is required.
• Each applicant must have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution or be part of the joint undergraduate/graduate accounting program at U.S.D.
• Additional requirements exist for international students.
• Prerequisites: applicants must have satisfactorily completed business law and an 18 credit hour undergraduate accounting core. Contact the M.P.A. Director for additional details. The student must have completed the following business prerequisite classes or their equivalent as an undergraduate or while enrolled in the M.P.A. 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
  ACCT 523 Foundations of Computer Analysis 3 credit hours
  BADM 505 Foundations of Finance 3 credit hours
  BADM 520 Foundations of Mathematics and Statistics 2-3 credit hours
  BADM 523 Foundations of Production & Operations Management 2 credit hours
  BADM 580 Foundations of Management and Marketing 3 credit hours
  ECON 580 Foundations of Economics 3 credit hours

Subject to faculty approval, those who do not meet all of the criteria above may be admitted on a provisional basis.

Business Administration Foundation Courses

The design of foundation courses for the School’s graduate degree is based upon a changing market where an increasing number of students enter graduate school with years of business experience, baccalaureate degrees in many fields, and a stronger commitment to scholarly activity. Foundation courses differ from their undergraduate counterparts in several ways, including: 1) content is compressed into a smaller time frame; 2) different instructional strategies are used in order to better utilize the student resource base of experience; and 3) higher-order thinking skills are fostered, namely, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. Foundation courses do not count toward the student’s M.B.A. Program of Study.

Economics Course Descriptions

A graduate degree in Economics is not offered at The University of South Dakota. However, graduate course work is offered through the School of Business and may be taken as electives or as supporting course work. 

For Additional Information

The University of South Dakota
The School of Business
Master of Professional Accountancy Program
Patterson Hall
414 East Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069
http://www.usd.edu/mpa

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