Accountancy (Professional Accountancy -MPA)

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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.

Master of Professional Accountancy 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

Master of Professional Accountancy Plan B (non–thesis): Total 30 credit hours

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

Master of Professional Accountancy 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 hours

ACCT 720 - COST ACCOUNTING
ACCT 731 - TAX PLANNING AND PRACTICE
ACCT 740 - ADVANCED ACCOUNTING THEORY
ACCT 750 - CONTEMPORARY TOPICS IN AUDITING
ACCT 760 - ACCOUNTING IN GOVERNMENTAL AND NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS
ACCT 780 - ADVANCED ACCOUNTING
BADM 582 - BUSINESS POLICY AND STRATEGY *
*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.

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. However, USD undergraduate students planning to pursue the Joint B.B.A./M.P.A. Fast-Track Option should plan to take BADM 582 - BUSINESS POLICY AND STRATEGY instead of BADM 482 Business Policy and Strategy, and students pursuing this option can replace BADM 323 Information Systems for Business Professionals with another business course from an approved list.