Accountancy (Professional Accountancy -M.P.A.)

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30-31 CREDIT HOURS REQUIRED

Each applicant will be expected to have satisfactorily completed the undergraduate/foundation requirements for study in the Beacom School of Business, as listed above. An additional minimum of 18 hours of upper-division accounting classes are required as prerequisites for the M.P.A. program above the business foundation courses, including Intermediate Accounting I and II, Cost Accounting, Income Tax, Accounting Systems, and Auditing.

The M.P.A. 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.

M.P.A. Plan A (thesis): Total 31 credit hours

M.P.A. Graduate Accounting Core 21 credit hours
Thesis 4 credit hours
Restricted Electives 6 credit hours

M.P.A. Plan B (non–thesis): Total 30 credit hours

M.P.A. Graduate Accounting Core 21 credit hours
Restricted Electives 9 credit hours

M.P.A. Plan C (internship): Total 30 credit hours

M.P.A. Graduate Accounting Core 21 credit hours
Accounting Internship 3 credit hours
Restricted Electives 6 credit hours

M.P.A. Graduate Accounting Core: 21 credit hours

Joint M.P.A. / J.D. Program

It is possible to concurrently pursue an M.P.A. 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 M.P.A. 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.