The Master of Science in Accountancy is a full-time degree program that is designed specifically for non-accounting undergraduate majors only. The program offers a 12 month course of study.
The MSA program is designed to expose students to appropriate disciplines necessary to work in a professional position in public accounting or in industry with strong preparation for both Public Accounting Certification (CPA) and career advancement.
The educational objectives of the MSA program are to provide students with a solid base of knowledge in accounting and general business courses, while preparing them for a ten week internship with public accounting firms and corporations.
The program is designed for the liberal arts or sciences undergraduate who is ambitious, highly motivated, and has a desire to become part of the accounting profession. The course work and the optional internship provide the opportunity for these individuals to build on their academic foundation the necessary framework to begin a successful and rewarding career in public accounting or corporate finance.
To be fully accepted into classified standing, an applicant must: be a non-accounting baccalaureate graduate of an accredited four-year college or university; have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale) in the last 60 semester/90 quarter units of course work; and have obtained a minimum score of 500 on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), including scores in the 50th percentile in both quantitative and verbal sections. Applicants who do not possess a bachelor's degree from a postsecondary institution where English is the principal language of instruction must take and pass the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a paper score of 550 or better; computer score of 213 or better; or an internet-based score of 80 or better. Students will also be required to submit a written essay and three references. In addition, personal interviews will be conducted.
To receive the Master of Science in Accountancy, students must complete 57 semester units of prescribed course work. Specific program policies include the following:
The curriculum does not require any business course work prior to admission to the MSA program.
The 57 semester units of prescribed course work are required of all students. There are no electives. Each student attends all courses with the same as a cohort group.
The courses in the MSA program are designed to prepare students for internships with public accounting firms or corporations. During this period, they may participate in training programs with other new employees of the firm and attend roundtable meetings to discuss topics such as professional ethics, working in the professional environment, communication effectiveness, marketing professional services and planning for professional growth.
The University requires that all graduate students demonstrate competency in written English as a condition for advancement to candidacy. Please refer to the SJSU catalog section titled “Competency in Written English” for details. For graduate courses that meet the competency in written English requirement, please refer to the Graduate Studies and Research website at www.sjsu.edu/gradstudies.
The comprehensive project is incorporated in Bus 220N, Organizational Behavior, Structure and Strategy. The comprehensive project is a culminating experience integrating business functional and interdisciplinary areas. An individual written project report is required and an oral examination may be included. The project may take the form of a field study, business plan, research project or business simulation, as assigned by the Bus 220N instructor.
Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better on all graduate-level coursework. Students who receive grades of "C-", "D", "F", or "U" in any business graduate course must repeat that course to achieve a grade of "C" or better. In addition, any student whose GPA falls below 3.0, or who receives two or more unsatisfactory grades ("C-", "D", "F", or "U") in graduate status, regardless of units completed, may be disqualified from the MSA program. It is the policy of the Donald and Sally Lucas Graduate School of Business not to readmit disqualified graduate students after a second disqualification.
Students must comply with all other graduate requirements contained in this catalog.
| Course Requirements | |||
| BUS 220A, BUS 220B, BUS 220C, BUS 220D, BUS 220E, BUS 220F, BUS 220G, BUS 220H, BUS 220I, BUS 220J, BUS 220L, BUS 220N, BUS 220P, BUS 220S, BUS 220U, BUS 220V and BUS 220X (51); BUS 220K or BUS 220T (6) | 57 | ||
| Total Units: | 57 | ||
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