PDF version of this chapterGraduate Degrees
Master of Business Taxation
Understanding taxation is critical to understanding every business decision and many personal decisions as well. Whether starting a business or starting a family, tax planning must be done. Because of the complexity of the tax law and its pervasive influence, people facing tax decisions routinely call on tax professionals for advice in planning and structuring their affairs in order to comply with the law and to ensure economic good sense.
The Master of Business Taxation (M.B.T.) program is designed to develop the skills and expertise professionals need to assist individuals and firms trying to cope with myriad tax legislation and regulation at both the federal and local levels. While gaining technical expertise is a central aim of those enrolled in the program, this expertise is not enough. Taxation encompasses law, economics, accounting and politics, and the astute tax advisor must understand all of the factors that influence the making of tax law and its administration. As important as learning the law and mastering research skills is the ability to communicate professional insights to others. The program provides a broad understanding of taxation, an appreciation for the complexities of decision-making and practice in explaining the tax implications of various courses of action.
The M.B.T. program provides an opportunity to examine tax topics thoroughly in an organized, rigorous fashion. Both full- and part-time students examine in depth an area of taxation, such as estate planning or taxation of foreign operations. Tax practice does not provide sufficient opportunities to study all of the areas influenced by taxation, nor does it allow the time to take an in-depth look at one area. In the M.B.T. program, a student develops an overview of the important areas of tax practice and builds expertise in specific topics.
The career opportunities today in the area of taxation are as great as the need for professional tax advice. The M.B.T. program prepares men and women for major roles in planning and decision-making with firms and with families.
Program Requirements
(Including B.S., Accounting students granted early admission)
The program requirements include courses in taxation, accounting and business selected from the four groups of courses listed below. A minimum of 21 units must be in taxation ("T" designated) courses. Waiver of courses in Group I may be granted to students based on prior academic work of high quality from an International Association for Management Education, formerly the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), accredited school. Waiver of such courses may reduce the minimum number of units to be taken within the M.B.T. program to 30 units. The courses in Group II are required of all students. The student must choose a total of 15 units from Groups III and IV, with a minimum of 9 units from the courses listed in Group III. The student may choose up to six units from the courses in Group IV or other courses approved in advance by the director of the M.B.T. program.USC B.S., Accounting students granted early admission to the M.B.T. program must begin the graduate level course work specified in the fall semester. Students should have successfully completed all course work required for a B.S., Accounting in the early admitted graduate track prior to the fall semester in which they begin their graduate level requirements. Students who will not have successfully completed all such course work by this time should schedule an interview with the director of master's programs in the Leventhal School of Accounting.
| Group I Courses (15 units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 544 | Introduction to Strategic Tax Planning | 3 |
| GSBA 510 | Accounting Concepts and Financial Reporting | 3 |
| GSBA 511 | Managerial Economics, and | |
| GSBA 548 | Corporate Finance, or | 3 |
| GSBA 514 | Foundations of Business I and II | 6 |
| GSBA 518 | Accounting Control Systems, or | 3 |
| ACCT 572 | Corporate Accounting and Reporting | 3 |
| Group II Courses (15 units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| GSBA 523T* | Communication for Accounting Professionals, or | |
| MOR 569* | Negotiation and Deal-Making, or | |
| BUCO 533* | Managing Communication in Organizations | 3 |
| ACCT 550T | Tax Research and Practice | 3 |
| ACCT 551T | Taxation of Flow-Through Entities | 3 |
| ACCT 560T | Tax Theory and Its Business Applications | 3 |
| ACCT 561T | Income Tax of Corporations and Their Shareholders | 3 |
| Group III Courses (minimum 9 units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 563T | Federal Estate and Gift Taxes | 3 |
| ACCT 565T | Estate Planning | 3 |
| ACCT 566T | Income Taxation of Estates and Trusts | 3 |
| ACCT 567T | Taxation of Transactions in Property | 3 |
| ACCT 568T | Taxation of Foreign Business Operations | 3 |
| ACCT 569abT | Taxation of Special Enterprises | 3-3 |
| ACCT 570T | State and Local Tax Concepts | 3 |
| ACCT 571T | Advanced Individual Tax Planning | 3 |
| ACCT 573T | Federal Tax Procedure | 3 |
| ACCT 575T | Taxation of Financial Markets | 3 |
| ACCT 576T | Consolidations | 3 |
| ACCT 577T | Compensation | 3 |
| ACCT 578T | Advanced Corporate Taxation | 3 |
| ACCT 579T | Advanced International Taxation | 3 |
| ACCT 580T | Accounting Methods | 3 |
| ACCT 584 | Family Wealth Preservation | 3 |
| Group IV Courses (0-6 units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| GSBA 568 | The Economics and Marketing of a Professional Services Firm | 3 |
| ACCT 574 | Accounting in the Global Environment | 3 |
| ACCT 581 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 |
| ACCT 5XX | Other Accounting electives | 3 |
| BAEP 5XX | Business Entrepreneurship electives | 3 |
| FBE 5XX | Finance and Business Economics electives | 3 |
| IOM 5XX | Information and Operations Management electives | 3 |
| MKT 5XX | Marketing electives | 3 |
| MOR 5XX | Management and Organization electives | 3 |
| BUCO 533 | Managing Communication in Organizations | 3 |
| MOR 569 | Negotiation and Deal-Making | 3 |