USC
University of Southern California
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Graduate Degrees

Master of Accounting

The Master of Accounting program (M.Acc.) prepares graduates for careers in public accounting, industry and government. USC’s M.Acc. program is one of the first professional accounting curricula integrating undergraduate and graduate education in the nation. The objectives of the program include developing the sound conceptual, technical, analytical and communication skills that are required to succeed in the accounting profession. The program employs a rigorous case analysis approach that requires students to exercise their analytical abilities and develop effective verbal and written communication skills. The program also seeks to instill a deep appreciation and respect for the crucial role of the independent accountant in our free enterprise economy. This perspective provides the bedrock of the professional attitudes and responsibilities of CPAs today.

In this world of “re-engineering,” the term “public accounting firm” is becoming obsolete. CPA firms now view themselves as “professional service firms.” This dramatically changes the role of the CPA. The profession requires highly visible, articulate business professionals with the ability to interact on many levels within a client’s organization. This requires individuals with diverse backgrounds, making the profession ideally suited for those with accounting, business, liberal arts or sciences undergraduate degrees. Students may apply to the M.Acc. program during their senior year or after completing a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. An undergraduate accounting or business major is not necessary, nor is work experience a requirement.

Program Requirements -- M.Acc. Program

B.S., Accounting/M.Acc.
Progressive degree students must fulfill all the requirements for both the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree except for the total number of units for each degree. These students will complete the same program requirements as a full-time M.Acc. student with an undergraduate accounting degree, with the exception that a maximum of one-third of the course units for the master’s degree may overlap with units for the bachelor’s degree per departmental approval. For more information see Progressive Degree Programs.

Accounting Graduates
Accounting graduates and graduates in other disciplines who have demonstrated high academic performance in the completion of the required business and accounting courses should expect to complete their degree in two semesters with a total of 30 units. Of these 30 units, at least 15 units must be in accounting courses and at least 9 units must be in business courses other than accounting.

Required Courses (9 units)Units
ACCT 547*Enterprise Information Systems3
GSBA 523T**Communication for Accounting Professionals3
MOR 569Negotiation and Deal-Making, or
BUCO 533Managing Communication in Organizations3

*Can be waived if student has successfully completed an equivalent course (to be determined by the director), but can only be replaced with an ACCT graduate level course.

**Requirement may be waived and substituted with an elective if student completed undergraduate course with high performance or successfully passed oral and written assessment test. If waived, this class must be replaced with a non-accounting elective.

Elective Courses (21 units; minimum of 12 units of ACCT 5XX electives and a minimum of 3 units of non-ACCT 5XX electives)units
ACCT 536Advanced Cost Analysis and Management Accounting3
ACCT 537Management Control Systems3
ACCT 544Introduction to Strategic Tax Planning3
ACCT 546Assurance Services3
ACCT 549Advanced Enterprise Systems and Technologies3
ACCT 574Accounting in the Global Business Environment3
ACCT 581Financial Statement Analysis3
ACCT 585Professional Accounting: Theory, Research and Policy3
GSBA 568The Economics and Marketing of a Professional Services Firm3
BAEP 5XXBusiness Entrepreneurship electives3
FBE 5XXFinance and Business Economics electives3
IOM 5XXInformation and Operations Management electives3
MKT 5XXMarketing electives3
MOR 5XXManagement and Organization electives3

Business Graduates
Business graduates should expect to complete their degree with a total of 45 units.

Required Courses (33 units)Units
ACCT 525xIntensive Accounting Principles and Practices15
ACCT 535*Management Accounting and Control Systems3
ACCT 546Assurance Services3
ACCT 547*Enterprise Information Systems3
ACCT 585Professional Accounting: Theory, Research and Policy3
GSBA 523T**Communication for Accounting Professionals3
MOR 569Negotiation and Deal-Making, or
BUCO 533Managing Communication in Organizations3

*Can be waived if student has successfully completed an equivalent course (to be determined by the director), but can only be replaced with an approved ACCT graduate level course.

**Requirement may be waived and substituted with an elective if student completed undergraduate course with high performance or successfully passed oral and written assessment test. If waived, this class must be replaced with a non-accounting elective.

Elective Courses (12 units; minimum of 3 units of ACCT 5XX electives and a minimum of 3 units of non-ACCT 5XX electives)units
ACCT 536Advanced Cost Analysis and Management Accounting3
ACCT 537Management Control Systems3
ACCT 544Introduction to Strategic Tax Planning3
ACCT 549Advanced Enterprise Systems and Technologies3
ACCT 574Accounting in the Global Business Environment3
ACCT 581Financial Statement Analysis3
GSBA 568The Economics and Marketing of a Professional Services Firm3
BAEP 5XXBusiness Entrepreneurship electives3
FBE 5XXFinance and Business Economics electives3
IOM 5XXInformation and Operations Management electives3
MKT 5XXMarketing electives3
MOR 5XXManagement and Organization electives3

Non-Accounting/Non-Business Graduates
Non-accounting/non-business graduates should expect to complete their degree with a total of 54 units.

Required Courses (41-42 units)Units
ACCT 525xIntensive Accounting Principles and Practices15
ACCT 535**Management Accounting and Control Systems3
ACCT 546Assurance Services3
ACCT 547**Enterprise Information Systems3
ACCT 585Professional Accounting: Theory, Research and Policy3
GSBA 511*Managerial Economics (2-3), or
GSBA 514Foundations of Business I and II6
GSBA 523T***Communication for Accounting Professionals3
MOR 569Negotiation and Deal-Making, or
BUCO 533Managing Communication in Organizations3

*Students can waive GSBA 511 based upon prior academic work of high quality.

**Can be waived if student has successfully completed an equivalent course (to be determined by the director), but can only be replaced with an approved ACCT graduate level course.

***Requirement may be waived and substituted with an elective if student completed undergraduate course with high performance or successfully passed oral and written assessment test. If waived, this class must be replaced with a non-accounting elective.

Elective Courses (12 units; minimum of 3 units of ACCT 5Xx electives and a minimum of 6 units of non-ACCT 5Xx electives)units
ACCT 536Advanced Cost Analysis and Management Accounting3
ACCT 537Management Control Systems3
ACCT 544Introduction to Strategic Tax Planning3
ACCT 549Advanced Enterprise Systems and Technologies3
ACCT 574Accounting in the Global Business Environment3
ACCT 581Financial Statement Analysis3
GSBA 568The Economics and Marketing of a Professional Services Firm3
BAEP 5XXBusiness Entrepreneurship electives3
FBE 5XXFinance and Business Economics electives3
IOM 5XXInformation and Operations Management electives3
MKT 5XXMarketing electives3
MOR 5XXManagement and Organization electives3

Intensive Accounting Principles and Practices Course

Each summer the Leventhal School of Accounting offers an eight-week course, ACCT 525x Intensive Accounting Principles and Practices, that provides college graduates, other than accounting majors, with the prerequisite technical accounting knowledge necessary for graduate work. Fifteen semester hours of credit will be received upon successful completion of the course. Second-year M.B.A. students seeking accounting positions will find this program useful. The technical accounting skills taught in this course may also enhance employability and career advancement for law students and graduate students in non-business areas of study. This course is not designed to be a preparation course or a review course for the CPA Exam. For further information regarding the intensive course, contact the Leventhal School of Accounting at (213) 740-4838.