PROGRAMS OFFERED

BBA in Accounting

Accounting continues to be recognized as one of the world's leading professions, offering many opportunities for a rewarding career. The primary challenge facing the accounting profession today is the continuous development of accounting and information systems needed by business and government in an increasingly complex global economy.

 A degree in accounting will gives you the opportunity to begin a career that offers a variety of challenging paths. Many accounting graduates go to work for public accounting firms that provide audit, tax, and consulting services to all types of organizations. Other accounting graduates pursue careers in various businesses and industries, at all levels of government, and as accounting educators. All of these paths will be open to you, allowing you to serve society by helping to maintain the highest level of integrity in accounting, financial reporting, and financial control. 

 This degree program meets the current requirements for taking the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) recognizes the need for technically competent graduates to enter the accounting profession. In response to the recommendations of AICPA, other professional accounting organizations, and many professional accounting firms, the state of Texas now requires candidates for the CPA exam to have a minimum of 150 semester hours of college course work, including at least 36 hours of accounting courses (with a grade of C or better). Highly motivated students are encouraged to pursue graduate studies to enhance their potential for earning the CPA certificate and having a successful accounting career.

Professional Program

The Professional Program offers motivated students the opportunity to become a highly skilled professional while meeting all the requirements needed to sit for the CPA exam. Students receive both their Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree in Accounting along with their Masters of Science (MS) degree in Accounting, Finance, Management Information Systems, or Marketing concurrently. Students have the opportunity to do an optional internship in the spring of their senior year. International accounting firms recruit Professional Program students extensively for these competitive internship positions. The Professional Program has an excellent placement rate (more than 97% have accepted jobs before graduation), and more than 90% of our graduates have joined international accounting firms or major corporations.

Our advanced curriculum, thoroughly integrated with real-world practices, will help you reach your ultimate goal, whether it's becoming a partner in an international public accounting firm, managing your own business, setting up your own accounting practice, or becoming CFO of a major corporation or financial institution. We have created an environment in which students are able to attain the core knowledge necessary to compete and are encouraged to develop as communicators, learn to think creatively, hone their analytical skills, and become effective team players. Classes are taught by experienced faculty with superior teaching and professional credentials.

Students apply for the program in the fall semester of their junior year after becoming an upper level business student and are admitted upon successful completion of Accounting 327. Admission to the program is competitive and is based on prior academic performance, acceptance into individual graduate programs based on each department's criteria, communication and leadership skills, honors, awards, and extracurricular activities. Interested students should visit the Professional Program's web page at: acct.tamu.edu/ppa

Professional Program Home Page

Masters of Science in Accounting

Career Opportunities

Because accounting continues to be recognized as one of the world's leading professions, MS Accounting graduates are in demand. Numerous companies conduct on-campus interviews here because of the reputation of our graduates' excellent work ethic, knowledge base, and willingness to contribute. Texas A&M is a primary source school for all of the Big 5 CPA firms and other corporations.

Tracks

This program offers vast flexibility in selecting course work. You may choose one of our specialization tracks, or design your own program.

Assurance Services/Information Management Track

The Assurance Services/Information Management Track examines business and accounting concepts from the perspective of an assurance services professional and motivates students to develop technical yet common sense answers to typical or unusual accounting situations. This track develops skills needed to audit or consult with multinational corporations and financial institutions. The courses place heavy emphasis on both oral and written skills. Students receive a firm grounding in contemporary issues in auditing, accounting and finance. The curriculum has been designed to develop a broad business background with an emphasis on accounting and financial management. Students develop skills that require "thinking out of the box," teamwork and problem identification and analysis which prepare graduates to react to the rapid changes.

This track leads to the MS-Accounting degree. Although most graduates of this track begin their professional careers in the assurance services or consulting division of a national public accounting firm, many AS/IM graduates take positions in the accounting or finance areas of major corporations.

 

MS - Accounting Program
ASSURANCE SERVICES/INFORMATION MANAGEMENT TRACK
Required Courses:
ACCT 621		Corporate Tax Planning		3
ACCT 607		Seminar in Auditing		3
ACCT 647		Financial Statement Analysis		3
ACCT 648		Accounting Information Systems		3
ACCT 649		Accounting Controls & Security		3
ACCT 651		Development of Accounting Thought		3
ACCT 671		Contemporary Accounting Topics - Professional Seminar		3
ACCT 689		Applied Information Systems		3
FINC 629		Financial Management		3
		Total		27
Directed Elective (DE) (select three):
Any graduate course with the approval of the Graduate Advisor				9
Total credit hours for MS/Accounting - ASSURANCE SERVICES/INFORMATION MANAGEMENT TRACK				36

Tax Consulting/Financial Planning Track

The Tax Consulting/Financial Planning Track provides students with a broad foundation for understanding the taxation of entities and the relationship of taxes to the overall business decision process. Specifically, the track focuses on identifying tax problems, conducting research using the latest databases and interpreting the tax code as well as relevant literature. Students not only collect information, but they also analyze the data and present the results in both written and oral presentations. This track focuses primarily on the fundamental and contemporary aspects of developing tax strategies in the complex world of contemporary business. Courses in the taxation of entities-including corporations, partnerships, estates and trusts-provide students with a broad background for identifying solutions to complex tax situations and developing sound business strategies.

This track leads to the MS-Accounting degree with a concentration in Taxation. Many graduates start their career with the Big 5 and other national and regional public accounting firms. Accounting firms as well as corporations prefer that their professional staff have master's degrees when entering their tax departments.

MS - Accounting Program
TAX CONSULTING/FINANCIAL PLANNING TRACK
Required Courses (GR):
ACCT 621		Entities I - Corporate Taxation I		3
ACCT 611		Management of Taxation		3
ACCT 612		Flow through Entities		3
ACCT 613		Personal Financial Planning		3
ACCT 647		Financial Statement Analysis		3
ACCT 671		Contemporary Acct. Topics - Professional Seminar		3
ACCT 680		Tax Research and Policy		3
FINC 689		Financial Management		3
		Total		24
Directed Elective (DE) (select four):
Any graduate course with the approval of the Graduate Advisor				12
Total credit hours for MS/Accounting - TAX CONSULTING/FINANCIAL PLANNING TRACK				36

Admission Requirements

Admission to the MS-Accounting program is based on the assessment of several factors including the following:

• Demonstrated leadership and academic potential
• Academic performance in undergraduate coursework
• GMAT or GRE scores*
• Letters of reference
• Honors, awards, and extracurricular activities
• Relevant work experience
• Personal interview (recommended)
• Both verbal and quantitative scores must be above the 50th percentile to be considered.

International Applicants

In addition to the above requirements, international applicants whose native language is not English must attain a minimum score of 600 or above on the TOEFL exam and a minimum score of 4.5 on the AWA portion of the GMAT exam to be considered. International applicants are also recommended to submit a satisfactory score on the Test of Spoken English (TSE).

Prerequisites

The MS-Accounting program is designed primarily for students who have undergraduate preparation in accounting. However, exceptional candidates from other disciplines may be considered for admission. Most successful candidates have completed accounting course work through the intermediate level. The following courses or their equivalents are normally completed by all students before they begin graduate study:

• ACCT 642- Intermediate Accounting II
• FINC 635- Financial Management
• INFO 607- Introduction to Business Computing
• MGMT 631- Management of Complex Organizations
• ECON 202 (or 203)- Principles of Economics

Financial Aid

As an MS Accounting student, you are eligible to compete for a limited number of departmental research assistantships that provide a monthly wage and waiver of out-of-state tuition. In addition, all applicants are automatically considered for a limited number of departmental, College, and University level scholarships and fellowships.

	MS Accounting Advisor
	Dr. R. Austin Daily (979) 845-8587

Internal Auditing

Program Director: Dr. L. Murphy Smith, CPA

General Information

The Internal Auditing Program at Texas A&M University has been approved as an Endorsed Internal Auditing Program by the Institute of Internal Auditors. Texas A&M is now one of only 31 schools in the nation to have an Endorsed Internal Auditing Program. The Texas A&M Internal Auditing Program is sponsored by the Houston Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors. Internal auditing is a challenging and rewarding area of work, that offers excellent career opportunities. Internal auditors play a key role in industry, nonprofit organizations, and government entities. They assist management in promoting operational efficiency, adherence to company policies and government regulations, safeguarding assets, and ensuring the accuracy and reliability of accounting records.

The Endorsed Internal Auditing Program is just one more distinguishing mark of the Mays Business School at Texas A&M. The Texas A&M business school is widely recognized as one of the best in the nation. For more information about the Texas A&M University's Mays Business School, see: http://www.tamu.edu/cba/

Requirements of the Internal Auditing Program

Any student seeking an accounting degree, undergraduate or graduate, may participate in the Internal Auditing Program (IAP). The IAP enables students to attain specialized skills and professional competency in a vitally important area of accounting and business practice.  For students planning to pursue internal auditing careers, the IAP will help prepare them for their professional responsibilities as internal auditors and for taking the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) Exam. For students not planning to become internal auditors, the knowledge and skills acquired from participating in the IAP are beneficial to other accounting career paths, including public accounting, industry, and not-for-profit. Immediately following graduation, students may be considered for internal auditing positions with both not-for-profit organizations (such as the Texas State Auditor's Office, State Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas A&M University System Audit Department, and City of Austin) and major business firms (such as Haliburton Company, NationsBank Corporation, Texas Instruments, Lyondell-Citgo Refining Company, Mary Kay Cosmetics, and Sherwin-Williams Company).  Further, many graduates that begin in other fields of accounting work, such as public accounting, later switch to the internal auditing field. The IAP is designed so that students must complete three specific courses that present internal auditing topics: auditing, internal auditing, and accounting and financial information systems:

 Accounting 407:  Auditing.  This is the basic auditing course which introduces students to financial auditing both in the context of external and internal auditing.  This course is currently being taught each semester.

 Accounting 408:  Internal Auditing.  This course includes reading and evaluation of current theory and procedures used by internal auditors; selected case studies; and statistical methods of forming auditing judgment.  This course is offered each semester. (Example syllabus - subject to change).

 Accounting 427:  Accounting and Financial Information Systems.  This course includes overall data flow systems emphasizing financial data and computerized systems; flow and logic concepts; and developing meaningful control concepts and data reporting techniques.  This course is offered each semester.

As communication skills are critically important to internal auditors, students are encouraged, but not required, to take one or more speech communication courses as part of the IAP.  By using their general electives, they can take these courses without extending the time to complete their degree program. Grade point requirements are as follows: minimum GPA of 3.00 overall and a minimum GPA of 3.00 in the three specified courses:  Accounting 407, 408, and 427. Students who successfully complete the IAP may apply for a Certificate of Specialization in Internal Auditing. The application form is provided at http://acct.tamu.edu/smith/eiap_app.htm.

Contact Dr. L. Murphy Smith

Links:

Application for Internal Auditing Internship
Current Events Regarding the Internal Auditing Program, Visits by Recruiters, Etc.
Job Opportunities
Especially for Acct 408 Students
Dr. L. Murphy Smith's Homepage
Quotations on Ethics (cool quotes & movie clips)
Accounting Web Sites
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