Accounting, Master of Science

Admission

Please refer to “The Graduate Admissions Process” section for general graduate admission information. For consideration and admission to the Master of Science (M.S.) in Accounting program, applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited post-secondary institution and satisfactorily submit or complete the following:

1. A graduate application for admission accompanied by a non-refundable application fee.

2. Applicants whose native language is not English or who have graduated from an institution where English is not the language of instruction should contact International Admissions or go to the University's website for admission requirements.

3. A program planning conference meeting with a program Chair to discuss admission, candidacy, and program requirements is highly recommended.
4. Students must request official copies of their undergraduate transcript(s) at the time of the application submission.

All required applications, transcript(s), and candidacy documents should be sent to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Program Purpose

The M.S. in Accounting is designed to meet the growing need for credentialed accountants and financial managers and to respond to new Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensure requirements in the State of Delaware.

Wilmington University recognizes that not all accounting students aim for CPA licensure. The M.S. in Accounting also provides the foundation for students who are interested in both the Certified Management Accountant Exam (CMA) and the Certified Fraud Examination Exam (CFE).

Program Competencies

In addition to satisfying the University’s graduate graduation competencies, students will have an advanced level of applicable knowledge in the following areas as appropriate to one’s field of study:

1. Apply appropriate, relevant and reliable measurement results using applicable standards for objective disclosure and reporting.
2. Analyze risk to identify and manage audit and business risks.
3. Use technology assisted tools to assess and control risk and document work performed.

Program Design

The program incorporates a methodology that provides students with a deep appreciation of the skills and knowledge required for decision making and problem solving. The program is designed for individuals who are seeking to make a strong contribution to their organization, profession, and global society while advancing and promoting their careers. Various classes in the program are offered at the Wilson Graduate Center on weeknights, Dover on weeknights, Dover Air Force Base on weekends, and Georgetown on weeknights. At this time, all MAC courses are offered at the Wilson Graduate Center and Online.

Program Requirements

The MS program is based upon the students working in a wide range of organizations; they must be adept at understanding the relationship of one’s self to the organization in a way that brings them to a level of mastery. The program consists of ten 3 (three) credit hour courses. The eight core courses (24 credit hours) provide an in-depth exposure to core accounting theory and practice that are applicable to a wide range of situations and organizations. In this concentration, students also select two elective courses to complement the core requirements.

Registration

All required courses in the M.S. in Accounting program have undergraduate or graduate accounting prerequisites. Please consult with your program Chair if you have questions about these prerequisites. Elective courses from the MSM or MBA programs may be taken until the prerequisites have been met. Some MBA and MSM courses have prerequisites.

Prior to registering for your second M.S. in Accounting course students should:

1. Submit an official transcript from an accredited college, university, or other degree-granting institution verifying completion of a bachelor’s degree. Send official transcript(s) directly from the identified college or university to the Wilmington University Graduate Admissions Office.
2. Meet with a program Chair for a program planning conference if not completed earlier. Official transcript(s) should be on file prior to the conference.  Students may bring unofficial transcript(s) to this meeting of official transcript(s) are not on file.

Undergraduate Prerequisites:

In addition to the admission and candidacy requirements listed above, the M.S. in Accounting concentration has the prerequisite completion of twelve (12) credits undergraduate Accounting: Accounting I & II (equivalent to W.U. BAC 102 and BAC 102) and Intermediate Accounting I & II (equivalent to W.U. BAC 201 and BAC 202).

Finance.  Three credits of undergraduate finance with a grade of "C" or better (equivalent to Wilmington University FIN 305).  Students may complete MHR 7830, Finance and Accounting for Managers, to meet this requirement.

Advancement to Degree Candidacy

Students in the M.S. in Accounting program are advanced to degree candidacy after completing four courses with a minimum GPA. of 3.0, provided they have:

1. Submitted an official transcript from an accredited college, university, or other degree-granting institution verifying completion of a bachelor’s degree. Send official transcript(s) directly from the identified college or university to the Wilmington University Graduate Admissions office.
2. Successfully completed undergraduate courses in Intermediate Accounting I and Intermediate Accounting II with a grade of "C" or higher.

Students who have not completed all of the above requirements prior to completing 12 graduate credits will not advance to candidacy status.  Students who do not meet the candidacy requirements will be unable to register for additional classes until they meet with the program Chair and agree on a plan of action ensuring student's successful completion of the M.S. in Accounting candidacy requirements.

M.S. Accounting Program Course Requirements

Ten courses are required for program completion; the eight courses immediately below and two additional courses to be selected from the elective offerings. While some course sequencing is important, the program is designed to permit students to complete requirements at their own pace.

Courses

MAC 7100	Financial Accounting Theory, Policy, and Research	3
MAC 7200	Advanced Managerial Accounting	3
MAC 7300	Issues in Auditing and Assurance Services	3
MAC 7400	Fraud Prevention and Forensic Accounting	3
MAC 7500	Federal Taxation, Policy, and Research	3
MAC 7600	International Accounting and Taxation	3
MBA 7200	Financial Management	3

One of the following two courses:

MBA 6000	Organizational Behavior and Ethical Leadership	3
MGT 6501	Organization Theory and Design	3
	Two Electives

Electives

Two electives may be chosen from any of the following course codes offered in the graduate Business programs: MAC, MBA (except 5850), and MPA7202. Students should consult with their academic advisor when selecting M.S. Accounting electives.