Master of Professional Accountancy

Get Started on Your Graduate Degree Online Today!

Today's business environment is one of constant change. A Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) degree from Mississippi State University Online will further your knowledge and equip you with the skills needed for a successful professional career in accountancy.

The Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) program advances the student’s knowledge base in business and accounting while preparing for a professional career in accountancy. The accountancy program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), as part of the overall accreditation of the College of Business, as well as the supplemental AACSB accreditation of accounting programs. The AACSB is the world’s largest business education network and longest-serving accrediting body for business schools with undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition per credit hour	$558.50
Instructional Support Fee per credit hour	$25.00

Please refer to the master class schedule for individual course charges. Tuition and fees listed are subject to change and do not include all possible charges. Additional fees may apply.

The Adkerson School of Accountancy combines general, broad business and accounting education into a specialized curriculum designed to meet the greater demand for accountants, stemming from developments in information technology, increasingly complicated taxation and governmental control measures, and a growing awareness of the need for accurate control methods in existing businesses. The Master of Professional Accountancy program prepare students for positions in public, private, or governmental accounting.

Prospective Career Paths include, but are not limited to:

Private Accountant
Public Accountant
Government Accountant
Auditor
Controller
Fraud Examiner
Entrepreneur
Attorney

Chartered in 1979, the Adkerson School of Accountancy became the only named unit within the College of Business in 2007. It was at this time that Richard C. Adkerson, a 1969 graduate and current president, CEO, and vice chairman of Freeport-McMoRan, established an endowment for the naming of the School of Accountancy. Mr. Adkerson continues to support the program both financially and with his time.

The Adkerson School of Accountancy has 14 faculty members, of which three are tenured, three are clinical, one is an instructor, and six are progressing toward tenure. Most of the faculty have professional accounting and business experience. Faculty members boast such awards as the Mississippi and Louisiana Society of Certified Public Accountants’ Educator of the Year Award.

The Adkerson School of Accountancy Advisory Council consists of 41 members and is predominately made up of Mississippi State alumni. In addition, members of the Advisory Council represent companies and firms that hire many of our graduates. As a result, the Advisory Council has a vested interest in both the students and the faculty of the Adkerson School of Accountancy. The primary roles of the Advisory council include serving as a sounding board for the faculty regarding practical applications of concepts and principles being taught in courses, meeting with students and speaking with various groups about career opportunities, and providing oversight for the resources of the Adkerson School of Accountancy. The members of the Advisory Council also provide financial support for the Adkerson School of Accountancy and have encouraged other alumni and friends to give to the School.

What are some potential careers?

Program Structure

The Master of Accountancy is a non-thesis degree programs and requires 30-semester hours in coursework. At least 24 of semester hours must be in graduate level accounting courses. A minor in Accounting Data Analytics is also available.

Required Courses (15 hours)

ACC 6063 Income Tax II
ACC 8013 Seminar in Financial Accounting Theory
ACC 8023 Advanced Managerial Accounting
ACC 8033 Assurance & Audit Data Analysis
ACC 8043 Fraud and Data Analysis Examination*

Accounting Electives (choose 9 hours from the below)

ACC 8053 Financial Accounting Policy (incorporates CPA exam prep)
ACC 8063 Research in Tax Practice & Procedures
ACC 8073 Taxation of Corporations & Shareholders
ACC 8093 Taxation of Partnerships, S-Corporations, Trusts, & Estates
ACC 8113 Advanced Individual Tax & Wealth
ACC 8123 Tax Topics
ACC 8183 International Accounting

Business Electives (6 hours) (these are examples others may become available)

Any of the above Accounting Electives not taken as a required course
ACC 8143 Accounting Data Analytics*
BIS 8413 Data Analytics*
BQU 6413 Business Forecasting and Predictive Analytics
BIS 6113 BIS Security Management
BIS 6523 Business Programming w/COBOL
BIS 8113 Mgt Info Tech & Sys
BIS 8213 Secure System Analysis & Design
BIS 8313 Advanced Database Design and Administration

BL 6243 Entrepreneur Law
BL 6333 Real Estate Law
BL 8113 Law Ethics & Dispute Resolution
BQU 6423 Business Decision Analysis
FIN 8113 Corporate Finance
MGT 8103 Strategic Entrepreneurial Management
MGT 8113 Leadership Skills
MKT 6143 Sales Management
MKT 8153 Strategic Marketing Management

*These courses are required for the Accounting Data Analytics Minor in the Master of Professional Accountancy Program

Admissions Process

Admission to the graduate programs at the Adkerson School of Accountancy is competitive. We expect to receive more applications than we have the capacity to accommodate in our programs. A committee of faculty members from the Adkerson School of Accountancy will review applications. A student applying to the Adkerson School of Accountancy for the Master of Professional Accountancy or the Master of Taxation must meet the following requirements for their application to be reviewed for admission:

Complete an Application
- GMAT is waived for Fall 2021 Admissions.
A 3.0 GPA or above on all course work or the last 60 hours of courses attempted.
A 3.0 GPA or above in all Accounting classes.
Hold a four-year, regionally accredited (SACS, NCACS, NEACS, etc.) bachelor's degree from a U.S. institution
Be a U.S. citizen or a Green Card holder (Permanent Resident) and have either a USA or APO address
Completion of the following prerequisites or the equivalent in a curriculum emphasizing Generally Accepted Accounting Principles as pronounced by the Financial Accounting Standards Board:
- ACC 3003 Accounting Information Systems I
- ACC 3013 Cost Accounting
- ACC 3023 Intermediate Accounting I
- ACC 3033 Intermediate Accounting II
- ACC 4013 Income Tax
- ACC 4033 Auditing
Completion of the following prerequisites or the equivalent:
- BL 2413 Legal Environment of Business
- EC 2113 Principles of Macroeconomics
- EC 2123 Principles of Microeconomics
- FIN 3123 Financial Management
- A course demonstrating computer literacy
- A course demonstrating written communication skills

The application deadlines for Master of Professional Accountancy and Master of Taxation are as followed:

Priority Application Deadlines
Fall	May 1
Spring	Oct 1
Summer	March 1

We will continue to consider applications up to the following dates if program capacity has not been reached:

Regular Deadline
Fall	Aug 1
Spring	Nov 1
Summer	May 15

Domestic/International Classified Admissions
Readmission

Domestic/International Classified Admissions

Complete and submit the online Graduate Admission Application. You will choose either the Master of Professional Accountancy or the Master of Taxation as your Program of Study and Online Education as your campus.
Upload Statement of Purpose - Provide two to three paragraphs on who you are, explain why you are pursuing graduate studies, and share why you have selected the Mississippi State Online program. You may even discuss your past academic performance, and what that says about your ability to succeed in a graduate level program.
Three letters of recommendation
- You will be asked to list three names and three email addresses of individuals you are using as references. Once you click submit, these individuals will be sent an email from MSU, which will provide a link to an online form for completing their recommendations.
TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for international students
- ETS is providing home testing for the TOEFL iBT test, and MSU is encouraging students to take advantage of this testing option. For those students applying who have taken the TOEFL within five years of the semester they plan to enroll and are unable to access the TOEFL iBT test from home, we will accept your previous test scores.
One official transcript showing bachelor’s degree or progress toward degree. (For international students, please submit a copy in native language along with translated copies, if appropriate.)
One official transcript showing ALL work after bachelor’s degree. (For international students, please submit a copy in native language along with translated copies, if appropriate.)
- Electronic transcripts should be sent to: Mississippi State University, Graduate School, gradapps@grad.msstate.edu. Only one copy of an electronic transcript is required.
- Paper transcripts should be mailed to: Mississippi State University
  The Office of the Graduate School
  P.O. Box G
  Mississippi State, MS 39762
  Physical Street Address (for DHL, Fed Ex, UPS, DHS, etc.):
  Mississippi State University
  Office of the Graduate School
  175 President Circle
  116 Allen Hall
  Mississippi State, MS 39762
Payment of $60 non-refundable application processing fee for domestic students.
Payment of $80 non-refundable application processing fee for international students.
Once you are admitted, you will receive an email with complete instructions on registering for classes and contacting your advisor

Readmission

Once enrolled in graduate study, a student who fails to meet the continuous enrollment requirement must complete an Application for Readmission to register for classes. Continuous enrollment is defined as enrollment in two of three semester terms (Fall, Spring, or Summer) with Fall enrollment required. Students who have not been enrolled for a period of three years or longer and are in good academic standing, are eligible to reapply to through the Lapsed Student Program. Readmission is not guaranteed and must be approved by the Department Head, Academic Dean, and Dean of the Graduate School. Interested students or academic departments should contact the Graduate School for more information.

Academic Advising

After gaining admission to the university, you must contact one of your advisors to determine the courses that are most appropriate for you to take. Approximately two months prior to the upcoming semester, your advisor will send an email to your MSU email account, making course recommendations based on your program of study.

Mississippi State University uses email as its official means of communication with all MSU students. Please check your MSU email account (NetID@msstate.edu) daily. Information on setting up your MSU email can be found at the link for student services.