PrintMaster of Accountancy
The Department of Accounting in the Fox School of Business is pleased to announce the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program to be offered on Main Campus beginning Fall 2011. The Fox School MAcc was developed in response to the change in legislative requirements for an individual to become a licensed CPA in Pennsylvania, as well as to accommodate the growing need for CPAs throughout the United States.
Effective January 1, 2012, candidates seeking the CPA designation in Pennsylvania must complete 150 hours of college education (undergraduate or graduate courses, or a combination of both), including 36 hours in accounting and auditing, business law, finance or tax subjects acceptable to the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy. With this change, Pennsylvania conforms to the national education standard of 150 credit hours and one year of public accounting experience—in addition to the successful completion of the CPA exam—before the granting of a CPA license. Many college and university accounting majors, especially from AACSB accredited business schools, can meet the new 150-hour requirement by completing the Fox MAcc in addition to their undergraduate degree in accounting. For more information about the CPA exam and related requirements visit: http://www.fox.temple.edu/dept/accounting/cpa_exam_req_pa.html.
The majority of the students accepted to the MAcc will be focused on a career in public accounting. Accordingly, the Fox School’s MAcc program will facilitate and encourage CPA exam preparation for those students who aspire to become a CPA. Students will focus on preparation for specific parts of the CPA exam and will be encouraged to sit for the Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) part of the exam in January and the Auditing and Attestation (AUD) part of the exam in May during their MAcc program. The MAcc will also offer a colloquium each semester where stakeholders and partners from the professional community will hold interactive sessions with MAcc students on current issues in the profession. The MAcc will foster professional skills including communication, presentation, interviewing, leadership and analytical competence.
“The Fox School MAcc will be a value-adding experience for students. The type of courses included in the MAcc curriculum go beyond what students have studied previously, honing and perfecting skills they will need to succeed in accounting positions at CPA firms or in industry,” states Dr. Eric Press, Chairman of the Department of Accounting. “Besides getting a leg-up on the CPA exam, they’ll also be cultivating relations with colloquium presenters, and through site visits (to, e.g., the SEC and PCAOB) that will benefit them as they start their careers. I believe we have a strong value proposition for prospective students, whether they are from Temple or other universities.”
