The field of accounting is changing rapidly. With advances in technology and increased regulations, today’s accounting professionals need to stay ahead of the curve. Aspiring professionals can benefit greatly from the skills and knowledge gained from a graduate-level accounting curriculum. Higher education levels for accountants can lead to greater responsibilities, which, in turn, can lead to better job security. What’s more, holders of a master’s degree in accounting make an average of 37 percent more than bachelor’s degree holders.
Maryville University Online Master’s in Accounting Curriculum
The online Master of Science in Accounting program at Maryville University aims to provide students with the accounting skills needed to pursue professional success.
Learn more about Maryville’s Online MS in Accounting course offerings here:
Master's in Accounting Curriculum for students without a BS in Accounting
Bridge Program
| ACCT 210 | Financial Accounting | 3 Credits |
This course focuses on how business events affect financial statements by acquiring a working knowledge of basic accounting theory and concepts. Topics include the role of accounting in decision making; the recording procedures that accountants use to organize information for financial statement preparation; and analytical tools and accounting principles to aid in reading and interpreting financial statements. | ||
| ACCT 211 | Managerial Accounting | 3 Credits |
The concepts of managerial accounting are covered in this course. Emphasis is placed on the preparation and use of financial information for planning, decision making and control. The course will address cost classifications, product and service costing methods and systems, profit planning, measuring performance, and the new manufacturing environment. | ||
| ACCT 309 | Advanced Managerial Accounting | 3 Credits |
In this course, students obtain, use and critically evaluate financial and non-financial information to make effective business decisions considering strategic, technological and environmental factors. | ||
| ACCT 318 | Financial Reporting I | 3 Credits |
An in-depth study of financial accounting topics including time value concepts; valuation of inventories; acquisition and disposition of property, plant, and equipment; intangible assets; and revenue recognition. The transition from U.S. GAAP to IFRS is also discussed. | ||
| ACCT 319 | Financial Reporting II | 3 Credits |
An in-depth study of accounting topics including stockholders equity issues, earnings per share valuation, investments, current and long-term liabilities, accounting for income taxes, pensions, leases, post- retirement benefits and statement of cash flows. The transition from U.S. GAAP to IFRS is also discussed. | ||
| ACCT 423 | Auditing | 3 Credits |
This course covers the theory and application of required standards and appropriate procedures used by the independentaccountant to give various degrees of assurance to an organization’s financial information and operations, with a focus on external auditing. The auditor’s responsibilities, work paper preparation, and ethical standards are included in this course. | ||
| BUS 280 | Business Law | 3 Credits |
This course examines legal rights and ethics, crimes, torts, contracts, personal property, bailments and sales. | ||
| BUS 241 | Business Statistics | 3 Credits |
This course develops business data analysis skills and statistical techniques using spreadsheets. Topics include data collection storage and analysis using descriptive statistics, tables and charts; probability and data distributions, statistical tests, correlation, regression, forecasting, and quality control analysis. | ||
| BUS 501 | Survey of Business* | |
This survey course examines the purposes, organization, and major activities of business operations. Emphasis is placed on understanding relationships of business, government, and the consumer in a global economy. This course is designed to give students a brief outline of most of the major activities in business to include accounting and financials, marketing and management. | ||
| ECON 201/202/203 | Macroeconomics or Microeconomics or Principles of Economics | 3 Credits |
ECON 201- Macroeconomics: This course studies the overall economic activity and growth of a nation. Topics include the basic model of supply and demand, national-income accounting, the determinants of national income and employment, the meaning and measurement of inflation and unemployment, business cycles, the economics of money and banking, and the role of monetary and fiscal policies in influencing economic activity. ECON 202- Microeconomics: This course studies price theory (or the laws of supply and demand) the market system, the economics of consumer-behavior and firm-behavior, market structures, and government regulation of business. ECON 203 - Principles of Economics: This course introduces the economic perspective on decisions currently faced by individuals, businesses, and society. Basic economic principles and methods are used to address both microeconomic and macroeconomic topics, with a focus on the modern market economy. Essential content includes the laws of supply and demand; the behavior of consumers and firms; the function of resource markets; macroeconomic measures of economic growth, unemployment, and inflation; the use of fiscal and monetary policy to achieve macroeconomic goals; and an overview of international trade. | ||
| FIN 312 | Principles of Finance | 3 Credits |
Students examine basic financial management of business firms: a) procurement, b) allocation and c) control of funds; corporate financial behavior; financial instruments and markets; and the analysis and interpretation of investment and profit performance. | ||
Core Accounting Courses
| ACCT 614 | Tax Planning and Decision Making | 3 Credits |
This course will focus on the fundamental concepts of common tax regulations and provide a broad overview of corporate and partnership taxation and individual tax planning issues. Specific topics include: the framework of the tax system; fundamentals of tax planning; the taxation of sole proprietorships, flow-through entities and corporations; and the tax treatment of fringe benefits and investment assets. | ||
| ACCT 615 | Accounting for Governmental and Non-Profit Entities | 3 Credits |
This course deals with the role that the accounting function plays in achieving the strategic goals of an organization. It also explores the issues of corporate governance, including the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the interactions among management, auditors and the audit committee. | ||
| ACCT 616 | Financial Reporting III | 3 Credits |
This course covers advanced-level accounting subjects, including business combinations, partnerships and accounting for multi-national entities; and segment and interim reporting. | ||
| ACCT 620 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 Credits |
This course will provide the skills necessary to interpret and analyze financial statement information by discussing the four key financial statements and analyzing the financial information to evaluate profitability, liquidity and risk. Topics also covered include traditional ratio analysis and interpretation, accounting rules and quality of earnings, warning signs of financial distress, and SEC reporting requirements. Cross-listed: FIN-620 Prerequisite: ACCT-610 | ||
| ACCT 650 | Accounting Research & Communication | 3 Credits |
This course will use various sources of authoritative guidance to resolve complex, professionally oriented problems that include auditing, financial reporting, and taxation. Students will analyze numerous unstructured cases and present their conclusions with written reports and oral presentations. | ||
| ACCT 660 | Data Analytics | 3 Credits |
This course serves as an introduction to data analytics. Data analytics is generally defined as the use of data, quantitative analysis, and modeling to drive business decisions. An overview of different analytics techniques (descriptive, predictive and prescriptive) with a focus on descriptive analytics technique to illustrate business decision-making situations is discussed. | ||
| BUS 500 | Graduate Preparation | |
This course provides all graduate students an opportunity to review essential content prior to starting a graduate program in the John E. Simon School of Business. This course consists of exercises involving paraphrasing, citing, avoiding plagiarism, and business math. | ||
Becker CPA Informed Courses**
| ACCT 670 | Advanced Auditing | 3 Credits |
This course provides a review of auditing procedures, auditing standards generally accepted in the United States (GAAS) and other standards related to attestation engagements. This course must be taken during the last twelve credit hours of the program. | ||
| ACCT 672 | Advanced Business Environment & Concepts | 3 Credits |
This course provides a review of business structure; economic concepts essential to understanding an entity’s operation, business and industry; financial management; information technology; and planning and measurement. This course must be taken during the last twelve credit hours of the program. | ||
| ACCT 674 | Advanced Financial Accounting & Reporting | 3 Credits |
This course provides a review of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) that affect business enterprises, not-for-profit organizations and government entities. This course must be taken during the last twelve credit hours of the program. | ||
| ACCT 676 | Advanced Accounting Regulation | 3 Credits |
This course provides a review of taxation, ethics, professional and legal responsibilities, and business law. Topics address CPAs’ professional and legal responsibilities, and legal implications of business transactions, particularly as they relate to accounting and auditing. This course must be taken during the last twelve credit hours of the program. | ||
TOTAL 60 CREDIT HOURS
*BUS 501 required for students conditionally admitted
** Courses that incorporate Becker preparation material will have an additional fee
Master's in Accounting Curriculum for students with a BS in Accounting
| ACCT 614 | Tax Planning and Decision Making | 3 Credits |
This course will focus on the fundamental concepts of common tax regulations and provide a broad overview of corporate and partnership taxation and individual tax planning issues. Specific topics include: the framework of the tax system; fundamentals of tax planning; the taxation of sole proprietorships, flow-through entities and corporations; and the tax treatment of fringe benefits and investment assets. | ||
| ACCT 615 | Accounting for Governmental and Non-Profit Entities | 3 Credits |
This course deals with the role that the accounting function plays in achieving the strategic goals of an organization. It also explores the issues of corporate governance, including the impact of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the interactions among management, auditors and the audit committee. | ||
| ACCT 620 | Financial Statement Analysis | 3 Credits |
This course will provide the skills necessary to interpret and analyze financial statement information by discussing the four key financial statements and analyzing the financial information to evaluate profitability, liquidity and risk. Topics also covered include traditional ratio analysis and interpretation, accounting rules and quality of earnings, warning signs of financial distress, and SEC reporting requirements. Cross-listed: FIN-620 Prerequisite: ACCT-610 | ||
| ACCT 660 | Data Analytics | 3 Credits |
This course serves as an introduction to data analytics. Data analytics is generally defined as the use of data, quantitative analysis, and modeling to drive business decisions. An overview of different analytics techniques (descriptive, predictive and prescriptive) with a focus on descriptive analytics technique to illustrate business decision-making situations is discussed. | ||
| ACCT 616 | Financial Reporting III | 3 Credits |
This course covers advanced-level accounting subjects, including business combinations, partnerships and accounting for multi-national entities; and segment and interim reporting. | ||
| ACCT 650 | Accounting Research & Communication | 3 Credits |
This course will use various sources of authoritative guidance to resolve complex, professionally oriented problems that include auditing, financial reporting, and taxation. Students will analyze numerous unstructured cases and present their conclusions with written reports and oral presentations. | ||
| BUS 500 | Graduate Preparation | |
This course provides all graduate students an opportunity to review essential content prior to starting a graduate program in the John E. Simon School of Business. This course consists of exercises involving paraphrasing, citing, avoiding plagiarism, and business math. | ||
Becker CPA Informed Courses*
| ACCT 670 | Advanced Auditing | 3 Credits |
This course provides a review of auditing procedures, auditing standards generally accepted in the United States (GAAS) and other standards related to attestation engagements. This course must be taken during the last twelve credit hours of the program. | ||
| ACCT 674 | Advanced Financial Accounting & Reporting | 3 Credits |
This course provides a review of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (GAAP) that affect business enterprises, not-for-profit organizations and government entities. This course must be taken during the last twelve credit hours of the program. | ||
| ACCT 672 | Advanced Business Environment & Concepts | 3 Credits |
This course provides a review of business structure; economic concepts essential to understanding an entity’s operation, business and industry; financial management; information technology; and planning and measurement. This course must be taken during the last twelve credit hours of the program. | ||
| ACCT 676 | Advanced Accounting Regulation | 3 Credits |
This course provides a review of taxation, ethics, professional and legal responsibilities, and business law. Topics address CPAs’ professional and legal responsibilities, and legal implications of business transactions, particularly as they relate to accounting and auditing. This course must be taken during the last twelve credit hours of the program. | ||
TOTAL 30 CREDIT HOURS
* Courses that incorporate Becker preparation material will have an additional fee
To ensure the best possible educational experience for our students, we may update our curriculum to reflect emerging and changing employer and industry trends. Professional licensure and certification regulations vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Students are encouraged to visit the relevant governing body for the state in which they intend to practice to verify specific licensure (and/ clinical hours) requirements which includes ensuring the program of interest meets the licensure requirements prior to enrolling. Students may visit our Professional Licensure Information page for more information and also reach out to our team of enrollment advisors for guidance.
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Skills, Concepts, or Opportunities Gained with a Master’s Degree in Accounting
A typical master’s in accounting curriculum consists of courses that can give students in-depth knowledge and skills in several aspects of accounting. Many of these accounting courses will cover the following skills or concepts:
- CPA exam preparation. The CPA (Certified Public Accountant) exam is a challenging test for aspiring accounting professionals. Students enrolled in a graduate-level accounting degree program will benefit from the important preparation required to successfully pass this exam.
- Managerial methods. Managerial accounting refers to the process of gathering, analyzing and presenting financial information findings. Planning, budgeting, decision-making, and performance measurement are all examples of managerial accounting.
- Discussing and analyzing strategic accounting issues. Accounting and auditing play an essential role in an organization’s financial health and growth. Students in this field must understand how accounting can support strategic, forward-looking business decisions.
- Advanced auditing skills. Auditors play a key part in ensuring an organization’s funds are properly managed. Students learn how to find and eliminate waste and fraud, review financial statements, and improve accounting processes.
Common Courses for Online Master’s in Accounting Students
These are some of the common courses offered for this degree. Though actual course titles may vary depending on the university, many accounting programs offer courses that touch on the following concepts:
Survey of business. Anyone working within a business context should possess basic business acumen, including an understanding of the relationships between businesses, governments, and consumers in a global economy, as well as the major activities of business operations, including accounting, financials, marketing, and management.
Graduate preparation. Students beginning a master’s program in a business-related field must have a basic understanding of business math in addition to more general academic knowledge, such as how to cite critical data and paraphrase, as well as how to avoid plagiarism. A graduate preparation course offers students the chance to review such things.
Tax planning and decision-making. Aspiring accounting professionals must have a firm grasp of how the tax system works for both individuals and corporations and must understand the tax planning process.
Strategic accounting issues. Accountants working for organizations and businesses play an important role in that organization’s success. Therefore, accounting students need to learn the role they will play in achieving the strategic goals of an organization and also understand corporate governance.
Sources:
Investopedia, “Managerial Accounting Concepts and Techniques”