The BSBA/MSA in Accounting joint degree program is designed for students with a serious commitment to careers in accounting and financial management or in taxation. By planning carefully during the freshman and sophomore years of the BSBA, students can complete courses that will prepare them for the CPA examination in Massachusetts, leading to a career in public accounting. Students may also wish to take coursework that prepares them for careers in corporate accounting and financial management, not-for-profit accounting and financial management, corporate taxation, or financial advising.

This joint degree program can be completed in five years of full-time study, including the summer between the fourth and fifth years. However, another popular option is four years of full-time study and two years of part-time study -- offering an attractive combination of academic study supplemented by practical experience as additional career preparation.

Professional qualification

Students graduating from the joint programs are expected to proceed to earn professional qualifications such as the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), the Certified Management Accounting (CMA) or the Certified Internal Auditor (CIA).

Application

Students who qualify for entry to the joint programs must be matriculated students in the Sawyer Business School BSBA degree program majoring in accounting. Typically, students must apply to the joint degree programs during the fall semester of the senior year to avoid taking courses that may not be required in the joint program. Exceptions may be made for admission if application is made prior to completion of the spring semester of the senior year.

Applicants must take the GMAT examination and satisfy the entry criteria based on GMAT score and cumulative grade point average through the end of their junior year (or, in the case of later application, the cumulative grade point average through the first semester of the senior year). If admitted to the joint program, students acquire graduate status at the start of the semester following acceptance AND upon completion of 124 credit hours.

Graduation requirements

A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in the undergraduate accounting courses, and a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 overall in all undergraduate courses, must be maintained. A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 in the graduate accounting courses, and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 overall in all graduate courses must be maintained to graduate with the joint degree. Students who withdraw from the joint degree program must complete all requirements for the BSBA, including the 150-hour practical experience requirement, before the BSBA degree will be awarded.

Faculty advisor

Students entering the joint programs are assigned a faculty advisor from the Accounting Department to assist them in planning their programs of study and to advise them on academic and career matters. This advisor may be different from the advisor initially assigned to a student as an undergraduate accounting major.

BSBA/MSA Curriculum

Undergraduate Required and Elective Courses (102 credits)

Accounting Major Requirements (18 credits)

ACCT 331 Intermediate Accounting I
ACCT 332 Intermediate Accounting II
ACCT 331 Cost Accounting
ACCT 421 Taxation
ACCT 431 Auditing and Assurance Services
ACCT 432 Advanced Accounting

Graduate Courses (9 credits)

    
ACCT 824 Corporate Financial Reporting and Analysis
ACCT 825 Corporate Financial Planning and Control
ACIB 872 International Financial Analysis and Control

Graduate Non-Accounting Required Courses (4.5 credits)

MGSM 833 Strategic Management of Innovation and Technology
MSES 834 or MBA 800 maybe substituted with the approval of the Director of Graduate Programs in Accounting

Graduate Accounting Electives (6 credits)

Graduate Non-Accounting Electives (12 credits)