Master of Accounting (MAcc)

Office: Sellinger Hall, Room 218
Email: macc@loyola.edu
Website: http://www.loyola.edu/sellinger

Assistant Dean: Susan Hasler
Director of Graduate Cohort Programs: Catherine Liu

The Master of Accounting (MAcc) is full-time program for those with an undergraduate accounting degree (or equivalent accounting coursework, see Prerequisites and Basic Competencies) who are seeking advanced accounting knowledge and the additional 30 credits required to obtain licensure as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Obtaining the CPA credential provides many high-quality employment options for students, including careers in public, corporate, managerial, and government accounting, corporate finance, consulting, nonprofit management, and law enforcement.

The MAcc program provides a clear path to earning both a master's-level credential and meeting the 150-hour educational requirement for CPA licensure. Curricular highlights of the program include:

Accounting courses that provide expanded knowledge and deep grounding in technical skills, as well as opportunities to apply skills through integrative cases.
Curriculum design that increases the rate of learning, motivation, and commitment to excellence, through a cohort style learning environment and classmates with proven high-level accounting skills.
The opportunity for students to apply their knowledge and skills obtained in a paid internship.
Advanced study in the major areas of accounting (financial, audit and data analytics, information systems, and taxation), as well as in the supporting fields of finance and information systems.
The delivery of all content with an underlying concern for ethical decision making.
Cocurricular opportunities that link students to accounting professionals (e.g., mentoring); enhance their technical skills (e.g., advanced training in Excel); and make graduates career ready (e.g., advanced training in presentation skills).

Admission Criteria

Detailed admission information (application procedures, required documents, deadlines, etc.) can be found under Admission.

Loyola undergraduate students may apply for the Accelerated BBA/MAcc program which allows them to take up to two graduate-level courses towards the MAcc program in the fall and/or spring of senior year. Courses can simultaneously count as an undergraduate elective and a graduate requirement for the MAcc program.

Financial Aid

All applicants should file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for aid. Inquiries concerning student loans should be directed to the Office of Graduate Financial Aid, 410‑617‑5020.

Prerequisites and Basic Competencies

Admission into the Master of Accounting program requires that applicants have an undergraduate accounting degree, or have taken the following courses (or equivalents as determined by the accounting department chair):

Financial Accounting
Managerial Accounting
Intermediate Accounting I
Intermediate Accounting II
Auditing

Degree Requirements

This is a 30-credit cohort program presented over three semesters. Students who successfully complete the requirements are awarded a Master of Accounting (MAcc).

Program of Study

The curriculum consists of 10, three-credit courses and offers three track options which allow students to either focus on specific accounting topics at a deeper level or maintain a broader perspective to meet their career goals and prepare for further career advancement.

MAcc tracks include:

Financial Reporting MAcc Track:

The Financial Reporting Track helps students maintain a broader perspective while customizing their electives to achieve specific career goals and prepare for further career advancement. Students who select the Financial Reporting MAcc option are strongly encouraged to take GB 736 to better prepare for continuously changing technology in the accounting profession.

Tax Track:

With the ever-increasing complexities of taxation, the Tax Track offers students the ability to expand upon their undergraduate studies with additional courses in Individual Taxation, Tax Research, and State and Local Taxation. The Tax Track will provide students with a strong foundational framework needed to begin or advance a career in the tax field. The focused courses in our Tax Track will provide students with the underlying skills and abilities to identify and solve tax problems and recognize tax planning opportunities.

Data Analytics Track:

The prevalence of big data and the increased availability of digital products and services has created opportunities for accountants and other key decision makers to conduct detailed analyses of emerging market trends and business operations. Real-time data platforms and improved analytics now make it possible for organizations to quickly sense and respond to market needs. In this track, students will take a series of courses each of which has been designed to deliver specific skills for how to prepare, visualize, and understand patterns in data within the accounting field.

Core:

Financial Reporting MAcc Track

Select three of the following:

Tax Track

Select three of the following:

Data Analytics Track

GB 736 - Data Visualization for Decision Making

Data Analytics Elective

Select one of the following GB courses:

Accounting Elective

Select one of the following AC courses:

Notes:

For specific policy information on non-Loyola coursework considered for advanced standing or transfer, as well as Loyola coursework eligible for application from one Loyola business program to another, see Transfer Credit under Academic Regulations and Policies .