Master of Accounting (MAcc)

Prerequisites

The MAcc program requires the student to complete: (1) a core of undergraduate foundation courses consisting of business and accounting courses and (2) the Master of Accounting curriculum, which consists of 10 graduate courses. Students with a bachelor's degree in accounting will have satisfied all or most of the foundation course requirements through their prior studies. Foundation courses are listed at the bottom of this section. Applicants with substantial deficiencies in foundation courses should contact the MAcc advisor to determine the best plan to satisfy the deficiencies.

Curriculum

Each of the MAcc’s three majors consists of 10 courses (30 credit hours) typically taken as four courses in the spring and fall semesters and two courses in the summer. 

Please note: Program requirements are subject to change.

Assurance and Advisory Services Major

• Provides students with skills related to the practice and theory of auditing and related services
• Emphasizes building teamwork and analytical skills
• Leads to auditing or advisory work at large, international public accounting firms

Standard MAcc curriculum

MAcc curriculum for BS/MAcc students

Required courses: ACG 5135 Financial Accounting Theory and Standard Setting (3 hrs) ACG 5175 Financial Statement Analysis (3 hrs) ACG 5405 Advanced Accounting Information Systems (3 hrs) ACG 5458 Emerging Technologies in Accounting and Auditing (3 hrs) ACG 5635 Auditing Theory and Application II (3 hrs) ACG 5685 Forensic Accounting (3 hrs) ACG 5695 Challenges in Professional Accounting (3 hrs) GEB 5086 Professional Development (3 hrs) Two non‐accounting elective* courses (6 hrs)

Required courses: ACG 5135 Financial Accounting Theory and Standard Setting (3 hrs) ACG 5175 Financial Statement Analysis (3 hrs) ACG 5216 Advanced Accounting (3 hrs)** ACG 5405 Advanced Accounting Information Systems (3 hrs) ACG 5458 Emerging Technologies in Accounting and Auditing (3 hrs) ACG 5635 Auditing Theory and Application II (3 hrs) ACG 5685 Forensic Accounting (3 hrs) ACG 5695 Challenges in Professional Accounting (3 hrs) BUL 5335 Law for Accountancy (3 hrs)** TAX 5015 Federal Income Tax Accounting II (3 hrs)**

* Non‐accounting electives may be any graduate business course, including GEB 5944 Graduate Internship (3 hrs).

** Indicates courses that combined pathway students take as an undergraduate.

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Generalist Major

• Allows students to expand their overall accounting knowledge
• Emphasizes skills necessary for success in the various facets of accounting
• Leads to a career in multiple areas of accounting

Standard MAcc curriculum

MAcc curriculum for BS/MAcc students

Required Courses: ACG 5135 Financial Accounting Theory and Standard Setting (3 hrs) ACG 5175 Financial Statement Analysis (3 hrs) ACG 5356 Advanced Management Accounting (3 hrs) ACG 5505 Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting and Auditing (3 hrs) ACG 5635 Auditing Theory and Application II (3 hrs) ACG 5695 Challenges in Professional Accounting (3 hrs) GEB 5086 Professional Development (3 hrs) One accounting elective* course (3 hrs) Two non‐accounting elective* courses (6 hrs)

Required courses: ACG 5135 Financial Accounting Theory and Standard Setting (3 hrs) ACG 5175 Financial Statement Analysis (3 hrs) ACG 5216 Advanced Accounting (3 hrs)** ACG 5356 Advanced Management Accounting (3 hrs) ACG 5505 Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting and Auditing (3 hrs) ACG 5635 Auditing Theory and Application II (3 hrs) ACG 5695 Challenges in Professional Accounting (3 hrs) BUL 5335 Law for Accountancy (3 hrs)** TAX 5015 Federal Income Tax Accounting II (3 hrs)** One accounting elective* course (3 hrs)

* Accounting electives may be any 5000‐level ACG or TAX course except ACG 5026. Non‐accounting electives may be any graduate business course, including GEB 5944 Graduate Internship (3 hrs).

** Indicates courses that combined pathway students take as an undergraduate

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Taxation Major

• Provides students with meaningful opportunities to develop the technical, analytical and research skills necessary for a successful career in tax practice
• Emphasizes lessons in primary and secondary tax law sources to identify and to investigate alternative tax treatments and solve complex tax issues
• Leads to a career with large international public accounting firms as tax specialists

Standard MAcc curriculum

MAcc curriculum for BS/MAcc students

Required courses: ACG 5635 Auditing Theory and Application II (3 hrs) ACG 5685 Forensic Accounting (3 hrs) ACG 5695 Challenges in Professional Accounting (3 hrs) GEB 5086 Professional Development (3 hrs) TAX 5065 Research in Federal Taxation (3 hrs) TAX 5105 Seminar in Corporate Income Taxation (3 hrs) TAX 5205 Pass-through Entities and Fiduciaries (3hrs) TAX 5527 Multijurisdictional Tax Issues (3 hrs) Two non‐accounting elective* courses (6 hrs)

Required courses: ACG 5216 Advanced Accounting (3 hrs)** ACG 5635 Auditing Theory and Application II (3 hrs) ACG 5685 Forensic Accounting (3 hrs) ACG 5695 Challenges in Professional Accounting (3 hrs) BUL 5335 Law for Accountancy (3 hrs)** TAX 5015 Federal Income Tax Accounting II (3 hrs)** TAX 5065 Research in Federal Taxation (3 hrs) TAX 5105 Seminar in Corporate Income Taxation (3 hrs) TAX 5205 Pass-through Entities and Fiduciaries (3hrs) TAX 5527 Multijurisdictional Tax Issues (3 hrs)

* Non‐accounting electives may be any graduate business course, including GEB 5944 Graduate Internship (3 hrs).

** Indicates courses that combined pathway students take as an undergraduate.

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MAcc Foundation Courses
The MAcc program for students without an undergraduate accounting degree or with an accounting degree from outside the U.S. consists of the following foundation courses that are taken before enrolling in major courses:

Foundation coursework (17 courses, 51 credit hours)

ACG 2021 Introduction to Financial Accounting (3 hrs)

ACG 2071 Introduction to Managerial Accounting (3 hrs)

ACG 5106 Intermediate Accounting I (3 hrs)

ACG 3111 Financial Accounting and Reporting II (3 hrs)

ACG 4401 Accounting Information Systems (3 hrs)

ACG 4632 Auditing Theory and Application I (3 hrs)

ACG 5346 Cost Accounting (3 hrs)

TAX 4001 Federal Tax Accounting I (3 hrs)

CGS 2518 Spreadsheets for Business (3 hrs)

ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics (3 hrs)

ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics (3 hrs)

FIN 3403 Financial Management of the Firm (3 hrs)

GEB 3213 Business Communications (3 hrs)

ISM 3541 Introduction to Business Analytics (3 hrs)

MAC 2233 Calculus for Business and Nonphysical Sciences (3 hrs)

QMB 3200 Quantitative Methods for Business Decisions (3 hrs)

STA 2023 Fundamentals of Business Statistics (3 hrs)

Please note: Candidates who have taken any of these courses may meet with the MAcc program advisor to have their transcripts evaluated to determine what past coursework can be counted toward the degree program’s requirements. International students should have their transcripts evaluated by one of the approved evaluation services listed on the following document: https://bit.ly/FLevaluation.
 

Application checklist

The following items should be submitted through the Florida State Graduate Application portal, available exclusively online at admissions.fsu.edu/gradapp:

• Applicant Statement
• Current resume/C.V., clearly indicating work experience including dates and positions held
• Three (3) letters of recommendation from former college professors, employers, or anyone who understands your skills and abilities
• Florida Residency Declaration if applicable
• Nonrefundable application fee of $30.00 (see University Application or go to fees.fsu.edu) 

The following items should be sent to the Graduate Admissions Office, 222 S. Copeland St./314 Westcott Building, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410 or to graduateadmissions@fsu.edu:

• One (1) official transcript from all colleges and universities attended (FSU transcripts are not necessary for FSU alumni, students)
• Official test scores, if applicable:
  • GMAT or GRE scores are optional and should be submitted if they will enhance the application. Any submitted test scores become part of the application. The code to send GMAT scores to Florida State is PN8K567, and the code to send GRE scores is 5219.
  • English Language Proficiency scores are an FSU requirement for international applicants whose native language is not English or who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a U.S. institution or other institution where English is the required language of instruction; therefore, it cannot be waived). The code to send TOEFL scores to Florida State is 5219.

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International applicants

International applicants whose native language is not English or who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a U.S. institution or other institution where English is the required language of instruction are required to take an English Language Proficiency exam and submit official test results in order to be admitted to Florida State University. The College of Business accepts all of the following examinations taken within the past two (2) years:

•    Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based test and 100 on the internet-based test
•    International English Language Testing System (Academic IELTS): minimum score of 7
•    Pearson Test of English (PTE): minimum score of 66
•    Duolingo: minimum score of 120
•    Cambridge C1 Advanced Level: minimum score of 180
•    Michigan Language Assessment: minimum score of 55

In addition, international graduate applicants seeking teaching assistantships are required to pass a test of spoken English.

Transcript Evaluation Requirement
The Office of Graduate Admissions requires all international students to submit an official course-by-course evaluation of all academic records from non-U.S. institutions prior to application review. This verifies degree equivalency and serves in place of additional official or unofficial transcripts. This evaluation must be done by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES): www.naces.org. FSU offers a partnership with The Evaluation Company (formerly SpanTran), our preferred credential evaluation service, which allows a streamlined process at a discounted rate. More information about this process is available after you submit the first part of your graduate application.

For more international applicant information, including financial responsibilities, degree equivalency, etc., visit gradschool.fsu.edu/admissions/international-admissions.

Estimated program costs for the 2024-2025 academic year

The MAcc program requires 30 credit hours. Below are estimated costs for the 2023-2024 academic year:

• Florida residents: $479.32 (tuition plus fees) per credit hour. Total estimate program cost is $14,379.60.
• Non-Florida Residents: $1,110.72 (tuition plus fees) per credit hour. Total estimate program cost is $33,321.60.

The MAcc program for non-accounting majors can include up to 45 additional undergraduate credit hours and 6 additional graduate hours at an incremental cost of:

• Florida residents: $ 215.55 (tuition plus fees) per undergraduate credit hour and $479.32 (tuition plus fees) per graduate credit hour. Total estimate program cost for year 1 is $12,575.67.
• Non-Florida Residents: $ 721.10 (tuition plus fees) per undergraduate credit hour and $1,110.72 (tuition plus fees) per graduate credit hour. Total estimate program cost for year 1 is $39,113.82.

Please NOTE - Financial Aid: Students who wish to receive federal Stafford loans at the graduate level must enroll for a minimum of 6 graduate level – degree applicable credits for each term that they wish to receive aid.  Undergraduate courses are not covered when enrolled as a graduate student.

Note: Costs do not include required books and supplies for courses and are subject to change. Fees in table do not include some per-term flat fees for FSUCard and facilities use. For a breakdown of on-campus student fees and their explanations, visit the university’s Tuition Rates page.

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Financial assistance

The Department of Accounting awards a number of fellowships and scholarships to applicants with strong academic credentials. No duties are associated with these fellowships and scholarships other than the requirement to remain in good standing in the MAcc program. The funding for these awards is provided by contributions from professional accounting firms, corporations, alumni and friends of the Department of Accounting.

Additionally, a number of graduate assistantships are available. These assistantships are a combination of cash payments and tuition waivers and require the student to work 10 hours per week as a graduate research or teaching assistant. Assignments are made as research assistants or teaching assistants according to the current needs of the Department of Accounting. Interested applicants must apply for the MAcc program by March 1 to be considered for funding.

Read more about the college’s financial assistance options for graduate students.

You may also visit Florida State's financial aid website for more information on types of financial aid.

ACG 5216 Advanced Accounting
Prerequisite: ACG 3111. This course provides an in-depth study of financial reporting and accounting principles related to investments, business combinations, consolidated enterprises, and foreign operations and the statement of cash flows.

ACG 5135 Financial Accounting Theory and Standard Setting
Prerequisite: ACG 4201 or ACG 5216 Advanced Accounting. An introduction to the development of financial accounting theory; the relationship of accounting theory and research to standard setting; discussion of the current standard setting environment

ACG 5175 Financial Statement Analysis
Prerequisite: ACG 4201 or ACG 5216 Advanced Accounting. Understanding how to interpret information in financial statements and related documents and adjusting financial statement information for use as inputs into business valuation and credit analysis models.

ACG 5356 Advanced Management Accounting
Prerequisite: ACG 3341. Use of accounting and statistical methods in planning and controlling economic activities.

ACG 5405 Advanced Accounting Information Systems
Prerequisite: ACG 4401. Design and operation of accounting systems and relevance of data processing and statistical methods to the system of financial information and control.

ACG 5458 Emerging Technologies in Accounting and Auditing
Prerequisite: ACG 4401. Knowledge and skills to account for and to audit firms that are using emerging technologies. Tools to identify and assess risks of insecure electronic commerce systems and to formulate security-conscious solutions.

ACG 5505 Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting and Auditing
Prerequisite: ACG 4201. Introduction to financial reporting and auditing requirements for government and not-for-profit entities.

ACG 5635 Auditing Theory and Application II
Prerequisite: ACG 4632. Theory of auditing and development of audit programs, procedures for obtaining audit evidence, and auditor responsibility under Securities and Exchange Commission requirements.

ACG 5685 Forensic Accounting
Prerequisite: ACG 4632. An in-depth exposure to the forensic accounting process and related audit topics, including identification of fraud risk factors and development of skills in detecting fraud.

ACG 5695 Challenges in Professional Accounting
Prerequisite: ACG 4632. Case studies emphasizing elements of public practice, standards of professional conduct, fraud issues, systematic controls, auditing principles and standards, and communication of findings.

BUL 5335 Law for Accountancy
This course exposes students to the basic concepts of law as applied to the accounting profession. The focus is on the application and analysis of legal and ethical principles.

GEB 5086 Professional Development
This course surveys professional development and familiarizes students with various aspects of successful career preparation and position acquisition, as well as crucial team participation skills and an understanding of workplace dynamics.

GEB 5944 Graduate Internship
This internship offers a working and learning experience in the business industry.

TAX 5015 Federal Income Tax Accounting II
Prerequisite: TAX 4001. This course explores concepts and methods of determining income of corporations, partnerships, estates, and trusts for tax purposes as well as interpretation of Internal Revenue Code, related regulations, and tax advisory services.

TAX 5065 Research in Federal Taxation
Prerequisite: TAX 4011 or TAX 5015. A critical examination of the legal aspects of taxation and the development of federal tax law as a basis for planning business decisions.

TAX 5105 Seminar in Corporate Income Taxation
Prerequisite: TAX 4011 or TAX 5015. Develops comprehensive knowledge of corporate income taxation concepts, problems and authorities.

TAX 5205 Pass-Through Entities and Fiduciaries
Prerequisite: TAX 4011 or TAX 5015. Comprehensive coverage of the income taxation of pass-through entities including partnerships, LLCs, Subchapter S corporations, and business trusts.

TAX 5527 Multijurisdictional Tax Issues
Prerequisite: TAX 4001. This course provides an in-depth examination of multijurisdictional tax issues including U.S. federal income taxation of inbound and outbound transactions, state and local taxation, and multijurisdictional tax policy issues.