Coursework & Admissions Requirements

Applicants may apply online.  Applicants to the Fall 2013 class must meet all prerequisite requirements at the time of matriculation into the Program. 

Admissions Requirements

Admission to graduate standing in The Paul Merage School of Business is accorded to those possessing an undergraduate degree with an acceptable level of scholarship from an institution of recognized standing.  Applicants for admission will be evaluated on their academic record and potential for leadership as demonstrated in submitted application materials including:

• Official transcripts from all institutions attended to obtain undergraduate degree (with English translation if needed)
• Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores – scores valid for five years
• Two Letters of Recommendation
• Two essays
• Official TOEFL, PTE, or IELTS (international applicants)
• $150 application fee
• A personal interview, by invitation only, will also be part of the admission process. 

Test of English as a Foreign Language

Those students educated from a country where English is not the primary language, will be required to possess a minimum score on the Test of English for Foreign Language (TOEFL) of 600 for the “paper-based” test and 80 for the “Internet-based” test.  Further, international applicants may also take the Pearson Test of English (PTE).  The minimum required score for admission is 53. Scores are valid for two years.

Coursework Requirements

The following courses must be completed or in progress at the time of appliation submission:

• Introduction to Financial Accounting
• Introduction to Managerial Accounting

We recommend these courses are taken at your 4-year university or a university extension program.  Students are responsible for demonstrating how they will meet the above requirements as part of the application process. 

For fall applicants, the following courses need to be completed or in progress at the time of your application submission:
 

• At least six of the following eight upper-division courses: 

1. Intermediate and International Accounting (three courses)
2. Advanced Accounting
3. Individual Taxation
4. Corporate and Partnership Taxation
5. Accounting Information Systems
6. Auditing

Students lacking up to two upper-division undergraduate accounting courses will be permitted to petition to enroll in those courses as an additional part of the MPAc program. 

Also, at the discretion on the Admissions Committee, “provisional admission status” will be offered to highly qualified candidates who have met most, but not all of the prerequisite requirements and will satisfy the requirements prior to matriculation.

MPAc Summer Pre-Session Offered

Other highly qualified applicants who do not meet the entrance requirement to begin the program in the Fall quarter will be offered an opportunity to enroll in an intensive summer pre-session at The Paul Merage School of Business.  The pre-session will be required of those who possess an excellent undergraduate record of achievement, strong letters of recommendation, and a clear focus relative to a career in accounting; and, who need specific prerequisite coursework in accounting and business. The summer pre-session will include up to eight courses.  Students must successfully complete all of the pre-session coursework to meet the course prerequisites of the MPAc program in order to enter the program in the Fall quarter.  Pre-session coursework will be done over the two designated Summer Sessions.  Students will enroll in a curriculum of two courses in Summer Session I and two courses in Summer Session II. 

Session I:
Intermediate Accounting Intensive I
Fundamentals of Taxation Intensive

Session II:
Intermediate Accounting Intensive II and Special Topics
Auditing Intensive

The MPAc program is now accepting applications for the Fall 2013 class.