ECO-MPA: MPA Program Requirements
- Pre-enrollment requirements for the MPA Program,
- Core course requirements for the MPA Program, and
- MPA Track Options
Pre-enrollment Requirements for the MPA Program
The University of Texas requires certain prerequisites for admission into the MPA program. The following undergraduate courses are prerequisites for the MPA program and should be completed, with a passing grade, prior to enrollment:
- Principles of Macroeconomics
Analysis of the economy as a whole (its organization and the basic forces influencing its growth and development); money and banking, national income, public finance, and international linkages. - Principles of Microeconomics
Analysis of the economic behavior of individual consumers, firms, and workers; special attention to the role of markets. - Introduction to Statistics
Training in the use of data to gain insight into business problems; describing distributions (center, spread, change, and relationships), producing data (experiments and sampling), probability and inference (means, proportions, differences, regression and correlation). (Although a business statistics course is preferred, this pre-enrollment requirement can be fulfilled with an equivalent statistics course from a discipline outside of business.) - Introduction to Financial Accounting
Concepts and their application in transaction analysis and financial statement preparation; analysis of financial statements.
NOTE: Students must complete Introduction to Financial Accounting or the equivalent prior to the start of the MPA program. Students who have not completed this course at another institution will be required to enroll in ACC 311-Fundamentals of Financial Accounting in the first 6-week summer session. ACC 311 (or the equivalent) is a prerequisite to ACC 381-Financial Accounting, which is offered in the second summer session.
These courses may be completed at any degree-granting, accredited 4-year
university or community college either via a traditional classroom or online
course. Although a letter grade is preferred, a class for which credit was
granted is sufficient to fulfill a pre-enrollment requirement. Advanced
Placement or CLEP credit which appears on a transcript can fulfill a
pre-enrollment requirement, as well.
Prerequisites that have not been met prior to enrolling in the MPA program
(other than Intro to Financial Accounting) can be taken at the University of
Texas at Austin at the graduate tuition rate. Please note that these courses
will not count toward the MPA degree, and completing this coursework after
enrolling in the MPA program can extend a student's graduation date.
Introduction to Financial Accounting must be completed prior to the start of the
MPA program. All other pre-enrollment requirements need to be completed no later
than the end of the students first semester in the MPA Program.
Other pre-enrollment requirements include the following:
- Computer spreadsheet proficiency (e.g., Excel)
- Proficiency in English (if English is not your native language)
- Understanding of the basic tools of business calculus (e.g., how to take the first derivative of a function, how to calculate the maximum and minimum of a function)
Applicants concerned with their competency in spreadsheet proficiency should consider enhancing their spreadsheet skills prior to admission. Applicants who have not completed a business calculus course should be prepared to pick up a basic business calculus book and review that material when necessary. Certain business courses may require an intuitive understanding of basic calculus tools. If an international student's verbal score on the GMAT, TOEFL, or other evaluation measure is below an acceptable level, her or she may be required to enroll in English language development classes during the first semester of his/her academic program.
These pre-enrollment courses must be completed before application to the ECO-MPA Path. Please refer to the document "APPLICATION TO THE ECO-MPA PATH: GRADUATE SELECT ADMISSION" for more information on application requirements.
Core Course Requirements for the MPA Program
The MPA degree program requires the completion of 43 semester hours of coursework (14 courses at 3 credit hours each and one 1-credit-hour Distinguished Speaker Series), unless the equivalent to one or more of the core courses is completed at a four-year college or university prior to entering the MPA program. A student may waive up to two courses (which would not only waive the course requirement but also the hours associated with the course), thereby reducing the MPA program to 37 credit hours, the minimum number of hours required for the degree. Once a student has been granted two waivers, an accounting or business elective will be substituted for the required core course(s) if the equivalent was completed prior to entering the MPA program. The completion of a minimum of 19 hours of accounting is required. Please visit this website for a summary of the MPA degree requirements: http://www.mccombs.utexas.edu/mpa/traditional/advising/summary.asp.
Determination of any waivers or substitutions will be made during initial advising, after a student has been admitted to the MPA program. Syllabi or course descriptions may be requested for review before a waiver or substitution is approved. Course descriptions and the basis of the waiver or substitution for each course are described below.
-
MPA Distinguished Speaker Series is a distinctive feature
of the MPA program which gives students the
opportunity to interact on a regular basis with
outstanding professionals from accounting
practice and the business community, both from
Texas and across the nation. Throughout the
fall, prominent representatives of accounting
practice, business, and government speak to
students about a variety of important issues
affecting professionals today. In this way,
students gain insights about professional life
and current issues — topics beyond what is
usually covered in textbooks. MPA students
enjoy becoming acquainted with some of the
people whose names appear regularly in The Wall
Street Journal, the Journal of Accountancy, and
similar business periodicals. Required for all MPA students.
- Financial Accounting covers concepts and issues involved in the preparation
and interpretation of financial statements and the use of this information to evaluate
and control an organization. May be waived on the basis of two semesters of
financial accounting, including one semester of intermediate accounting, at the
undergraduate level with a grade of B or better. Please note that students who do not
qualify for the Financial Accounting waiver will be required to complete two courses during
the second 6-week summer session, which begins in mid July.
- Managerial Accounting discusses the origination, processing, and
operational uses of accounting information for management purposes. The course integrates
within a business setting the topics of cost determination, economic analysis, capital
budgeting, and management and financial controls. May be waived or substituted
on the basis of two semesters of managerial accounting, including cost accounting,
at the undergraduate level with a grade of B or better.
- Financial Management examines the theory and practice of corporate
finance with a focus on a corporation's investment and financing decisions. Major topics
include risk and return, valuation, asset markets and market efficiency, capital budgeting,
capital structure, dividend policy, and derivative securities. May be waived
or substituted on the basis of two semesters of finance, including business or
corporate finance, at the undergraduate level with a grade of B or better.
- Information Technology for Accounting and Control examines networking,
databases, security, the Internet, and other technology used to support management and
accounting controls in all types of organizations, from start-up enterprises to the largest
e-commerce firms. May be waived or substituted on the basis of one semester of
accounting information systems, including coverage of business processes and accounting
control systems, at the undergraduate level with a grade of B or better.
- Legal Environment of Business for MPAs enhances the students'
understanding of legal processes in order that they may make effective and efficient
business decisions. The course will also improve the students' skills in recognizing
and managing legal and ethical risks in business decision making. May be
waived or substituted on the basis of one semester of business law (taken at a
U.S. college or university), which includes a background of the U.S. legal system,
contract law, tort law, and agency/employment law, at the undergraduate level with
a grade of B or better.
- Financial Accounting Standards and Analysis I (Intermediate)
teaches students current accounting principles and their application. This course
also includes the interpretation and evaluation of a company's financial statements.
May be waived or substituted on the basis of two semesters of intermediate
accounting at the undergraduate level with a grade of B or better.
- Introduction to Assurance Services provides a basic understanding
of the audit process, while focusing on the value of assurance services and internal
control from the decision-maker's perspective. May be waived or substituted on the
basis of one semester of introductory auditing at the undergraduate level with a grade
of B or better.
- Introduction to Taxation develops an understanding of the economics of taxation, a basic comprehension of federal income tax laws and the rudiments of tax research, and a framework for integrating tax planning into accounting and business decisions. May be waived or substituted on the basis of one semester of introductory taxation at the undergraduate level (taken at a U.S. college or university) with a grade of B or better.
MPA Track Options
Financial Reporting & Assurance, Managerial Accounting and Control, and Taxation are the three tracks offered by the Accounting Department. Each track has its own set of additional required and recommended coursework. A student also has the option of designing his or her own plan via the Generalist track. These tracks are described in greater detail below.
Financial Reporting & Assurance Track
The Financial Reporting & Assurance track is designed for students who wish to pursue a career in public accounting, industry, or the not-for-profit sector. While most students in this track join the audit staff of a public accounting firm upon graduation, an increasing number of graduates accept positions with major corporations.
The Financial Reporting & Assurance track focuses on the expanding nature of assurance services, with emphasis on improving the quality of information for business decision-making. Assurance encompasses the relevance of information, as well as its reliability and the development of suitable measurement criteria. With respect to contemporary audits of financial statement information, CPA's today emphasize the systems of control over such information — verifying that the client's processes are functioning effectively and that risks are properly managed. Not surprisingly, such skills are important to almost every organization and provide an outstanding knowledge base for mobility within an organization and the economy.
Required courses provide students with a solid foundation in financial reporting, while focusing on the expanding subject matter of assurance beyond traditional audits of financial statements. Electives give students latitude to pursue further specialization, broaden their business foundations, and enhance their communication, technology, and risk-management skills. In short, this track is ideal for those who wish to pursue a career in public accounting, envision using an initial public accounting experience as a springboard into management of a business, or plan to begin their careers initially in the corporate world.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. William R. Kinney
Managerial Accounting & Control Track
Many students in the managerial track seek employment in industry, government, and increasingly in public accounting. To better serve the needs of these students and employers, the Managerial Accounting and Control track was developed in 1992. For those going into industry, typically careers begin in one area of a company but soon involve work in a number of different functions within the organization such as the controller's department, internal audit, treasury and finance, cost accounting, planning and budgeting, etc.
The purpose of the required courses is to provide an understanding of these areas and the skills required to successfully enter the organization in any of these positions. In addition to the required courses, this track provides students with the flexibility to develop areas of additional specialization such as energy, banking, real estate, manufacturing, government and not-for profit. This track is distinct in that it gives an increased emphasis on understanding the role of accounting and auditing in assisting management in making decisions and controlling the organization in addition to producing the necessary information for external reporting.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Urton Anderson
Tax Track
The Tax track is designed for students seeking dynamic and challenging careers in public accounting and private industry, as well as with governmental and regulatory agencies. Post-graduation employment opportunities emerge in areas such as personal financial planning, international taxation, mergers and acquisitions, small business operations, and in a wide variety of industries, such as oil and gas and real estate. Substantial opportunities for consulting also arise as a result of a tax career path. In addition, the tax track provides an excellent foundation for mobility into nontax functions, as this track focuses on the development of critical thinking skills useful in most areas of accounting and finance.
The purpose of the required courses in the
tax track is to give students a valuable
understanding of the tax system and
management's need for tax information in making
decisions. Because tax practice in today's
markets requires creativity and innovation, the
track gives students the flexibility to develop
additional areas of knowledge through electives
after completing their required classes. The
tax track is unique in the MPA program
because it emphasizes understanding the role
taxes play in the planning and structure of
business transactions. The combined training in
taxation provided by this track and in
accounting provided as a result of the core
course requirements develops expertise highly
demanded in the market.
Faculty Advisor: Kristina Zvinakis
Generalist Track
The Generalist track is designed for students who would rather design their own area of specialization. Under this track, students have the flexibility to select their own graduate accounting coursework beyond the core rather than completing a prescribed set of accounting classes. Accounting course options include topics in taxation, information technology (such as Computer Audit and Systems Security or Business and Systems Change), auditing (such as Fraud Examination or Management Audit), managerial (such as Strategic Control Systems, , financial accounting (such as Advanced Accounting or Financial Statement Analysis), or other specialty areas ( such as Nonprofit/Governmental Accounting).
