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 Lyceum), 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.
Core Course Descriptions
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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.
