Accounting
The Jenkins Master of Accounting (MAC) program provides exceptional education and real-world experience that equip students to take their careers to the next level. Whether pursued on campus and in-person or taken entirely online, the program’s curriculum is designed to provide students with a broad understanding of accounting and business practices, as well as a rigorous technical accounting education. Students have the choice of two tracks (public accounting or business and industry) to meets the needs of their career goals in the accounting profession. They can choose to complement these core courses with specializations in Enterprise Risk Management, Information Technology, or Tax Strategy.
The curriculum is focused on both preparing you for the CPA exam and developing real-world skills, and learning doesn’t stop in the classroom. MAC students can study abroad, lead financial literacy courses on campus or in the community, work with real companies in practicum exercises and take advantage of innovative learning opportunities.
Admission Requirements
Admission to the MAC program is competitive. The best-qualified applicants will be accepted up to the number of spaces available for new students. The Admissions Committee evaluates candidates on three criteria:
- undergraduate academic record and grade point average;
- GMAT score*;
- "Engagement & Leadership" -- relevant activities and/or work experience, student athletics, volunteer work/community involvement, study abroad, in-person MAC interview, overall presence, leadership experience and integrity.
[*The Admissions Committee requires all applicants who score below 530 on their first attempt to retake the GMAT exam prior to the application deadline.]
Individuals with a Bachelor's degree in any major may apply to the program; however, any applicant without a Bachelor's degree in Accounting must complete a series of undergraduate Accounting prerequisites before qualifying as a MAC degree candidate. These prerequisites are available to take online. More complete information can be found on the MAC website.
Fellowships (On-campus)
As a part of the admissions process, applicants may be considered for Jenkins Graduate School's merit-based MAC fellowships. Students may qualify for a firm-sponsored or an academic fellowship. A fellowship may provide financial support for educational expenses and also may include an offer of employment upon graduation (firm-sponsored option). All required application materials must be submitted by the February 1st application deadline to be considered for a fellowship.
Scholarships
MAC scholarships are merit-based and are made possible through a partnership between sponsoring CPA firms, the NC State Graduate School, alumni and the Poole College of Management’s Department of Accounting. All students who submit an application no later than February 1st are considered for a scholarship award. Recipients of MAC scholarships are selected based on their scholarship, leadership, service, experience, presence and integrity. Scholarships range from $2,000 to $19,000.
Master's Degree Requirements
Students that choose the Public Accounting Track, complete an 11-course sequence that includes eight graduate-level Accounting courses and three elective courses (31 total credit hours). The Business and Industry Track includes six graduate-level accounting courses and four electives (30 total credit hours). The curriculum is designed to provide a broad-based professional education. Students have the opportunity to focus their education by choosing one of our three optional specializations: enterprise risk management, information technology or tax strategy. These specializations provide an additional depth of knowledge that can give students a leg up as they enter their chosen profession.
Other Relevant Information
On-Campus MAC
We accept applications starting in the fall but encourage interested applicants to apply early to be eligible for our many scholarship and fellowship opportunities.
- December 1: Early admission deadline
- February 1: Deadline for MAC scholarship and fellowship consideration
- March 1: Final admission deadline
Online MAC
- October 1: Limited number of spots available for those interested in a January program start
- December 1: Early admission deadline
- February 1: Second admission deadline
- March 1: Final admission deadline
Faculty
Full Professors
- Mark S. Beasley
- Marianne Bradford
- Katherine Ann Krawczyk
Associate Professors
- Nathan Goldman
- Christina Lewellen
- Rob Whited
Practice/Research/Teaching Professors
- Ernest Carraway
- Jennie Dirienzo
- Tom Dow
- Bonnie Hancock
- James Scalise
- Scott Showalter
Courses
A study of law and regulation as a structure in which to develop business goals and strategies. Students will examine those elements of law and regulation that are a context for ethical business behavior. Students will also study the provisions oflaw and regulation including case-law that must be followed as a part of the strategic planning process and in the process of implementing business methods and procedures.
Prerequisite: MAC Program
Typically offered in Spring only
Study of complex financial reporting topics affecting U.S. corporations. Focus on the underlying business rationales associated with transactions/events triggering the complex financial reporting issue. Topics will include international accounting, consolidations, mergers and acquisitions, derivatives, SEC reporting, and other emerging issues.
Prerequisite: MAC Program
Typically offered in Spring and Summer
A study of key business decision made and tools used by CFOs in their executive management roles. Students will focus on managerial analysis tools (e.g., business plans; budgeting) and finance issues (e.g., funding alternatives, treasury, and cash management). The course will include management skills related to the CFO, such as negotiations, leadership, delegation, interactions with boards, etc.
Prerequisite: MAC Program
Typically offered in Fall and Summer
A study of how accounting and operating information is used in management planning and decision making. Students will apply advanced costing models and design and evaluate management decision making information systems. Topics will include issues that are appropriate for consideration by executive management and the board of directors.
Prerequisite: MAC Program
Typically offered in Spring only
A study of the tax consequences of business, financial, and personal wealth-planning transactions. Students will examine the economic or legal context of transactions along with the non-tax motives of the transacting parties. The course will consider the efficiency of tax strategies in terms of their impact on net cash flows and other financial reporting effects.
Prerequisite: MAC Program
Typically offered in Fall only
A study of research methods, procedures and tools used to develop solutions to technical and policy-oriented business problems. Students will consult various competent authorities on taxation, accounting, auditing, and general business in the development of business problem solving techniques.
Prerequisite: MAC Program
Typically offered in Fall only
This course will focus on the tax implications of cross-jurisdictional and multi-jurisdictional business activities from a state and international standpoint. We will also evaluate how the international provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 impacted multinational corporations' effective income tax rates.
R: ACC 530 Advanced Income Taxation
Typically offered in Spring only
A study of how business strategies use information technology (IT) as an efficient enabler of redesigned core business processes. Students will focus on how the use of IT affects risk management by eliminating certain risks and introducing others. Students will examine IT control solutions used to address IT risks and will address issues affecting assurance engagements related to IT systems.
Prerequisite: MAC Program
Typically offered in Fall only
The course is a "hands-on" process management context how transactions flow through the enterprise to manage, measure, and report performance and how the consequences of design and system alternatives may enhance performance.
Typically offered in Spring only
Organizational managers and board members recognize the importance of effectively managing information technology (IT) assets - to meet business objectives and to thoughtfully manage IT related business risks. This course examines the key principles related to auditing information technology processes and related controls, and is designed to meet the increasing needs of audit, compliance, security, and risk management professionals. There are no required prerequisites for this course, however, it is helpful to have had ACC540.
R: PCOM Graduate Students
Typically offered in Spring only
A study of the impact of business risks on the design and performance of audit procedures to detect material misstatements in financial statements. Students will be exposed, through a case-based approach, to significant business issues related to audit planning, risk assessment and auditor response, corporate governance, reporting, and other significant business issues affecting audit professionals in their first years of employment.
Prerequisite: MAC Program
Typically offered in Spring and Summer
In this course we will teach the skills needed to identify many of the situations where the method of accounting for tax purposes for revenue and expense differs from that used in financial accounting. Focus will be placed on analyzing and outlining those differences in a concise and visual manner in order to assist upper management understand the tax implications of their operational and financial accounting decisions. To assist us in this, we will utilize analytic tools that are regarded as required knowledge by today's tax departments. After a brief review of basic analytics skills, we will focus on more advanced analytic tools which will be reinforced with tax-focused examples and assignments specifically to allow the student to apply these featured analytics topics in tax situations. An undergraduate degree and basic tax and accounting knowledge required.
R: Graduate Standing or NDS
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
In this course, we will teach the skills needed to understand and identify many aspects of the state income tax apportionment process. Focus will be placed on the calculations and analyses required to present the state and local tax information in such a manner as to assist upper management in the business-expansion decision-making process. The tax apportionment process requires a solid understanding of database management. To assist us in this, we will utilize database management tools that are considered required knowledge by today's tax departments. After a brief review of introductory database management topics, we will focus on more advanced database management topics which will be reinforced with tax-focused examples and assignments specifically created to allow students to see these featured database management topics when applied to tax scenarios. An undergraduate degree and basic tax and accounting knowledge required.
R: Graduate Standing or NDS
Typically offered in Spring only
In this course we will examine the different definitions of book income and taxable income with a focus on accounting for income taxes under ASC 740. Students will contrast the principles of conservatism reflected by generally accepted accounting principles and by the tax law. In addition, students will learn how to utilize regression analysis and scenario analysis to provide additional insights about these tax topics and to forecast future effective tax rates. Tax-focused examples and assignments created specifically to allow the student to apply regression analysis in tax situations will reinforce the technology covered in this course. In addition to utilizing regression analysis, this course will examine tax technical subjects to provide the student sufficient knowledge to complete the examples and assignments. An undergraduate degree and basic tax and accounting knowledge required.
R: Graduate Standing or NDS
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
In this course we will continue to examine the different definitions of book income and taxable income but the primary focus will be on examining tax disclosures in financial statements and gaining an understanding of how they can be used for financial statement analysis. We will also carry out regression and scenario analysis to provide additional insights into disclosed tax information. These types of insights are of significant benefit and often utilized in decision making by company management and financial analysts employed by investment funds. The skills learned will be reinforced with tax-focused examples and assignments created specifically to allow the student to apply regression and scenario analysis in tax situations. In addition to utilizing regression and scenario analysis, this course will examine tax technical subjects to provide the student sufficient knowledge to complete the examples and assignments. An undergraduate degree and basic tax and accounting knowledge required.
P: ACC 562
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
In this course we will focus on tax project management and tax process documentation skills. Students will develop an understanding of project management in the context of a tax provision process assessment for a hypothetical company, Project Clarity. Students will also develop an understanding of internal control best practices and how they apply to a corporate tax department's tax provision process. In addition, they will develop the skills necessary to identify improvements within the tax provision process and learn how to prepare a flow chart of the process. An undergraduate degree and basic tax and accounting knowledge required.
R: Graduate Standing or NDS
Typically offered in Spring only
We will teach visual analytics to enhance the value and quality of the tax information provided to decision makers in an organization. All aspects of tax including planning, tax provision work, compliance and controversy work will be covered. The focus will be on state and local nexus, sales and use taxes, and foreign bank account reporting (FBAR) requirements. Students will also learn to manipulate data into a visual front end so that those reviewing the data with the purpose of decision-making will have an easier time reading and interpreting the data analytics. An undergraduate degree and basic tax and accounting knowledge required.
P: ACC 560
Typically offered in Spring only
In this course, we will teach the skills needed to understand and identify more advanced aspects of the state income tax apportionment process, including combinations and consolidations. The student will gain knowledge in the areas of data query language, data definition language, and data manipulation language using structured query language. Students will learn more advanced tools to retrieve, define, store, and update state income tax data in a database management program. These tools will be reinforced with tax focused examples and assignments specifically created to allow the student to see these featured topics when applied to tax scenarios. An undergraduate degree and basic tax and accounting knowledge required.
P: ACC 561
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
Visualization helps us see and understand the story the data tells us. In this course, students will be introduced to an interactive data visualization tool which allows users to select specific tax information and customize the format of visualization to assist in the management decision making process. Students will learn how to use this tools to increase the relevance and usefulness of tax data. The software will be used in specific tax-related applications, including foreign bank account reporting exposure and compliance, country by country reporting, state income tax exposure, compliance data and risk analysis. An undergraduate degree and basic tax and accounting knowledge required.
P: ACC 565
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
The course is focused on the importance of data security with respect to all financial data but specifically tax data. It also covers the area of tax data warehousing from the standpoint of the differing financial detail needs of a tax department and the benefits of utilizing a Cloud solution. Students will gain insight into data securing learning protection of networks and cryptography with emphasis on the data security in a tax focused environment. An undergraduate degree and basic tax and accounting knowledge required.
R: Graduate Standing or NDS
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
This course provides an opportunity to learn and apply various data analytics techniques to a business case to support management's decision making. This course utilizes analytics tools and technology in an advisory context. Specifically, you will be learning and using Excel, Access and PowerBI tools, as well as Word to summarize your analysis. Soft skills are essential in today's environment. This course also helps to strengthen these skills including written communication (formal and informal), critical thinking and data analytics.
R: MAC or MBA Program
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
Course objectives dependent upon unique circumstances motivating offering of course. Timely curriculum innovation the primary motivation. Departmental consent required.
Typically offered in Fall and Spring
Knowledge and skills needed to advance professional accounting career. Strategic communication of self and ideas in professional and classroom settings. Diagnosis of organizational culture. Impression management and appropriate business behavior. Leadership of individuals, group dynamics, and team building.
Prerequisite: MAC Program
Typically offered in Fall only
This course is part of the AICPA-NASBA Experience, Learn and Earn Program. Applied Accounting Profession Laboratory will provide non-degree credits contributing to the semester hour requirement for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification/licensure.
R: Undergraduate Degree in Accounting; Non-Degree Students Only
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
This course is part of the AICPA-NASBA Experience, Learn and Earn Program. Excel Essentials: A New Professionals Guide to Spreadsheet Fundamentals will provide non-degree credits contributing to the semester hour requirement for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification/licensure.
R: Undergraduate Degree in Accounting; Non-Degree Students Only
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
This course is part of the AICPA-NASBA Experience, Earn and Learn Program. In the highly complex and technical accounting world, professionals must communicate accurately and concisely with clients and regulatory agencies. This course provides a comprehensive look at communication strategies, styles, and techniques, both written and oral, that will benefit an accounting professional.
R: Undergraduate Degree in Accounting; Non-Degree Students Only
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
This course is part of the AICPA-NASBA Experience, Learn and Earn Program. Advanced Topics in Financial Accounting and Reporting will provide non-degree credits contributing to the semester hour requirement for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification/licensure.
R: Undergraduate Degree in Accounting; Non-Degree Students Only
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
Advanced topics not otherwise included in curriculum by advanced graduate students on a tutorial basis. Determination of credits and content by participating faculty in consultation with Director of Graduate Programs. Departmental consent required
Typically offered in Spring only
This course is part of the AICPA-NASBA Experience, Learn and Earn Program. Topics in Advanced Taxation for the Accounting Professional will provide non-degree credits contributing to the semester hour requirement for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification/licensure.
R: Undergraduate Degree in Accounting; Non-Degree Students Only
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer
This course is part of the AICPA-NASBA Experience, Learn and Earn Program. Topics in Advanced Auditing for Accounting Professionals will provide non-degree credits contributing to the semester hour requirement for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification/licensure.
R: Undergraduate Degree in Accounting; Non-Degree Students Only
Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer