Master of Accounting - MAcc
World-Class Academics:
Cutting-Edge Knowledge Across the Board
The new standard in MAcc education that Michigan has created starts with academic prowess
across the board, and a combination of superb faculty and superb teaching that delivers
unsurpassed knowledge--along with the technology, facilities, and ability to apply that
knowledge highly effectively.
Michigan has a tradition of building deep expertise in every business function. In today's
cross-functional business world, that tradition is paying off dramatically and matters
more than ever. At Michigan, you can choose a specialty and know that you're going to
learn about your chosen functional area from some of the finest minds in the field. You
will not only develop advanced expertise through one of the largest arrays of elective
courses available anywhere, but also integrate that knowledge with every other business
functional area.
Teaching Quality
The Michigan accounting faculty is highly regarded for their rigorous research activities,
practical experience and most importantly, their excellent teaching. Michigan students are
assured of obtaining high-quality instruction, attention and counseling throughout the program.
The University of Michigan Business School is an internationally recognized research institution.
Accordingly, faculty members are among the leading experts in their fields. Faculty members also
keep on the cutting-edge of business practice through consulting with corporations around the
world and through teaching courses in Michigan's Executive Education program, which has the
largest market share of any business school in the world.
Michigan is serious about bringing all that business knowledge to students as effectively as
possible. A strong philosophical consensus among the Michigan faculty and administration has
produced a requirement that professors demonstrate outstanding performance both in developing
business knowledge (research) and in delivering that knowledge (teaching) in order to secure a
permanent position at the School. While some institutions favor one or the other, Michigan has
been in the enviable position of requiring--and getting--both.
An Effective Blend of Teaching Methods
The mix of cutting-edge professors, emphasis on teaching quality and personal attention, and
the varied insights the diverse student body brings to the classroom or project work is powerful.
Teaching methods in the classroom vary, with a mix of lectures, case studies, and project work.
Why the mix? First, no one method can do it all. Second, faculty need the freedom to use the
methods that work best for them and their subject matter. Professors tend to emphasize the theory
and detailed knowledge of the discipline they teach, along with practical and often cross-functional
applications.
Teamwork is a fact of life for effectiveness in business. And it's a fact of life for students in
the Michigan MAcc program. It is very common for papers, presentations, case studies, and sometimes
exams to be done as part of a team. Sometimes it's required by the professor and sometimes it's
initiated by students.
The Curriculum
Ten core and elective courses are necessary to complete the MAcc degree. The program culminates in
a graduate research seminar, which provides students with an opportunity to synthesize and apply
the skills they acquired throughout the program and to build depth of knowledge in a particular
industry, and/or accounting related topic.
The challenging core curriculum consists of a broad but balanced series of accounting and financial
reporting courses. In these core courses, students obtain a command of business and accounting
concepts and analytical tools used for decision-making. The core requirements are listed below:
Fall Term (15 credit hours):
- Corporate Financial Reporting
- Federal Taxation I
- Financial Statement Analysis
- 6 Hours of Electives
Winter Term (15 credit hours):
- Advanced Financial Accounting
- Auditing and Assurance
(Select one of the below course alternatives to satisfy the MAcc degree requirements)
- Federal Taxation II
- Advanced Management Accounting / Cost Management Systems
- 6 Hours of Electives
Spring Term (3 credit hours):
Graduate Research Seminar
Through flexible elective coursework, each student is able to develop an individualized
course of study, tailor-made for his or her personal interests and career objectives. A
variety of graduate business courses are available including, but not limited to, corporate
strategy, finance, marketing, international business, business law, economics and public
policy.
The University of Michigan Business School offers both fourteen-week (semester-long) and
seven-week (half-semester) courses. The move to seven-week courses has resulted in an
explosion of courses on special topics, typically created by a professor based on his or
her latest research or specialty. These seven-week classes tend to be highly intensive
and cover topics ranging from derivatives to change management. They facilitate curriculum
customization, allowing students to pick up detailed knowledge in areas important to their
careers. About 225 sections of elective classes are available to MAccs in any academic year.
In addition, graduate-level courses may be taken outside of the UMBS for students wishing
to study in non-business areas, such as law, foreign languages, communications, or engineering.
While these elective courses further develop each student's technical and analytical skills,
they are also designed to assist the student in becoming a well-rounded business advisor,
equipped with strong communication and leadership skills.
Beyond the core and elective curriculum, the program incorporates a graduate research seminar.
Beyond Business
The University of Michigan Business School is part of one of the world's great universities,
with breadth and quality matched by very few institutions anywhere. The Business School has
cultivated those strengths and established active connections with the rest of the University
to deliver unsurpassed depth and breadth in interdisciplinary studies beyond business.
The Business School draws on University strengths by offering a range of joint degrees as well
as special integrated programs, seminars, and conferences. Students may also enroll in graduate
classes at other schools and colleges within the University as electives.
The University has a lot to offer. Surveys of college presidents and key administrators consistently
place the University of Michigan on the short list of the best seven or eight universities in the
United States. The University has 17 schools and colleges and 588 different majors, and is considered
a world leader in many areas. For example, Michigan has prestigious and top-ranked schools of medicine,
law, engineering, and more; departments from economics to music that are regarded as among the finest
anywhere; an Asian Studies program recently cited as the best in the country.
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