Academic Year:
Accounting and Management Information Systems
Telephone: (302) 831-2961
http://www.lerner.udel.edu/accounting
Faculty Listing: http://www.lerner.udel.edu/faculty-staff/acctmis
MS In Accounting And MS In Information Systems & Technology Management
Program Overview
The Department of Accounting and Management Information Systems offers programs leading to the Master of Science degree with a major in Accounting, including a 4 + 1 option, and a Master of Science degree with a major in Information Systems & Technology Management (IS &TM). The objective of the MS in Accounting is to extend the education of qualified students into advanced study in each of the major areas of the field of accounting and information systems, as well as in the supporting fields of finance and quantitative methods. In taking the student beyond the level of study offered by an undergraduate program in accounting, the MS provides additional preparation for careers in public accounting, industry, and government, and establishes a foundation for further study at the PhD level in preparation for an academic career.
The objective of the 4 + 1 option is to provide an efficient solution to accounting students now facing 150 credit hour requirements (in most states) to sit for the CPA exam and/or to become certified. The 4 + 1 program gives students an opportunity to obtain these credit hours through graduate study of accounting.
The objective of the MS in IS &TM is to produce students who possess the combination of management and technical skills needed to bring about the effective deployment and administration of information technology to achieve business success in today's highly competitive global environment. Because of the combination, the MS in IS &TM is primarily designed for two types of students: those with a background in business who want to move into a more technology-oriented role in their organization, and those with a background in a technical field who want to move into an IT/management role in their organization. Examples of the type of students with technical background we attract include engineers, scientists, and those involved in biotechnology.
Students in the MS in Accounting may pursue either a full-time or a part-time course of study. Full-time students with an undergraduate accounting major from an accredited AACSB college should be able to complete the program within one calendar year. The MS in IS &TM is a part-time course of study, and students are expected to complete this degree program within two calendar years.
Requirements For Admission
Applicants must supply all information stated in the Graduate Admissions section.
Admission to these graduate programs is selective and competitive based on the number of well-qualified applicants and the limits of available faculty and facilities. Those who meet stated minimum academic requirements are not guaranteed admission, nor are those who fail to meet those requirements necessarily precluded from admission if they offer other appropriate strengths.
Candidates for admission are invited to correspond with the Director of the MS program. Detailed brochures on these MS programs, including the 4 + 1 option, are available. As part of the admissions process for the MS in IS &TM, each student will meet with a faculty advisor who will evaluate the student's background in both business and programming (including prior coursework and experience). Foundation course requirements will be based on this evaluation.
Requirements For The Degree
The MS in Accounting requires 30 hours of graduate credit which includes fifteen credits of required accounting, three credit hours of business ethics, three credits of business statistics and nine credit hours of graduate electives.
The MS program has as prerequisites the equivalent of four accounting courses required for an undergraduate accounting major as well as completion of courses meeting Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) common body of knowledge requirements. The MS is designed as a one-year, 30-hour graduate program beyond these prerequisites. Students admitted to the program without these prerequisites may complete this work while in the MS program. Normally, those holding an undergraduate business degree from an accredited AACSB college will have met the common body of knowledge requirements outside the area of accounting.
Graduate-level courses taken to fulfill the AACSB common body of knowledge will not count towards fulfilling the 30-hour requirement for the MS in Accounting.
The 4 + 1 MS Accounting Program permits students to take graduate classes as part of their academic studies. Normally, this process begins at the conclusion of the student’s junior year. The total credit hours for the combined BS/MS degree is 150 hours, i.e., the same as it would be if students took the two degrees separately. Undergraduate course requirements are the same as they are now, with this exception: Accounting and Finance graduate courses required for the MS portion can be used to satisfy the Class F electives (FINC and ACCT) required for the undergraduate portion. Students that utilize this option to obtain the needed 150 credit hours, will complete six additional credit hours, classified as Class G “other electives.” These credit hours can be satisfied with any undergraduate business or non-business course. Total graduate level course requirements are the same as for the MS in Accounting degree. These requirements include 30 credit hours of coursework at the 600 or 800 level. Students in the 4+1 program are permitted to take up to 6 credit hours of independent study. Additional independent study does not count toward graduation.
Although every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information in the Catalog,
students and others who use the Catalog should note that the policies, rules, regulations,
requirements for graduation, course offerings, and other materials reproduced in the Catalog change
from time-to-time and that these changes may alter the information contained in this Catalog.
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