Course Descriptions
ACCT 500 Foundations of Financial Reporting I
Study of financial reporting concepts and preparation of general purpose. Financial statements for external users based on U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Emphasis on income measurement and valuation of assets.
ACCT 501 Foundations of Financial Reporting II
Continuation of ACCT 500. Covers more advanced financial reporting topics, with a continued focus on preparation of general-purpose financial statements for external users based on U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Emphasis on measurement and reporting of liabilities and stockholders’ equity.
PREREQ: ACCT 500 with grade of C or better.
ACCT 504 Foundations of Financial Statement Auditing
Introduction to financial statement audits, which provide the credibility necessary for the financial markets to operate. Topics include professional standards, SEC requirements for auditors in planning, evidence gathering and accumulation and reporting. Ethical and legal considerations are also discussed.
PREREQ: ACCT 500 and ACCT 549 both with grades of C or better.
ACCT 505 Advanced Auditing
In-depth study of auditing from an external auditor’s perspective. Topics include substantive testing, evidence, planning, reporting, documentation and case studies. The course includes a major project in external auditing.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA.
ACCT 507 Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination
Introduction to forensic accounting, with an emphasis on fraud auditing. Examines professional standards, licensure requirements, engagement planning, evidence collection, as well as reporting and other professional requirements. Includes the unique role of the forensic accountant as a litigation support specialist and related legal and ethical considerations.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA.
ACCT 510 Advanced Financial Reporting
Topics include financial reporting for segment and interim reporting, foreign currency transactions and translation, not-for-profit accounting, and other current topics.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA.
ACCT 511 Ethics in Accounting
Apply frameworks for ethical reasoning, moral principles, and professional values to various scenarios. Examine the consequences of ethical and unethical action or inaction. Recognize, interpret, and react to ethical decision situations, and identify relevant stakeholders in such situations. Discussion of contexts specific to the accounting profession and the broader business environment, including the rules and regulations promulgated by national regulatory agencies, professional accounting organizations, and state boards of accountancy.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA.
ACCT 512 Financial Reporting Theory
A critical analysis of the concepts and premises underlying financial reporting practices. Coverage includes the conceptual framework, current accounting standards and their origins, and other current topics in financial reporting.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA.
ACCT 513 Foundations of Cost Accounting
Development and use of cost information for strategic cost management. Common costing methods, variance analysis, lean accounting and responsibility accounting. Emphasizes how costs affect managers’ decisions. Applies course topics to more realistic and less structured situations. Ethical and strategic aspects of cost accounting.
ACCT 514 Advanced Managerial Accounting
Advanced applications of managerial accounting information for strategic management decisions. Coverage includes specialized tools for planning, operating and control decisions such as strategic cost management, strategic performance measurement and incentive systems, and activity- and resource-based costing. Emphasis is placed on the understanding and use of state-of-the-art managerial accounting techniques.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA.
ACCT 516 Financial Analysis and Valuation
Study of the theory and practice of financial statement analysis and business valuation. Methods of fundamental analysis and business valuation are examined and applied in problems, cases and projects.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA.
ACCT 518 International Financial Reporting
Contemporary accounting practices of the major national economies. Includes directives of the European Community affecting financial reporting and pronouncements and activities of the International Accounting Standards Board.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA.
ACCT 520 Tax and Accounting Research
Instruction in all aspects of tax research including legislative, administrative and judicial sources; major tax services, and Internet-based tax research libraries. While the majority of the course focuses on tax research, the course also includes instruction in ethical issues in tax practice and instruction in financial accounting research resources, including the FASB Codification.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA.
ACCT 529 Foundations of Federal Income Taxation
Theory and practice of federal income taxation, including concepts of taxation as they apply to businesses, individuals, flow-through entities and corporations. Specific topics include property transactions, individual tax rules, business revenue and expense issues and state taxation. Emphasizes the social, political and ethical considerations of tax law.
ACCT 530 Corporate Tax Law
Tax considerations in corporate formations, operations, distributions, redemptions, reorganizations and liquidations. Includes a study of S corporations and an overview of financial accounting for income taxes.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA.
ACCT 540 Taxation of Nonprofit Organizations
Overview of tax issues affecting nonprofits. Topics include: qualifying for and maintaining federal tax-exempt status, the unrelated business income tax, private foundations, and charitable deductions.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA
ACCT 546 Accounting for Income Taxes
Focuses on the financial reporting (U.S. GAAP) related to income tax provisions under FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 740 (ASC 740). Prepares students to calculate and report income tax amounts related to the income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, income tax footnote and related disclosures.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA.
ACCT 549 Foundations of Accounting Information Systems
The study of how organizations and accountants design, use and control systems that provide decision-relevant information to meet their needs. Topics include modeling business processes and relevant databases, analytics in accounting, risk management and internal controls and information security. Students complete projects using database and analytics tools along with enterprise-level accounting software.
ACCT 550 Data Analytics for Accounting and IT Audit
Advanced coverage of the intersection of accounting, information technology and analytics. Course includes topics such as IT infrastructure from a controls and security perspective, IT audit principles, data analytic tools and communication of complex information.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA.
ACCT 575 International Taxation
Multinational tax law for domestic corporations with operations abroad and nonresident citizens.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA
ACCT 579 Personal Financial Planning
The course focuses on the tools to help individuals reach their personal financial goals. There will be five main areas of emphasis: investments, insurance coverage/asset protection, income tax planning, retirement planning and estate planning. The areas will be covered in the personal finance framework.
PREREQ: ACCT 501, ACCT 504, ACCT 513, and ACCT 529 all with grades of C or better and admission to MSA-Foundations; or admission to MSA.
ACCT 590 Practicum/Internship
Students may earn up to three graduate credits in ACCT 590 with approval from the Department of Accountancy Internship Director. For the online MSA program, an “internship” can be a permanent, full-time job. You are not limited to a position that an employer designates as an “intern.” You may receive “internship” credit for full-time work that you do in accounting as long as the Department of Accountancy Internship Director deems it is graduate-level work.
For the most recent version of these course descriptions, please view the graduate catalog