Graduate Department of Accounting

College of Business

Website: https://business.fsu.edu/departments/accounting

Chair: Blay; Assistant Chair: Sudano; Arthur Andersen Professor: Fennema; Carl DeSantis Associate Professor of Business Administration: Newton; Deloitte Professor: Paterson; Denise Dickins Fellow in Accounting: Keskek; EY Professor: Blay; Jim Moran Associate Professor of Business Administration: Pierce; KPMG Professor: Billings; Julian V. Smith Family Professor of Business Administration: Morton; William Hillison Professor: Bozanic; Professors: Billings, Blay, Bozanic, Fennema, Gerard, Morton, Paterson; Associate Professors: Keskek, Mauler, Newton, Pierce, Reynolds, Zhang; Assistant Professors: Ehinger, Romney, Zimmerman; Senior Lecturer: Sudano; Associate Lecturers: Adams, Polinski; Assistant Lecturers: McCoy, Wilson, Winrow

The Department of Accounting offers two graduate degree programs: the Master of Accounting (MAcc) and the Doctor of Philosophy in Business (PhD) with a concentration in accounting. Many Master of Accounting alumni hold important positions in major accounting firms, consulting, industry, government, and nonprofit organizations. Doctoral graduates are faculty members at some of the nation's leading universities.

The accounting faculty is recognized nationally for excellence in teaching and research. Faculty members have expertise in a wide variety of areas including financial accounting and reporting, managerial accounting, governmental accounting, accounting information systems, assurance services, and taxation.

The department maintains close relationships with alumni and the accounting profession. These relationships provide students the opportunity to interact with professionals and to become more familiar with the accounting environment in business. The external support of alumni and friends of the accounting program provides for many enhancements of the learning environment, which result in Florida State University maintaining one of the leading accounting programs in the country.

Students and faculty in accounting have access to state-of-the-art technology, excellent library materials, and a wide range of research databases are available. Ongoing research in the department covers a wide range of activities, including empirical analyses of financial reporting issues, the examination of behavioral issues in accounting and auditing, and the study of current issues in accounting systems, assurance services, and taxation.

Master of Accounting

The Master of Accounting (MAcc) program provides students with exposure to advanced theories and analytical tools used in the field of accounting. It provides an opportunity both to pursue specialized interests and to acquire a broader knowledge of the accounting discipline in general. Completion of the program prepares students for professional accounting careers and fulfills the educational requirements to become a Certified Public Accountant in the State of Florida and many other jurisdictions. Demand for MAcc graduates has been strong in the past and is expected to continue to be strong in the foreseeable future.

Students in the MAcc program choose a major from three offerings: Assurance and Advisory Services, Generalist, or Taxation. Each major requires a minimum of seven graduate courses in accounting, as well as courses in other business areas, for a total of thirty semester hours. Each major area includes courses specifically designed for that area. The MAcc program is structured as a full-time, day-time program; however, students may attend on a part-time basis under certain circumstances. Full-time students who have met all prerequisites complete the program in one calendar year. New students may enter the program at the beginning of any term.

A number of fellowships, scholarships, and graduate assistantships are awarded by the Department of Accounting to applicants with strong academic credentials.

Applications to the MAcc program are considered for anyone with an undergraduate degree in accounting. Other undergraduate majors are also considered for admission but are advised to consult the Master of Accounting Program for non-accounting majors section below. Admission decisions are made by an admissions committee after considering all relevant information. Applicants are required to submit official transcripts of prior coursework, letters of recommendation, a résumé and a personal statement. GMAT scores are optional and should be submitted if they will enhance the application. Successful applicants usually have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better in upper-division accounting courses. The department also offers a combined BS/MAcc pathway that allows highly qualified FSU undergraduate students the opportunity to accelerate their coursework and take up to nine semester hours of graduate coursework, which may be counted toward both the BS and MAcc degrees. More information is in the Combined BS/MAcc Pathway section below.

Requirements

Specific course requirements in the Master of Accounting program are under continuous review. For current course requirements, please visit https://business.fsu.edu/macc or contact The Graduate Programs Office at gradprograms@business.fsu.edu.

Combined Bachelor of Science in Accounting/Master of Accounting Pathway (BS/MAcc)

Florida State University students majoring in accounting can opt for the combined bachelor's/master's pathway that allows them to streamline their studies. Students must meet the following criteria: an overall GPA of at least 3.4, an upper-division GPA of at least 3.2, and an upper-division accounting GPA of at least 3.2 based on at least four upper-division accounting courses. Eligible students apply for the combined pathway after the end of the second semester of their junior year. Admitted students are then able to register for up to nine semester hours of graduate courses that count towards both the BS and MAcc degrees during their senior year. Students admitted to the combined BS/MAcc pathway will still be required to apply separately to the Master of Accounting (MAcc) program. For more information, please visit https://business.fsu.edu/combined-pathways.

Master of Accounting Program for Non-Accounting Majors

The Department of Accounting also offers a MAcc program for non-accounting undergraduate majors. The first part of the program consists of foundation courses. The second part of the program consists of the MAcc coursework described above. Students in the program must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA. The foundation courses can also be completed as a non-degree seeking student or a second degree-seeking student, prior to admission to the MAcc program.

Required Foundation Courses

  • Accounting Information Systems
  • Auditing Theory and Application I
  • Business Communications
  • Calculus for Business and the Nonphysical Sciences
  • Cost Accounting
  • Federal Tax Accounting I
  • Intermediate Accounting I
  • Financial Accounting and Reporting II
  • Financial Management of the Firm
  • Fundamentals of Business Statistics
  • Introduction to Business Analytics
  • Introduction to Financial Accounting
  • Introduction to Managerial Accounting
  • Principles of Macroeconomics
  • Principles of Microeconomics
  • Quantitative Methods for Business Decisions
  • Spreadsheets for Business

Doctor of Philosophy in Business

Major in Accounting

The Doctor of Philosophy in Business with a major in accounting prepares candidates primarily for research and teaching careers at major academic institutions. The curriculum is tailored to the educational objectives of each candidate, enabling specialization within the field of accounting as well as the selection of a support area of study. The doctoral primary area in accounting assumes coursework equivalent to the University's Master of Accounting program. However, it is possible for exceptional students to be admitted directly into the doctoral program without prior graduate work.

The University offers several supplementary fellowship awards to doctoral students that are in addition to the standard financial assistance provided by the College of Business. All applicants and continuing students are considered automatically for these awards. Additionally, current doctoral students have been successful in winning nationally competitive fellowships from international accounting firms, the McKnight Foundation, the PhD Project, the American Accounting Association, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. For current information, please visit https://business.fsu.edu/phd.

Requirements

Foundation Courses

It is recommended that all Accounting doctoral students satisfy the following prerequisites:

  • Undergraduate level courses in:
    • Calculus
    • Linear Algebra
    • Statistics

The above requirements may be satisfied by equivalent coursework taken elsewhere.

Primary Area Coursework

The following doctoral seminars and courses are required in the primary area in accounting:

ACG 6696 Seminar in Financial and Auditing Research (3)

ACG 6885 Introduction to Accounting Research (3)

ACG 6896 Seminar in Capital Market-Based Accounting Research (3)

ACG 6916 Supervised Research (3)

ACG 6939 Seminar in Accounting (3)

Additional topics may be pursued through directed individual studies with members of the accounting faculty. In addition to these regularly scheduled seminars, the accounting research colloquium meets weekly to share the results of recent research conducted by University faculty, doctoral students, and invited scholars from other universities.

Support Area Courses

For the support area, two or three courses and/or seminars are selected by the candidate in consultation with the primary area advisor. The support area may be chosen from an area either within or outside the College of Business. The nature of research in accounting is increasingly interdisciplinary, drawing on tools and concepts from economics, statistics, finance, psychology, and other disciplines. These fields represent common areas in which recent doctoral students have chosen to take their support area coursework.

For additional information related to graduate accounting programs, contact the Graduate Office, College of Business, P.O. Box 3061110, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-1110, or via e-mail at gradprograms@business.fsu.edu.

Definition of Prefixes

ACG—Accounting: General

BUL—Business Law

GEB—General Business

TAX—Taxation

Graduate Courses

Note: The 5000-level courses are reserved exclusively for graduate students. Courses that may be repeated for credit are designated by “r” immediately following the course number.

ACG 5026. Financial Reporting and Managerial Control (3). Prerequisite: ACG 2021. This course provides a basic understanding of accounting systems and financial statements as a foundation for analysis. The course also addresses cost systems and controls as they pertain to organizational control. Cannot be taken for credit for the Master of Accounting degree.

ACG 5106. Intermediate Accounting I (3). Prerequisites: ACG 2021 and ACG 2071 or equivalents, with a grade of “B” or better (“B-” is not acceptable). This course offers an in-depth study of financial-reporting concepts and generally accepted practice, including an overview of the accounting-cycle assets and noncurrent assets. Emphasis is placed on analyzing financial events and the consequences of financial-reporting alternatives.

ACG 5135. Financial Accounting Theory and Standard Setting (3). Prerequisite: ACG 4201. This course is an introduction to the development of financial accounting theory, the relationship of accounting theory and research to standard setting, and discussion of the current standard setting environment.

ACG 5175. Financial Statement Analysis (3). Prerequisite: ACG 4201. This course teaches students to compare profitability and risk of business entities; aid in assessment of the efficiency of a business entity's operations and success of its strategies; and help predict a business entity's future profitability and financial health.

ACG 5216. Advanced Accounting (3). Prerequisite: ACG 3111 with a grade of C– or better. This course provides a study of accounting principles and problems related to advanced accounting topics.

ACG 5346. Cost Accounting (3). Prerequisites: ACG 2021 and ACG 2071 (both with a “B” or better). Prerequisite/Corequisite: QMB 3200 (“C-” or better if completed as a prerequisite). This course covers the planning and control of economic entities through cost-volume-profit relationships, job order, as well as process and standard cost accounting. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between accounting systems and decision making.

ACG 5356. Advanced Management Accounting (3). Prerequisite: ACG 3341. This course is a study of current advanced topics in management accounting.

ACG 5405. Advanced Accounting Information Systems (3). Prerequisite: ACG 4401. This course explores the design and operation of accounting systems as well as the relevance of data processing and statistical methods to the system of financial information and control.

ACG 5458. Emerging Technologies in Accounting and Auditing (3). This course is designed for Master of Accounting students with either an assurance services major or an accounting information systems major. The course furnishes students with knowledge and skills to account for and to audit firms that are using emerging technologies. It provides students with tools to identify and assess the risks of insecure electronic commerce systems and to formulate security-conscious solutions.

ACG 5505. Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting and Auditing (3). Prerequisite: ACG 4201. This course is an introduction to financial reporting and auditing requirements for government and not-for-profit entities.

ACG 5635. Auditing Theory and Application II (3). Prerequisite: ACG 4632. This course explores the theory of auditing and development of audit programs and procedures for obtaining audit evidence as well as the responsibilities of auditors according to the requirements of Securities and Exchange Commission.

ACG 5685. Forensic Accounting (3). Prerequisite: ACG 4632 or equivalent. This course provides in-depth exposure to the forensic accounting process and related audit topics, including identification of fraud risk factors and development of skills in detecting fraud.

ACG 5695. Challenges in Professional Accounting (3). Pre- or corequisite: ACG 4642 or ACG 5635. This course examines case studies emphasizing elements of public practice, standards of professional conduct, fraud issues, systematic controls, auditing principles and standards, and communication of findings.

ACG 5905r. Directed Individual Study (1–3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: Consent of associate dean for academic programs. May be repeated to a maximum of three (3) credit hours; repeatable within the same term.

ACG 5906r. Special Studies in Management (1–3). Prerequisite: Consent of associate dean for academic programs. May be repeated to a maximum of three credit hours.

ACG 5915r. Supervised Research (1–3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: Consent of associate dean for academic programs. May be repeated to a maximum of five credit hours; may be repeated within the same term.

ACG 5935r. Special Topics in Accounting (1–3). Prerequisite: Instructor permission. In this course, content varies to provide opportunities to study current issues in accounting and topics not offered in other courses. May be repeated to a maximum of six credit hours; may be repeated within the same term.

ACG 5945r. Supervised Teaching (1–3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: Consent of associate dean for academic programs. A maximum of three credit hours may apply towards the master's degree. May be repeated to a maximum of five credit hours; may be repeated within the same term.

ACG 8964r. Doctoral Preliminary Examination (0). (P/F grade only). This preliminary examination determines if students have mastered the content area of accounting and are prepared to plan and conduct independent and scholarly research. Upon successful completion of the preliminary examination, students are admitted to candidacy and may begin taking dissertation hours.

BUL 5335. Law for Accountancy (3). This course exposes students to the basic concepts of law as applied to the accounting profession. The focus is on the application and analysis of legal and ethical principles.

GEB 5086r. Business and Professional Development (1–3). (S/U grade only.) This course provides students with “soft skills” that are critical for success in the business world. Students study a variety of topics to help facilitate the transition from college life to the professional world. During the spring offering of the course, students will travel abroad to London to gain a global perspective of the business world. May be repeated to a maximum of three credit hours.

GEB 5907r. Special Studies in Business (1–3). May be repeated to a maximum of three semester hours.

TAX 5005. Taxes and Business Strategy (3). Prerequisite: TAX 4011. This course provides a framework for understanding how taxes affect decision-making, asset prices, equilibrium returns, and the financial and operational structure of firms.

TAX 5015. Federal Income Tax Accounting II (3). Prerequisite: TAX 4011. This course explores concepts and methods of determining income of corporations, partnerships, estates, and trusts for tax purposes as well as interpretation of Internal Revenue Code, related regulations, and tax advisory services.

TAX 5065. Research in Federal Taxation (3). Prerequisite: TAX 4001. This course is a critical examination of the legal aspects of taxation and the development of federal tax law as a basis for planning business decisions.

TAX 5105. Seminar in Corporate Income Taxation (3). Prerequisite: TAX 4011. This course allows students to develop comprehensive knowledge of corporate income taxation concepts, problems, and authorities.

TAX 5205. Pass-Through Entities and Fiduciaries (3). Prerequisite: TAX 4001. This course includes in-depth coverage of the U.S. federal income taxation of pass-through entities including partnerships, Subchapter S corporations, trusts, and estates.

TAX 5405. Seminar in Federal Taxation of Estates and Gifts (3). Prerequisite: TAX 4001. This course allows students to develop a comprehensive mastery of concepts, problems, and authorities related to federal estate and gift taxation.

TAX 5527. Multijurisdictional Tax Issues (3). Prerequisite: TAX 4001. This course provides an in-depth examination of multijurisdictional tax issues including U.S. federal income taxation of inbound and outbound transactions, state and local taxation, and multijurisdictional tax policy issues.

TAX 5875r. Special Topics in Taxation (1–3). Prerequisite: Instructor permission. In this course, content varies to provide an opportunity to study technical topics in taxation not offered in other courses. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

Doctoral

Note: The doctoral curriculum includes courses selected from the following in addition to those offered at the 5000 level. In exceptional cases master's candidates may elect 6000-level courses with permission of the instructor and the associate programs.

ACG 6696. Seminar in Financial and Auditing Research (3). Prerequisite: Instructor permission. This course offers an introduction to the academic literature in financial accounting and auditing research.

ACG 6835. Seminar in Behavioral Accounting Research (3). Prerequisite: Instructor permission. This course is a survey of economic-based and psychology-based experimental research as it relates to accounting and auditing.

ACG 6885. Introduction to Accounting Research (3). Prerequisite: Instructor permission. This course offers a survey of subject areas studied and research methods applied in accounting.

ACG 6896. Seminar in Capital Market-Based Accounting Research (3). Prerequisite: Instructor permission. This course offers a review and analysis of extant accounting research in the capital markets area.

ACG 6916r. Supervised Research (1–5). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: Consent of associate dean for graduate programs. May be repeated to a maximum of five semester hours.

ACG 6939r. Seminar in Accounting (3). Prerequisite: Consent of associate dean for academic programs. This course covers research methodologies useful in developing and evaluating accounting theories and principles. Behavioral accounting research and empirical financial accounting research are introduced. May be repeated to a maximum of twelve credit hours; may be repeated within the same term.

ACG 6946r. Supervised Teaching (1–3). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: Consent of associate dean for academic programs. May be repeated to a maximum of five semester hours.

ACG 6980r. Dissertation (1–12). (S/U grade only). Prerequisite: Admission to doctoral candidacy. A minimum of twenty-four semester hours is required.

ACG 8964. Doctoral Preliminary Examination (0). (P/F grade only.)

ACG 8985. Dissertation Defense Examination (0). (P/F grade only.)

GEB 6904r. Readings For Examination (1–12). (S/U grade only). This course is designed for PhD students who have completed all of their required coursework and are preparing to sit for their preliminary examinations in the current semester. May be repeated to a maximum of twenty-four semester hours.

GEB 6931. Doctoral Issues in Professional Development (1–3). (S/U grade only). This seminar focuses on a wide range of issues pertaining to careers as business scholars and provides a versatile vehicle to impart knowledge and build skill on issues in the field that typically are not covered in traditional PhD content and methods seminars. Through reading assignments, discussions, simulations, and webcasts, student gain an appreciation for the many issues that will challenge them as they seek to build and manage a successful career in the business academics.