2021-2022 Academic Catalog

Nov 24, 2024

2021-2022 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Accounting, MSA

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Overview

Graduate Program

The Clark University M.S.A. program readies you for a career in public accounting and financial management. You will be able to develop and analyze accounting information, provide assurances of financial control and accuracy, develop investment and tax strategies, and advise top-level managers as they make important decisions.

Graduate Program Requirements

Clark’s M.S.A. program consists of 10-12 units. Students without previous accounting and quantitative coursework are required to take two units of foundations coursework in their first semester. One or both of the foundation courses may be waived based on prior coursework or waiver exams. Students who can waive both foundations requirements can complete the program in 10 units.

Every degree candidate completes eight units of core courses and two units of elective coursework from the list below.

Completion of a graduate internship is required for all full-time M.S.A. students except: those who have 3+ years of professional business work experience; those with full-time employment during the length of the program; and those who are participating in an exchange program (e.g. Sorbonne, Trier, etc.). It may be possible to waive this requirement for other reasons. Visit a member of the Stevenish Career Management Center for more information.

Full-time students typically complete the program in four or fewer semesters. Part-time students typically complete the programs in eight semesters or fewer.

Foundation Courses

Students may satisfy one or both of the foundation course requirements through prior undergraduate or graduate coursework, or by passing a waiver exam. Waivers and eligibility for waiver exams are only considered and finalized at the time of admission into the program.

• Waiver of the financial accounting requirement is based on successful completion (B or better within 6 years) of an undergraduate or graduate financial accounting course for credit, or a passing grade on the accounting waiver exam. If not waived, students will take ACCT 4101 Foundations of Financial Accounting to meet the foundation requirement.

• Waiver of the quantitative requirement is based on successful completion (B or better within 6 years) of an undergraduate or graduate course for credit in statistics, operations management, or economics; or a passing grade on the statistics waiver exam. If not waived, students will take STAT 4300 Data Driven Decision Making to meet the foundation requirement.

Required Courses

Fall Semester 1
ACCT 4101 - Foundations of Financial Accounting
STAT 4300 - Data Driven Decision Making
ACCT 5103 - Management Accounting
MGMT 4708 - Business Law I
MGMT 4713 - Business Law II
*MSA students who plan to sit for the Uniform CPA Examination in Massachusetts are advised to take Business Law I and II as their elective. Otherwise, the elective course can be any SOM courses that are available to MSA students (please see below for listed options).
Spring Semester 2
ACCT 5100 - Accounting Analytics
ACCT 5101 - Financial Accounting and Reporting I
ACCT 5104 - Accounting Information Systems
ACCT 5105 - Financial and Operational Auditing
Fall Semester 3
ACCT 5102 - Financial Accounting and Reporting II
ACCT 5109 - Government and Nonprofit Accounting
ACCT 5206 - Federal Taxation
2nd Elective course (please see below for listed options)

Elective Courses (2 units)

MGMT 4708 and MGMT 4713 are the recommended electives for students that plan to take the CPA exam.

Program Faculty

Program Director

Zhihong Wang, Ph.D.

Program Faculty

Christopher Benestad, M..A.

Inshik Seol, Ph.D.

Zhihong Wang, Ph.D.

Da Wu, Ph.D.

Kyunghee Yoon, Ph.D.

Adjunct Faculty

Dennis Avola, M.B.A.

Patricia Casey, M.B.A.

Frank Jenkins, M.B.A.

Toni Molinari, M.B.A.

Samantha Spezeski, M.B.A

Jennifer Targett, Ph.D.