Accounting

Dr. Douglas M. Boyle, Chair & Director of PhD in Accounting

570-941-4047- douglas.boyle@scranton.edu

Dr. James F. Boyle, Online & On-Campus Program Director

570-941-6594 - james.boyle@scranton.edu

Department of Accounting Faculty: Professors- Douglas M. Boyle, DBA, CPA, CMA, (Chair), Daniel Mahoney, PhD, CPA, CFE, CMA, David Salerno, PhD, CPA; Associate Professors- James Boyle, DBA, CPA; Assistant Professors - Jeh Hyun Cho, PhD, Amanda S. Marcy, PhD, CPA; Ashley L. Stampone, PhD, CPA; Faculty Specialists- Andrew J. Gregorowicz, PhD, Linda C. Mlodzienski, CPA, Richard C. O’Hara, CPA, CFA.

Competitive Master of Accountancy Programs should include concentrations in market relevant areas. The two most market relevant areas that are being underserved by MAcc programs include Business Analytics and Forensics. Therefore, University of Scranton students have the opportunity to complete a MAcc degree including the following concentrations: (1) General including business analytics elective courses, (2) Accounting Analytics, or (3) Forensic Accounting.

The demand for flexible, high quality accounting education at the master’s level is at an all-time high and is expected to continue growing at a rapid rate. Such growth is fueled by two key market dynamics: (1) most State Boards of Accountancy now require candidates to fulfill 150 credit hours in order to obtain a license (for most CPA candidates who are bachelor degree holders, this means at least 30 credit hours of extra coursework is necessary), and (2) current hiring by public accounting firms is not only at a record high, but continued growth is projected.

Given the robust current and projected demand for high-quality flexible masters-level accounting education, students may enter the Master of Accountancy program in the following ways: 

1. A masters in accountancy program delivered entirely online or on campus and targeted toward recent graduates from bachelor’s in accounting programs as well as young professionals working in public accounting firms (within their first three years). Students must hold an undergraduate bachelor’s in accounting degree or hold an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in business with the completion of satisfactory accounting coursework at the intermediate level such as: ACC 361 Intermediate Accounting I, ACC 362 Intermediate Accounting II, ACC 363 Federal Taxation, ACC 461 Cost Accounting, and ACC 464 Auditing Theory, as determined by the Accounting Department Chair;

2. A four or five-year, combined bachelors/masters in accountancy program.

Combined Bachelor and Masters in Accountancy (MAcc) Program

The Accounting Department offers interested and qualified students the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and a Master of Accountancy degree. With judicious course scheduling, students can complete the program within as few as four academic years. This program was developed in response the to the adoption by most states of a 150 credit-hour educational requirement to become a Certified Public Accountant and to provide students with the opportunity to work full-time in the profession, while completing the last year of the program either online or on campus.

Students interested in the combined BS/MAcc degree program should apply as incoming freshmen to reserve a seat and inform academic advising. In addition, students should apply to Graduate Admissions as early as December of their junior year. Acceptance into the combined program is based on the student’s previous academic performance and statement of purpose. Students must adhere to requirements as listed in the Graduate Studies Catalog.

Once a student is admitted to this combined program, he/she would be permitted to take two graduate courses per term while still classified as undergraduate student. If the two courses are “cross-listed” (graduate/undergraduate) courses as indicated below, they may count toward both the Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and the Master of Accountancy degree:

A minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.00 and a minimum GPA of 3.00 in the undergraduate accounting major is required in order to advance from the undergraduate component of the accounting program into graduate study. A minimum overall GPA of 3.00 must be achieved and maintained for all graduate courses. The student is awarded the Master of Accountancy degree upon completion of the graduate requirements. 

Combined Program Course Requirements

Three Undergraduate Tracks: General, Forensic Accounting, and Accounting Analytics

The required and elective MAcc courses needed to complete the combined program is provided in the next section and will depend on which of the three undergraduate tracks (general, forensic accounting, or accounting analytics) that the student selects.

Masters in Accountancy (MAcc) Program

For a student to be eligible for admission into the Masters in Accountancy program, he/she must hold a bachelor’s degree in accounting or students must hold an undergraduate bachelor’s in accounting degree or hold an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in business with the completion of satisfactory accounting coursework at the intermediate level such as: ACC 361 - Intermediate Accounting I, ACC 362 - Intermediate Accounting II, ACC 363 - Federal Taxation, ACC 461 - Cost Accounting, and ACC 464 -Auditing Theory, as determined by the Accounting Department Chair. A minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.00 and a minimum GPA of 3.00 in the undergraduate accounting major is required for admittance to graduate study. A minimum overall GPA of 3.00 must be achieved and maintained for all graduate courses. The student is awarded the Master of Accountancy degree upon completion of the graduate requirements.

Masters in Accountancy Program Course Requirements

There are 3 tracks for the Masters in Accountancy (MAcc) program:

MAcc General Track - 30 credits total

MAcc Accounting Analytics Concentration- 30 credits total

MAcc Forensic Accounting Concentration - 30 credits total

Notes:

Capstone Experience

ACC 550 - Applied Accounting Research - The capstone experience immerses the student (through discussion, analysis, data gathering, and writing) in current practitioner research topics requiring him/her to demonstrate a mastery of the research process, tools, techniques, findings, and journals while applying critical thinking skills. The research spectrum will include ethical, financial, international, forensic, and auditing topics. 

Other Graduate Level Accounting Courses

The MAcc Program Director may recommend that other graduate level accounting courses count as MAcc program elective courses, such as ACC 502 - Accounting for Management.

Masters in Accountancy (MAcc) Program Provisional Acceptance

A student who has not completed an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in accounting may be eligible for provisional acceptance into the Master’s in Accountancy Program if he/she completed an undergraduate bachelor’s degree in business. The MAcc Program Director will consider any accounting courses completed by each student applicant, as well as any relevant accounting professional work experience, in making a recommendation about whether to provisionally accept a student applicant into the Master’s in Accountancy Program and in determining each accepted student’s required bridge coursework.

Generally, in addition to the normal MAcc program required coursework, provisionally accepted students must complete the following courses:

ACC 502 - Accounting for Management Accounting

ACC 505 - Intermediate Accounting I

ACC 506 - Intermediate Accounting II

ACC 507 - Intermediate Accounting III

In view of the above additional required accounting coursework, ACC 540 is normally waived. Therefore, provisionally accepted Master’s in Accountancy Program students must normally complete 39 credits of required coursework (36 credits if ACC 502 is waived). The MAcc Program Director may also recommend additional required courses as appropriate, such as MBA 502A - Financial Accounting Module and MBA 502B - Managerial Accounting Module, or may waive ACC 502, depending on each student’s previous accounting courses completed and the grade(s) earned, as well as any relevant accounting professional work experience.

Masters in Accountancy (MAcc) Program Probationary Acceptance

A student with less than an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.00, and/or with less than a GPA of 3.00 in undergraduate accounting courses, may receive probationary acceptance into the Master’s in Accountancy Program with reasonable cause and the recommendation of the MAcc Program Director.

Probationary acceptance status requires the student to achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 in the first nine credits of coursework in the MAcc program.

Masters of Accountancy (MAcc) Program Academic Honesty Zero Tolerance Policy

In recognition of the high ethical demands of the accounting and financial management profession, the University of Scranton MAcc program has adopted a zero-tolerance policy for any academic dishonesty. All University of Scranton MAcc program applicants must sign the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) Program Student Applicant Academic Honesty Certification and Agreement Form as a condition of acceptance into the program. Immediate, appropriate sanctions will result for any MAcc student violation of the University of Scranton Academic Code of Honesty.