Congratulations to the MSA Graduating Class of 2005

Introduction: Professional accounting offers one of the most rewarding and important career paths that business school graduates can pursue. As the business school of the flagship university in the state of New Hampshire, the Whittemore School clearly has an obligation to offer its students the opportunity to compete and excel in the public accounting profession.

More than 45 state legislatures, including Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, have approved regulation or legislation which requires 150 hours of education to take the CPA exam and be eligible for state certification and licensing.  The American Association of Governmental Accountants and the Institute of Management Accountants have also espoused 150 hours of collegiate study as a desirable prerequisite for entry into their respective sectors of the accounting profession.

The Master of Science in Accounting program has been designed to address the educational needs of the accounting profession.  In response to the concerns of the profession, the Whittemore School’s graduate work in accounting will emphasize analytical and communications skills, while preserving the basic core of technical accounting knowledge.  The Whittemore School’s program is designed as thirty additional hours of college education to be taken after the completion of undergraduate accounting study and degree requirements.  Other undergraduate degrees will require additional coursework at the beginning of the program.  Students awarded a Master of Science degree in Accounting will be competitively equipped to enter the job market in the accounting profession.  Applicants from Maine or Vermont may be eligible for reduced tuition rates. 

A maximum class size of forty is projected for the future; however, it is expected that class sizes of 15-25 will be the maximum for the early years of the program.
 
 

Admission Policies: The primary admission period for the program is the fall. The crucial requirment for admission is a personal history that demonstrates high academic achievement, as well as the applicantÆs potential and desire for graduate study in accounting. Applicants are required to submit copies of prior academic records, current GMAT scores, three references and a complete graduate school application. A baccalaureate degree program must be completed prior to beginning the program. Since the Whittemore School is accredited by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, the Graduate Admissions Committee will make certain that all admitted candidates meet the requirements set down by this organization. 

The deadline for regular admission is July 1st and for early decision, April 1st. Admission to the program is highly selective and limited, so it is in the applicant's best interest to apply early. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact George T. Abraham, Director of Graduate and Executive Programs, Whittemore School, 15 College Road, Durham, NH 03824-3593, 603-862-1367, E-mail: wsbe.grad.program@unh.edu.
 
 

Program Outline and the Pre-requisites:  Program Outline and the Pre-requisites:  Upon admission to the program, applicants will be required to complete 10 courses as detailed in the following program outline. It is expected that all admitted candidates will have completed a series of prerequisite courses as shown on the outline.  If an applicant has not completed all the prerequisite courses, the admissions committee may offer conditional admission and require that the applicant takes the prerequisite courses prior to moving into full degree candidacy.

Master of Science in Accounting Program Outline       Fall Semester        Corporate Taxation (ACFI 820)       Topics in Advanced Accounting (ACFI 844)       Accounting Theory and Research (ACFI 850)       Government and Non-Profit Accounting (ACFI 895)       Ethics & Professional Practice (ACFI 897)       Spring Semester        Accounting and Information Systems (ACFI 890)       Topics in Advanced Auditing (ADMN 898)       Elective:  Business Law II (MGT 798)        Elective*        Elective * *Candidates will be advised to select appropriate graduate-level electives offered by the Whittemore School as described in the Graduate Catalog. Please note that this is a 10 course, 30 credit hr. program.                         Prerequisites Courses Prior to Matriculation Candidates for the MS program will normally have completed a prerequisite course at an accredited school  in each of the following areas:  Intermediate Financial Accounting I (ACFI 621) Intermediate Financial Accounting II (ACFI 622) Business Law I (MGT 647) Advanced Managerial Accounting Concepts and Applications (ACFI 723) Auditing (ACFI 724) Introduction to Federal Income Taxation (ACFI 726) Candidates who may be lacking a course are still encouraged to apply. The admissions committee has some flexibility to adjust schedules to allow for conditional admission to those who show high academic promise.  Those students lacking the prerequisites will generally take two years to graduate from the program.

 

Board of Advisors to the MS Program:

Alan Freeman, Partner, KPMG Peat Marwick, Boston, MA
Dr. James Horrigan, Professor Emirutus, University of New Hampshire, Durhma, NH
David Kuhman, Senior Manager, Baker, Newman and Noyes, Portland, ME
Elliot D. Lerner, Principal, Berry, Dunn, McNeil & Parker, Manchester, NH.

From left:  James Horrigan, David Kuhman, Alan Freeman, Elliot D. Lerner