Master of Science in Taxation
The Master of Science in Taxation (MTAX) degree program offers a curriculum that focuses on interactively developing skills needed by tax accountants. It is a specialized program that provides skills to begin a career as a tax accountant and skills to progress to mid- and upper-level positions. In addition to specialized tax knowledge, the program provides students with ethics, leadership, communication and interpersonal skills necessary for supervisor-level positions.
This is a companion program to the Master of Science in Accountancy (MACC) program. All interested students should review the admission process and prerequisite requirements that are discussed under the MACC program. Those processes and prerequisites are also applicable to the MTAX program. In general, students applying to the MTAX program should already have completed an undergraduate degree in accountancy or its equivalent. Individuals without this background may still apply to the program, but will need to complete extended program requirements. Since all courses are offered at night over five-week terms, this program will be of primary interest to those students desiring to complete an MTAX program on a part-time basis while remaining employed. Since all courses are only offered once per calendar year, students should carefully plan their program of study prior to beginning the program and should expect that completion will generally take a minimum of one calendar year.
As with the MACC program, students currently enrolled in the BACC program at USD can complete the BACC and MTAX in a combined program format. The admission process is identical to those required by the BACC or MACC Combined Program and prospective students should review the next section of this bulletin for those requirements.
MTAX Program Requirements
| The MTAX program is a 30 semester-unit program for those with an undergraduate accounting degree. Additional prerequisite requirements for those without an undergraduate accounting degree are shown under the MACC program. In addition to the prerequisites shown under the MACC program, all MTAXdegree applicants will need to have already completed: | |
| ACCT 306 | Federal Tax Acct I, and |
| ACCT 407 | Federal Tax Acct II, or their equivalents, as prerequisites to the program. |
MTAX Course Requirements: |
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| (30-Semester Units) Required Courses (24 semester-units): A. The following three courses (9 semester-units) in ethics, leadership, communications, and interpersonal skills are all required: |
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| MACC 501 | Communications and Ethics for Financial Professionals (3) |
| MACC 502 | Leadership in a Financial Team Environment (3) |
| MACC 503 | Negotiations: Strategy, Practice and Ethics (3) |
| B. The following five courses (15 semester-units) of taxation courses are all required: | |
| MACC 523 | Retirement Planning (3) |
| MACC 560 | Tax Research (3) |
| MACC 561 | Partnership Taxation (3) |
| MACC 562 | Estate and Gift Taxation (3) |
| MACC 563 | State and Local Taxation (3) |
| Electives (6-semester units): Electives are likely from MACC or MTAX, M.B.A., or other USD programs that directly relate to the field of taxation. These can include MACC 598 – Internship or MACC 599 – Independent Study. Students must complete a “program plan” indicating their elective selections prior to beginning the MTAX program. However, course substitutions may be made at later points of time upon approval of their faculty mentor and the director of the MACC or MTAX program. |
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Admission Process For The MTAX Program: |
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| Students must complete the following for admission to the MTAX degree program: | |
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| Note that the above application materials will require students to take the GMAT exam and receive a minimum score of 550 and to submit official transcripts for all prior undergraduate and graduate work. A 3.0 accounting course GPA and 3.0 overall GPA is the normal cutoff for admission. However, applicants with lower prior GPAs will be considered for admission with additional evidence of strong professional accounting or financial management credentials. | |
BACC/ MACC or MTAX Combined Programs |
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| The combined programs allow students to combine their BACC program with either the MACC or the MTAX programs. The combined programs allow students to begin their graduate programs early while they are still completing their BACC program. The actual program requirements for the undergraduate or graduate program are unchanged from those described under the individual programs. BACC students admitted to the MACC or MTAX combined programs may begin taking graduate program coursework starting in the summer after their Junior year. The combined program allows students to complete both their BACC and either the MACC or MTAX degrees in approximately four and one half to five years on a full-time basis. Undergraduate BACC students interested in meeting the 150-hour requirements to become CPAs are strongly encouraged to consider the combined program option. CPA laws in a majority of states have recently been changed to require 150 units of university credit to receive a CPA certificate. Additional information on this requirement is available from most State Boards of Accountancy. Only students who are currently enrolled in the BACC degree program at USD are eligible for admission to a combined program. Admitted students will likely enroll in daytime undergraduate courses and evening MACC courses so that both degrees can be completed on a full-time basis in the shortest possible time frame. Since MACC or MTAX courses are offered in five week terms on a year-round basis, students interested in completing the combined program quickly should plan on taking MACC or MTAX.. courses during the summers starting after the Junior year. In fact, the MACC or MTAX class schedule has been efficiently designed to allow combined program students to take their MACC or MTAX required courses in the summer between their Junior and Senior years. |
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Program Requirements: |
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| The BACC/MACC or BACC/MTAX combined programs are 154-unit program consisting of the 124-semester unit requirements for a Bachelor of Accountancy degree (see the Undergraduate Bulletin) and the 30 semester-unit requirements for either the MACC or MTAX degrees. Students interested in either combined program should review the MACC or MTAX program requirements discussed above. BACC students accepted into the combined program should consult with their faculty mentor, the director of the MACC or MTAX program, and the university’s financial aid office to ensure they enroll in the appropriate mix of undergraduate or graduate courses each semester prior to completing their BACC requirements so that they will maximize their availability of financial aid. |
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Admission Process For The Combined BACC/MACC Or BACC/MTAX Programs: |
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| Students must complete the following for admission to the combined BACC/MACC or BACC/MTAX degree programs: | |
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| As discussed below, to be considered for admission into the Combined Program, a student must meet the criteria listed below: | |
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| The application includes the following items: | |
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| Upon Acceptance: | |
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| Program and Course Sequencing Requirements for BACC/MACC or BACC/MTAX combined program. The following sequencing requirements must be met by all students in the combined program: | |
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Graduate Certificate in Accountancy |
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| A Graduate Certificate in Accountancy is offered for those students who desire additional professional accountancy courses, but who do not desire a complete graduate accounting degree. This certificate program is geared toward individuals that already have undergraduate accounting degrees or their equivalent. The certificate should be of strong interest to individuals who wish to: | |
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Program Requirements |
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| This graduate certificate program requires the completion of 15-semester units of MACC prefixed coursework. Students may select any 15 MACC prefixed semester units based on their continuing professional education needs and their career objectives. Approval of their Program Plan by a faculty mentor is required prior to beginning their certificate program. Students in this certificate program who subsequently decide to apply and enroll in the MACC or MTAX degree programs will be allowed to apply the units already completed in the certificate program to their graduate degree. Enrollment in the MACC or MTAX program must, however, begin within two years of the completion of this graduate certificate program in order for the completed units to be applied to the graduate degree. Students may not be concurrently enrolled in this certificate program and any other School of Business Administration degree or certificate program. |
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Admission Process for The Graduate Certificate in Accountancy |
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| Students must complete the following for admission to this certificate program: | |
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| Note that the above application will require students to submit transcripts of prior undergraduate and graduate work. A 3.0 accounting course GPA and 3.0 overall GPA is the normal cutoff for admission. However, applicants with lower prior GPAs will be considered with additional evidence of strong professional accounting or financial management credentials. The application will also require recommendation letters. | |
Graduate Certificate in Personal Financial Planning |
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| The Graduate Certificate in Personal Financial Planning Program is designed for accountants who desire the skills necessary to provide clients with personal financial planning services, in addition to accountancy and taxation based services. The program is geared toward individuals who already have undergraduate accounting degrees or the equivalent. Specifically, the certificate program is designed to prepare students to perform comprehensive financial planning services to individuals in the area of investment, insurance, retirement plans, income taxes and estate taxes. The curriculum is modeled after the topic areas in which proficiency must be demonstrated in order to earn the PFS add-on credential to a CPA certificate. Specifically, the AICPA currently offers an add-on credential entitled a PFS (Personal Financial Specialist) for those holding CPA certificates. Students completing this Graduate Certificate program should acquire the basic educational background accountants will need to qualify for this add-on credential. However, the PFS credential is administered by the AICPA and CPAs will need to apply directly to the AICPA and will need to meet all of the AICPA requirements (including a PFS examination) before they can receive the add-on credential. For more information on this add-on credential go to www.aicpa.org. |
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Program Requirements |
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| Students in this Graduate Certificate program must complete the following 15-units of MACC courses: | |
| MACC 520 | Fundamentals of Personal Financial Planning (3) |
| MACC 521 | Insurance Planning (3) |
| MACC 522 | Investment Planning and Risk Management (3) |
| MACC 523 | Retirement Planning (3) |
| MACC 562 | Estate and Gift Taxation and Planning (3) |
| Students considering this certificate program should alternatively consider applying for the 30 unit MACC degree program and completing the above 15-unit certificate requirements as part of the electives in that graduate degree program (See the Personal Financial Planning specialization track in the MACC program description). Students in the MACC degree program who complete the above 15-units as electives will automatically receive this Graduate Certificate in Personal Financial Planning. Alternatively, students completing this Graduate Certificate program who subsequently decide to apply and enroll in the MACC degree will be allowed to apply the units already completed in the certificate program to the MACC degree. Enrollment in the MACC program must, however, begin within two years of the completion of this graduate certificate. |
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Admission Process for the Graduate Certificate in Personal Financial Planning |
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| Students must complete the following for admission to this certificate program: | |
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| Note that the above application will require students to submit transcripts of prior undergraduate and graduate work. A 3.0 accounting course GPA and 3.0 overall GPA is the normal cutoff for admission. However, applicants with lower prior GPAs will be considered with additional evidence of strong professional accounting or financial management credentials. The application will also require recommendation letters. | |
MACC Courses and Seminars
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