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The United States’ Midwestern region is characterized by wide open plains, agricultural products and some lively urban metro areas, but it also has some top rated schools like the ones that offer accounting graduate programs in Missouri.
The rugged Missouri topography found around the Ozark mountains with its deep canyons and sparkling springs is the perfect setting for the rigorous course curricula found at many of its colleges and universities. Branson, Missouri currently draws many to the area for its relatively wholesome musical venues. The state’s abundant cultural and entertainment offerings make it an exciting place to study and live.
Missouri State University
School of Accountancy
Missouri State University (MSU) is a large public school spanning three campuses throughout the state. Its mission focuses on developing ethical leaders prepared for public service. In keeping with the university’s overall mission, its School of Accountancy presents students with the core principles of accounting coupled with the comprehensive ethics training needed by professional accountants in today’s business environment. The School of Accountancy at MSU does not stop at simple academic training for its students, but encourages them to develop valuable relationships with their peers, professors and industry representatives. The university is consistently ranked as one of the top schools in the nation by Forbes magazine; it also garners regional acclaim through its recognition as “best in the West” by the Princeton Review.
Master of Accountancy
Students participating in MSU’s Master of Accountancy program build upon their accounting knowledge acquired at the undergraduate level. This type of degree program allows candidates to explore topics like forensic accounting, auditing and tax accounting. These subjects prepare students to successfully handle the challenges faced by accountants working in many industry settings. During the course of study, Master of Accountancy candidates have opportunities to participate in cooperative education programs with industry professionals for greater career exposure.
Most accounting firms seek out candidates who have accounting skills gained through accredited university graduate degree programs. These top rated accounting firms also require that graduates hold the credential of certified public accountant. To become a certified public accountant, candidates must sit for an examination in addition to the coursework they take while earning the Master of Accountancy degree. Completion of this degree program helps candidates meet the requirements for training hours to sit for the state’s certified public accountant exam.
Accreditation
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
901 S. National Ave.
Springfield, MO 65897
417-836-5414
accountancy@missouristate.edu
http://www.missouristate.edu/soa/Graduate/
Truman State University
School of Business
Truman State University (TSU) was founded in 1867 as Northeast Missouri State University, and it was renamed for America’s 33rd president Harry S. Truman. The former President Truman was the only person from Missouri who ever served in that office. TSU is a highly selective, public liberal arts and sciences school whose curriculum was reconstructed to help retain bright students who were being lured out-of-state by lack of local options. The school’s mission is to create an environment of critical thought through excellent teaching, comprehensive research and challenging curriculum. TSU seems to meet the mark with its graduate studies programs, as these programs recently ranked third in the Washington Monthly’s Master’s University Ratings.
Master of Accountancy
TSU’s Master of Accountancy program prepares degree candidates for challenging accounting careers, and it helps students earn the academic credit needed to pursue professional certifications. TSU seeks to attract and retain a diverse student body known for its academic excellence, community consciousness and business leadership traits. The curriculum encourages the development of students’ analytical, problem solving and communication skills.
Some of the core courses needed for degree completion include financial accounting, managerial accounting, financial reporting, advanced taxation and accounting information systems. There are also many non-accounting elective courses that are important in promoting a well-rounded accounting candidate. Some of these courses include economics, leadership, organizational behavior and financial risk management.
The comprehensive coursework of the Master of Accountancy gives candidates the 150 hours of training required to qualify to sit for the certified public accountant examination for Missouri as well as other states. This is an important professional certification for aspiring accountants because many employers working in the public and private sectors require it. The CPA pass rate for TSU students is considerably higher than average, and it’s Master of Accountancy program is ranked eighth in the nation for this important factor.
Resource: What are the CPA Exam Requirements and Prerequisites?
Accreditations
- International Association for Management Education – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Both TSU’s business school and Master of Accountancy program are accredited by AACSB.
Contact
100 E. Normal VH 2340
Kirksville, MO 63501-4221
660-785-4371
bu58@truman.edu
http://gradstudies.truman.edu
University of Central Missouri
Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies
The Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies contains two schools. The first one has programs relating to business, computer information systems and hospitality management. The second school has aviation, military science, criminal justice and social work programs. The business programs offered by the Harmon College shows an amazing depth of offerings that range from traditional business courses in finance, marketing and management to innovative ones like classes in entrepreneurship and social enterprise. Realizing that many university business programs fail to really prepare students to make real world business decisions for an existing company or to operate their own business successfully, the progressive faculty at Harmon College came up with a different way to present certain curriculum concepts. They have students actually start a business with the equivalent of a $5,000 business bank loan. Professors also have the students design a community service project on which to spend the profits of their businesses. This is just one example of the distinctive educational programs offered by the University of Central Missouri (UCM) Harmon College’s school of business.
Master of Arts in Accountancy
One of the pillars of the UCM Harmon College’s business degree programs is the Master of Arts in Accountancy. This degree program goes beyond the fundamental concepts of undergraduate accounting and presents comprehensive case studies and concepts of accounting that pertain to areas like auditing, managerial accounting and income tax. These areas represent classes that are a part of the Master of Accountancy core curriculum, and students are required to take at least nine credit hours of core curriculum classes. The Harmon College Master of Accountancy classes that most influence the career path of students are the specialization classes which consist of 24 credit hours of courses like financial planning, controllership and tax topics. Not only do the majority of these specialization courses prepare students for specific careers, but they often present aspiring public accountants with the best way to prepare for Missouri’s public accountant certification exam.
Accreditation
- The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
P.O. Box 800
Warrensburg, MO 64093
877-729-8266
admit@ucmo.edu
http://www.ucmo.edu/hcbps/
University of Missouri
Trulaske College of Business
The Trulaske College of Business belongs to one of the state’s flagship university programs which was established as a premier professional school. From its origin, Trulaske has the reputation of teaching the specific skills that prepare students for leadership positions in business, government and the community. The University of Missouri (UM) Trulaske College is in the city of Columbia, MO and presents students with opportunities for personal and professional development. While the school teaches business concepts that are used in companies across many industries, the business degree programs offered by Trulaske College also inspire the entrepreneurial dreams of many UM students. A distinctive feature of the Trulaske College is the value it places on members of its student body who have served in the military. Trulaske College rightfully expects these students to contribute to the rich mix of classroom diversity with ideas and perspectives gained through their unique experiences.
BSAcc/MAcc degree
The Trulaske College’s Bachelor of Science in Accountancy / Master of Accountancy (BSAcc/MAcc) degree program is a 150 credit hour plan that combines a bachelor of science degree with a graduate degree in accounting. The program consists of 120 credit hours of undergraduate level coursework that is taken during the first four years of study. It then evolves into a graduate degree program that consists of 30 credit hours of progressively challenging advanced accounting concepts. Students who earn their accounting degree via the BSAcc/MAcc track benefit in many ways. Most graduate level accounting degree programs require students to earn over 33 credit hours for graduation; the Trulaske College BSAcc/MAcc allows motivated accounting students to finish their graduate accounting degree in less time than most traditional programs. Also, students take undergraduate and graduate level coursework in a sequence that maximizes the comprehension and retention of accounting principles; this benefit is particularly valuable for those who want to sit for the state certified public accounting exam.
Master of Accountancy
Trulaske College of Business offers another option for those pursuing a graduate degree in accounting. The 30 credit hour degree program is offered to those students who have already earned a Trulaske College of business undergraduate degree in accounting that consists of 120 credit hours of undergraduate level accounting coursework. Students who earned their undergraduate degrees in accounting from other schools are also welcomed to apply for entrance into Trulaske’s graduate level accounting degree program; candidates who have not completed 120 credit hours of undergraduate level accounting study must take additional credit hours as prerequisite courses. The Trulaske College of Business MAcc follows the traditional format that divides its program into nine hours of core business education, nine hours of professional accountancy core coursework and the rest of the 12 credit hours of study devoted to specialization accounting coursework. The core business education classes are sure to encompass topics like economics, finance and business ethics. The professional accounting core classes include government accounting and budgeting, auditing and accounting as it relates to business strategic analysis.
Accreditation
- The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International
Contact
303 Cornell Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
573-882-4463
accountancy@missouri.edu
http://business.missouri.edu/programs-and-admissions/school-accountancy
University of Missouri-St. Louis
College of Business Administration
The Beta Alpha Psi honor society holds a Best Practices competition and University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) College of Business accounting students recently won the competition at the regional level. Their theme was promoting the message of helping others understand the financial information profession, and they shared the message across several community college classes. This is just one example of the achievements of students whose school’s mission is to create a learning environment that is a framework for lifelong learning. While UMSL’s undergraduate accounting degree gives students a firm foundation in accountancy through its interdisciplinary approach, it is the school’s Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program that prepares students to step into a successful accounting career.
Master of Accounting Program
The USML MAcc program is a comprehensive yet flexible degree plan that can be completed in as few as 30 credit hours, depending upon the candidate. For example, candidates who earn their undergraduate accounting degrees from USML and demonstrate academic excellence in their studies qualify to enter the 30 credit hour MAcc program without having to submit the usual Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). This program has coursework that includes financial accounting and reporting, auditing and taxation. Other students with undergraduate accounting degrees but who lack the necessary level of proficiency or required number of prerequisite courses and credit hours will need to submit the standard GMAT results and take certain prerequisite courses before entering the MAcc program.
Accreditation
- The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). UMSL is the only business school in St. Louis that has earned this prestigious accreditation.
Contact
1 University Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63121-4400
314-516-5458
gradadm@umsl.edu
http://www.umsl.edu/
Conclusion
Missouri is a state of amazing contrasts which includes cosmopolitan cities like St. Louis as well as the natural beauty of the Ozarks. With all that is going on in the state, it is no wonder that there are also some awarding winning accounting graduate programs in Missouri.
