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For those considering a long-term career in corporate accounting and budgeting in the midwest, there is perhaps no better option than one of the many accounting graduate programs in Oklahoma. These programs are designed to give students a thorough background in managerial accounting, forensics, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, and ethical operation within a senior-level position. With programs that combine accounting degrees with MBA coursework and even undergraduate business studies, students throughout the state of Oklahoma will find it easy to combine their fondness for corporate budgeting and financial planning with their interest in business management, employee leadership, and sound decision-making skills. Two schools in Oklahoma offer a robust number of degree programs that focus on all of these areas.
Oklahoma State University
Spears School of Business, School of Accounting
The School of Accounting, which exists within the Spears School of Business at Oklahoma State University, maintains an active, doctoral faculty with significant research interests in the area of public accounting. The school conducts studies and research into the best principles for honest, ethical, and regular corporate accounting that keeps companies honest and properly informs investors about profits, expenses, and other fiscal concerns. In the classroom, the school’s accounting-concentrated MBA and separate M.S. in accounting both give students the opportunity to blend this research with in-depth instruction that centers on managerial accounting, business leadership, and ethical conduct.
Master of Science in Accounting
Though both of the school’s accounting degree programs at the graduate level feature at least a bit of management theory, those who enroll in the Master of Science in Accounting program will find that their required coursework is much more heavy on accounting theory. Those who enroll in this program will begin with courses in managerial and organizational accounting, followed by a series of courses discussing both ethical responsibilities and the forensic accounting methods used to uncover less trustworthy practices. Students will typically be encouraged to engage in an assisted research project, while others will be steered toward undergraduate assistantships and off-campus internships in order to build a successful resume of real-world experience.
MBA (Accounting Concentration)
The AACSB-accredited MBA at Oklahoma State is an excellent resource for anyone who anticipates being involved not only in pure accounting, but also in management decisions and corporate leadership. Students start out with the MBA core, which consists of a basic accounting course, several leadership and communication classes, and a few credits of management information systems. Following this required core, they’ll pursue elective coursework in accounting where they can select the topics and areas of content knowledge most likely to benefit them in the workplace after graduation. This versatile degree is a streamlined solution for aspirational business leaders throughout the state.
Accreditations: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association
Contact
Oklahoma State University
Spears School of Business, School of Accounting
Stillwater, OK 74074
Phone: (405) 744-5000
Program Website
University of Oklahoma
Michael F. Price College of Business
The University of Oklahoma is considered the flagship public institution in the state, and its Michael F. Price College of Business maintains some of the most prestigious programs for aspiring business leaders and accountants in Oklahoma. The college starts students early, with the option of a combined bachelor’s/master’s degree track that will set them up for a variety of both business and accounting roles immediately after graduation.
Other programs are strictly focused on graduate-level coursework, combining classroom theory with campus research opportunities, supervised internship positions in the Norman, OK, community, and the potential to assist a professor with on-campus, undergraduate coursework in basic accounting classes. AACSB accreditation is an added bonus for these programs, ensuring that the degree is of the highest quality and accepted by the widest number of employers nationwide.
Master of Accounting
The Master of Accounting program is designed for those students who have an undergraduate degree in either business or accounting. Those who have no such background may still be admitted, but they might be required by the school to take introductory and remedial courses to ensure that they’re on par with those students who have related degrees. Once enrolled in the program, students will focus on public and organizational accounting, earning credits that help them build toward eligibility for the CPA examination in Oklahoma. Research opportunities abound, especially in areas like corporate accounting and irregularities in business finance.
Students can also opt to teach with a professor during one or more semesters under the popular assistantship program. At the conclusion of the master’s degree in accounting, students will be able to work for an organization of virtually any size. They’ll have the resources they need to manage large accounting departments, as well as the expertise required to perform virtually all accounting tasks on their own for a smaller business or entrepreneurial operation.
B.B.A. / Master of Accountancy Program
The Bachelor’s of Business Administration program at the University of Oklahoma is easily one of the most prestigious in the Midwest, thanks in large part to its AACSB accreditation and a doctoral faculty with extensive experience in actual corporate setting. For students with a record of excellent achievement during their first two years of study in the program, the university offers a combined program that will see students graduate with their BBA and their Master of Accountancy within five years. This program essentially swaps out elective coursework for graduate-level accounting courses, over the course of an additional year, and exposes students to all of the same topics that they would learn about in a strictly graduate-level pursuit. Students have the option of engaging in on-campus research and they can earn undergraduate credit for any internships pursued off campus during their enrollment.
MBA / MAcc Combined Degree
While some schools offer an accounting concentration within their MBA program, the University of Oklahoma prefers to help students achieve two graduate-level degrees that will help them as they advance their professional careers. For this reason, one of the most popular offerings on campus for business professionals is the combined MBA and MAcc offering. Students start out with MBA coursework that teaches advanced management and corporate communication concepts, and then they delve into graduate-level accounting coursework. Emphasis is placed on ethics, corporate and public accounting, and occupational efficiency. Students in the combined program will also be expected to pair together their management and accounting coursework in collaboration with professors in on-campus research, teaching assistantship programs, and off-campus internship opportunities that benefit from a massive, local population of alumni.
Accreditations: Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association
Contact
University of Oklahoma
Michael F. Price College of Business
307 West Brooks
Norman, OK 73019
Phone: (405) 325-3611
Email: pricecollege@ou.edu
Program Website
Accounting is a fast-growing field across the country, with graduate-level students entering a job market that places a strong emphasis on management skills, forensic accounting knowledge, and ethical conduct in corporate workplaces. Thanks to the numerous AACSB-accredited accounting graduate programs in Oklahoma, those aspiring to a career in this field have a wealth of options for graduate-level accounting work, management instruction, and much more.
