Auburn University is included in our ranking 30 Top Affordable Master’s in Accounting/Master’s of Accountancy Degree Programs.
What is currently known as Auburn University was founded in 1856 as the East Alabama Male College. It was initially affiliated with the Methodist Church prior to the Civil War, closed during the Civil War, and then, when legal control was transferred away from the church, became the first land-grant college in the South that was established separate from the state university system.
Following two more name changes, it officially became Auburn University in 1960. Today, Auburn is one of the few universities to be considered a comprehensive land, sea, and space grant institution, serving more than 29,000 students annually at both undergraduate and graduate levels. As part of the state university in Alabama, Auburn provides the value of a public education and high credentials within its many graduate programs, including the Master of Accountancy and many of the other degrees offered within the College of Business. In addition, Auburn has the distinction of being ranked in the top 50 of public universities for a consecutive 25 years by U.S. News & World Report.
Master of Accountancy Degree
The Master of Accountancy (MAcc) is a graduate degree program housed in the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business at Auburn. It’s designed for both working professionals and those students who are looking for additional technical, research, and communication skills while also focusing on the necessary preparation for passing the Uniform CPA exam on the first attempt.
The program involves completing 30 semester house and can be completed in either three semesters of on-campus study or online over the course of five semesters for students working full-time. The online option can also be completed in three dedicated semesters by students who are not yet working full-time.
Students wishing to enter the MAcc program at Auburn must have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution, preferably in Accounting. The prerequisites required cover both a Business and Accounting foundation and include courses that would be standard requirements of an accredited undergraduate degree program in Accounting. Prerequisite courses cover such subjects as Macro-economics, Business Analytics, Business Law, Income Tax, Auditing, and Accounting Information Systems.
Once in the Masters program, the 30 semester hours are broken up into 12 hours of required courses and 18 hours of elective courses. The required courses include Advanced Auditing and Assurance Services, Research in Accounting, Federal Tax Research, and Integrated Accounting Applications. Elective options include courses in Governmental & Not-For-Profit Accounting, Advanced Business Law, Fraud Examination, and Enterprise Accounting System, and more. All students, regardless of whether studying on campus on online, are required to complete a two and one-half day campus residency during their final Spring semester, during which they will take part in the MAcc Leadership Summit.
Auburn University Accreditation Details
Auburn University is accredited overall by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). In addition, the Master of Accountancy program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International).
Auburn University Application Requirements
Students seeking to enter Auburn University at the graduate level should start by completing and submitting the Graduate School Online Application, along with the required $60 application fee. Prospective students should then follow the application with a one-age resume that shows both past employment and activities and prospective spring or summer internships, a one-page statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendation from former professors. All of these items can be requested and/or submitted online.
Students wishing to enter the Master of Accountancy program in particular would also need to provide GMAT scores and official transcripts for all previous colleges and universities previously attended, with the exception of Auburn itself. Transcripts can be provided in person or through the mail to the MAcc Program Admissions office or can be e-mailed to macc@auburn.edu. E-copies are preferred.
Once all application requirements have been met, the Applications Committee takes a holistic approach to determining each student’s potential for admissions. While minimums are not provided for grade point averages or GMAT score, the average credentials met on prior admissions includes an overall GPA of 3.6, as well as an Accounting GPA of 3.6 in both lower and upper level coursework. In addition, the average GMAT score for those previously admitted was 600 or above.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Auburn University charges tuition in blocks based on a specific number of credit hours, rather than per hour. Graduate studies for future semesters are assessed a base cost of $4,815.00 per semester for nine semester hours or more for in-state residents and $14,445 per semester for out-of-state residents. In addition, the student services fee is $826 per semester, regardless of residency status, and students in the Accountancy program within the College of Business are assessed a further $200 per credit hour, This is a professional fee assessed by the College Business to all graduate students within its programs.
Those students who need assistance paying for college are encouraged to take advantage of the variety of financial aid options available, including federal work study programs, veteran education benefits, scholarships, grants, and loans. Prospective students should begin by filling out and submitting the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid, or FAFSA, online. This should be done almost immediately after the application for admission has been submitted, and Auburn University should be specified as your choice for graduate studies. Once received in the financial aid office at Auburn, counselors will determine each individual student’s financial need and offer an aid package accordingly.
Gaining your graduate degree in Accountancy can result in many more career opportunities in areas of government, corporations, and the private sector. Graduating with this advanced Accountancy degree from Auburn University greatly increases the chances of passing the Certified Public Accountancy exam on the first try, resulting in the much greater earning potential granted to someone of CPA status in the work force and in private practice. And as a public state university, Auburn University provides solid value for the money.
