The University of Georgia is also featured in our ranking 30 Top Affordable Master’s in Accounting/Master’s of Accountancy Degree Programs.
Master of Accountancy
The Master of Accountancy program that the University of Georgia offers is one of the best in the country. It ranks number one among larger accounting programs and number two in terms of the number of students who take the CPA exam and pass on their first try. Undergrads attending the university can enroll in a 4 + 1 program, which features four years of bachelor’s classes and a single year of master’s classes. Students can meet the CPA exam requirements and earn two accounting degrees in five years of full-time work.
Before enrolling in the Master of Accountancy program, students must select a specialization in taxation, audit or advisory. They can also enroll in a combined program that allows them to take law school classes and earn a JD while working on an accounting degree. Students will take at least 12 credits of required classes, three credits of electives and six credits of business courses. The University of Georgia will look at the transcript a student submits to determine the number of classes that a student must take based on his or her past classes. Students can also enroll in the Double Dawg program. This allows students majoring in fields other than accounting to earn both a Master of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Business Administration in five years.
About University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is the largest public university in the state and the flagship institution in the University of Georgia School System. Usually called UGA, it also ranks as one of the oldest university campuses in the country. Founded in 1785, UGA has a long history that includes a closure that occurred during the Civil War. It actually reopened after the War to assist the veterans wounded in action who wanted to start over again.
UGA is a popular university because it offers a small college feel. Despite having an enrollment of more than 37,000 students, the university has a low ratio of professors to students with just 18 students for each instructor working on its campus. More than 20 of the degree programs that it offers rank within the top 200 of all programs in the nation. A number of its programs also rank among the best in the world. ARWU, U.S. News and World Report, Washington Monthly and Forbes all rank UGA as one of the nation’s top 100 colleges. Many organizations rank the university as one of the best colleges in the world and as one of the top public schools in the United States too.
University of Georgia Accreditation Details
Some schools make it difficult for students to find out about the accreditation that they have, but the University of Georgia puts all its accreditation information on its website. Students can actually see which organizations granted it accreditation and when that accreditation comes up for renewal. It typically lasts for a decade before the university needs to renew its accreditation. Regional accreditation, which is what allows students to both transfer their credits and obtain financial aid, comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the Commission on Colleges (SACSCC). UGA also has specialty accreditation from groups that include the American Bar Association (ABA) and the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AASCB) also accredited the university’s business school and all programs offered by that school.
University of Georgia Application Requirements
The UGA Master of Accountancy program has some application requirements of its own that are separate from other grad school requirements. Students must submit several documents to show the university that they have bachelor’s degrees. The university asks for unofficial transcripts from students who do not yet have a degree. Once a student finishes a degree, he or she can submit an official transcript. They will also provide an official GMAT score. Students who have a GPA of at least 3.5 and took prerequisite accounting classes can skip this requirement.
They must also provide UGA with three letters of recommendation. Two of those letters must come from professors from within a college or university accounting department, while the other letter can come from a supervisor or a peer. Students will print out an information sheet, answer the questions on that sheet and sign and date the bottom before turning it into the university. UGA also asks for a statement of purpose, an essay and a copy of the student’s resume. The essay must be at a single page in length. While the essay should be the same length, it should address the reasons why the student wants to study accounting. Once the university accepts a student, that individual must put down a $200 deposit. The university asks all incoming students to attend an orientation session before the semester starts too.
Tuition and Financial Aid
UGA offers both full-time and part-time student rates as well as tuition rates for Georgia residents vs. nonresidents. Part-time students will take six or fewer credits each semester and pay $2,838 as a Georgia resident. Nonresidents who are also part-time students will pay $8,346 per semester. Full-time students take more than six credits and can take up to 15 credits. Those students pay $4,776 as a Georgia resident and $14,063 as a nonresident. Students will pay the same amount, whether they take classes on the UGA campus or online.
The Terry College of Business at UGA offers financial aid for incoming accounting majors. Students can apply for a graduate assistantship and work for the college. They receive a discounted tuition rate and a stipend that pays them $6,000 a year. Students accepted into this program typically have a GPA of 3.85 or higher and an even higher GPA in the accounting classes that they took. The university offers a tuition waiver for those who live out of state. This waiver reduces tuition costs down to the same amount that Georgia residents pay. Students must have an undergrad GPA of 3.0 or higher and a 3.5 or higher GPA in all grad school classes taken.
Graduate students can also apply for one of the loan programs offered by the federal government. Those programs provide students with graduate PLUS loans as well as unsubsidized loans. The University of Georgia recommends that students look at government loans before considering private loans.
