Walton College

A successful applicant should have an undergraduate background in the following:

• Microeconomics and Macroeconomics
• Finite Math or Calculus
• Basic Statistics
• Business Law
• Management
• Management Information Systems
• Corporate Finance
• Financial Accounting
• Managerial/Cost Accounting
• Accounting Technology
• Auditing
• Taxation

A limited number of graduate assistantships are available to qualified students. These assistantships pay tuition and provide the student with a stipend of $4,500 per semester for which students work 20 hours per week for the Accounting Department. Limited scholarships are also available. Scholarships and assistantships are extremely competitive. All students applying to the MAcc program are automatically considered for financial assistance.

Each state has specific accounting hour and course requirements that must be met before an applicant can sit for the CPA exam.  Most states also have specific business course and hour requirements.  In addition, some states may have different total credit hour requirements or residency requirements for sitting for the exam and successful licensure.

Students planning to sit for the exam should consult the State Board of Accountancy in the state where they would like to become licensed.  The CPA advisor for the accounting department is JaLynn Thomas, jthomas@walton.uark.edu.  Students may contact her for additional assistance. Students with an undergraduate accounting degree who also complete the Walton College MAcc program are generally eligible to sit for the Arkansas CPA exam.

Because the course offerings in the MAcc program are unique, all accounting courses for degree credit must be taken at the University of Arkansas. Elective courses can be transferred from another university. The Graduate School of Business requires that the course meet the following criteria:

• The course must be taken at an AACSB accredited institution
• The credit hours cannot be applied to obtain another degree
• The student must be enrolled as a graduate student at that institution
• Transfer credit is limited to 6 hours of course work

The MAcc admissions committee looks at many factors in choosing students for the program. These factors include your undergraduate academic record, your score on the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), personal recommendations, relevant work experience and leadership potential.

AACSB or the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business is the premier accreditation institution for business schools around the world. Nearly 600 institutions worldwide have the accreditation. As an accredited institution, we must follow a set of strict guidelines governing faculty and academic quality, meaning that your degree will be more valuable to both you and your future employer. Learn more about AACSB and what it can do for you.

A laptop is not required for the MAcc Program, but it is strongly recommended that you have one. If you are getting a laptop, it is recommended that you get one that meets the following criteria:

• Specifications: Preferably 5 years old or less, 4 GB RAM minimum, 4 GB free disk space minimum
• Operating System: Windows 7, Windows 8.x, or MacOS 10.x
• Network: Wireless enabled and/or Ethernet port
• Virus Protection: An up-to-date virus protection software