Integrated Masters of Accounting Program

The IMAcc program will add value to your future career.

• Increased access to employers.
• Higher average starting salary and better job placement opportunities.
• Outstanding internship opportunities + mini-semester course options during Spring semester of senior year.
• Ability to obtain graduate credit for internships.
• Receive excellent CPA preparation + Becker review during the summer after your MAcc degree.
• Early access to graduate level scholarships and assistantships.
• Out-of-state students from neighbor states can receive non-resident tuition waiver extension to a fifth year if qualifications are met
• Our program is AACSB Accredited

All current students at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas who meet the following criteria are encouraged to apply during your junior year.

• Completed 75 credit hours
• Minimum 3.0 GPA
• Must have taken or be currently enrolled in 6 hours of accounting courses (ACCT 3723, ACCT 3843)
• Must have taken the GMAT

No. The IMAcc is an integrated degree where you will receive both the BSBA in Accounting and the MAcc degrees when all undergraduate and graduate courses are completed at the end of the fifth year.

Students generally take their first graduate course during the fall semester of their fifth year. However, since you will now be a student in the IMAcc program, you would have access to graduate accounting and business courses.

You will need to apply at the Walton College Graduate School of Business located on the third floor in Willard J. Walker Hall. The IMAcc program application deadline is February 15th during your junior year.

IMAcc program is a 5 year program; you earn your BSBA in Accounting and MAcc degrees concurrently.

You must have taken the GMAT exam before the application deadline of February 15th. The GMAT is now offered weekly on the University of Arkansas campus, so you have flexibility in scheduling it. It can be taken more than once with a month separation in between takes. For information on the GMAT, you can call 1-800-GMAT-NOW or visit the GMAT website.

Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 overall and in their accounting courses and must have completed ACCT 3723 - Intermediate Accounting I and ACCT 3843 - Fundamentals of Tax I. In addition, the IMAcc admissions committee looks at several different factors including students' undergraduate academic record, GMAT score, resume, letters of recommendations, statement of purpose, and leadership potential.

Applicants to the IMAcc program should submit:

• Application Form
• Application Fee ($60 non-refundable application fee)
• Resume
• Transcripts – we have access, no need to submit anything
• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• Statement of Purpose
• Official GMAT Score Report

A limited number of graduate assistantships are available to qualified students. Limited scholarships are also available. Scholarships and assistantships are extremely competitive. All students applying to the IMAcc 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.

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

This is a common request. Unfortunately we face two primary constraints. First, the Arkansas State Board of Accountancy does not recognize Review Courses towards the 150 hours of College Credit needed to sit for the CPA Exam. Secondly, AACSB accreditation standards do not recognize Review Courses as acceptable degree requirements. Other Universities in the area circumvent the above two constraints by increasing their IMAcc requirements to 33 hours (as opposed to 30 Hours) and offering the CPA Review course as an elective. This way the students will hypothetically have more than 150 hours of University credit (so the CPA review course does not need to be counted to the CPA requirements and the degree accreditation of 30 hours is still maintained). Students are then charged university tuition to take the course. The University then outsources the course to a CPA Review Provider.

Other Universities emphasize the importance of individuals to take professional responsibility for career progression. The CPA Review experience is then facilitated on campus (but not administered by the University). This is the approach we have chosen to incorporate into the MAcc Program experience at the University of Arkansas and part of the reason why we do not offer such Review courses for college credit. There is no doubt that CPA Review courses can be extremely beneficial. We encourage students to make it an important part of their preparations for the start of their professional accounting career. As a result we have committed to working with CPA review providers to have an independent course offered on campus.

"Walking in Commencement" and "Applying for Graduation" are two different things.

We encourage all of the IMACCs to participate and walk in May Commencement in their 4th Year to celebrate the completion of BSBA requirements. However, IMACC students should not "apply for graduation" until their graduate year. Their participation in commencement is organized by the MACC Director. In the following year the IMACC student participate again in Commencement to celebrate the completion of their MACC requirements. It is during the MACC year that IMACC students will actually apply for graduation to receive both degrees. Note that students will still receive the automated messages from the Registrar’s office that are sent to ALL seniors about applying for BSBA graduation.