The Master of Science in Accounting (MSA), Assurance Track prepares individuals for careers as professional accountants and consultants in public accounting, industry, financial institutions, government, and nonprofit organizations. Students in this program will specialize in auditing and assurance skills used in a financial statement, compliance, internal control, and fraud contexts.
The MSA degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of a minimum of 30 credit hours, and a final written exit exam. In the total program of study, a minimum of 21 credit hours of the coursework must be completed in accounting, tax, or business law courses. Students, with the assistance and approval of the program adviser, may select other courses that reflect their interests and career objectives.
Total Credit Hours Required: 30 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree
Track Prerequisites
All business and accounting foundation core requirements can be completed after a student has gained admission to the program, but must be satisfied before graduate coursework can be undertaken. Applicants with a recent undergraduate accounting degree will likely have completed most, if not all, of the foundation prerequisite courses. Before taking any foundation courses, please have your undergraduate transcripts reviewed by the MSA Program Adviser.
The business foundation core is designed primarily to prepare students who hold a nonbusiness undergraduate degree (e.g., psychology, education, or engineering) for the accounting foundation core and graduate MSA coursework.
- ACG 2021 - Financial Accounting 3 Credit Hours
- ACG 2071 - Managerial Accounting 3 Credit Hours
- ECO 2013 - Macroeconomics 3 Credit Hours
- ECO 2023 - Microeconomics 3 Credit Hours
- QMB 3003 - Quantitative Business Tools I 3 Credit Hours
- QMB 3200 - Quantitative Business Tools II 3 Credit Hours
- FIN 3403 - Business Finance 3 Credit Hours
The accounting foundation core is designed primarily to prepare students who hold either a nonbusiness undergraduate degree (e.g., psychology, education, or engineering) or an undergraduate business degree in a field other than accounting (e.g., finance, marketing, or management) for graduate MSA coursework.
- ACG 3131 - Intermediate Financial Accounting I 3 Credit Hours
- ACG 3141 - Intermediate Financial Accounting II 3 Credit Hours
- ACG 3361 - Cost Accounting I 3 Credit Hours
- ACG 4401 - Accounting Information Systems 3 Credit Hours
- ACG 4651 - Auditing 3 Credit Hours
- ACG 4803 - Advanced Issues in Financial Accounting 3 Credit Hours
- BUL 3130 - Legal and Ethical Environment of Business 3 Credit Hours
- TAX 4001 - Taxation of Business Entities and Transactions 3 Credit Hours
Degree Requirements
Required Courses
12 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- ACG6185 - Financial Statement Analysis (3)
- ACG6415 - Advanced Accounting Information Systems (3)
- ACG6805 - Accounting Theory (3)
- ACG6835 - Ethics and Professionalism in Accounting and Auditing (3)
Required Specialization Courses
6 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- ACG6636 - Advanced Auditing (3)
- ACG6675 - Operational Auditing (3)
Elective Specialization Course
3 Total Credits
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- ACG6305 - Advanced Managerial Accounting (3)
- ACG6685 - Fraud Auditing (3)
- TAX5015 - Advanced Tax Topics (3)
Restricted Elective Courses
9 Total Credits
- Earn at least 9 credits from the following types of courses: All tracks include 9 credit hours (3 courses) of restricted electives. MSA students can take additional ACG, TAX, or BUL courses as restricted electives (except for ACG 6425 and BUL 6444, which are not eligible for MSA credit). Most MBA electives may be taken as restricted electives. Please note that some of the MBA courses may be restricted to only those students enrolled within a specific MBA track. Up to three hours may be selected from outside the College of Business. Courses outside the College of Business must be selected with the student's area of interest and/or career objectives in mind and with the approval of the program adviser.
Comprehensive Examination
0 Total Credits
- Satisfactory completion of an end-of-program comprehensive written examination is required. The MSA program does not require a thesis.
Grand Total Credits: 30
Application Requirements
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.
In addition to the general UCF graduate application requirements, applicants to this program must provide:
- One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended.
- 3.0 GPA in upper-division accounting and tax courses.
- Official, competitive GMAT score taken within the last five years.
- The GRE is not required for admission to this program.
- Résumé.
- Goal Statement - Please answer the following questions:
- How will obtaining a master’s degree aid you in achieving your short term (i.e., 3-5 year) career goals?
- How do your past experiences and achievements relate to your interest in and capacity for graduate study in accounting?
- A computer-based score of 233 (or 91 internet-based score) on the Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL) if an applicant is from a country where English is not the official language, or if an applicant's degree is not from an accredited U.S. institution, or if an applicant did not earn a degree in a country where English is the only official language or a university where English is the only official language of instruction. Although we prefer the TOEFL, we will accept IELTS scores of 7.0.
- Applicants applying to this program who have attended a college/university outside the United States must provide a course-by-course credential evaluation with GPA calculation. Credential evaluations are accepted from World Education Services (WES) or Josef Silny and Associates, Inc. only.
Letters of recommendation are not required.
Financial Information
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The section Financial Information of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowship Information
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
