Before you even think about sitting for the CPA exam in any state, you need to make sure that you can take that exam, which you can do after completing one of the Master’s in Accounting degree programs in Mississippi. These programs take around two years or less to finish as a full-time student, though as a part-time student you’ll have the chance to move through the program at a slower pace. Some of the top programs are more flexible and designed to meet the needs of professional students who cannot attend standard classes that meet during the week.
Delta State University
College of Business
Delta State University has an admissions policy that looks at factors like your college GPA and your test scores when deciding whether to admit you into its accountancy program. Incoming students must have an undergrad GPA of at least 2.7 and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher in all advanced accounting classes they took as well as any business courses listed on their transcripts. The university will only accept up to nine credits earned on another campus and may admit some students on a provisional basis. Those students will need to maintain a higher GPA in all accounting classes taken in the first semester.
Master of Professional Accountancy
Like other Master’s in Accounting degree programs in Mississippi, this program requires that you take 30 credits of classes, but only 21 of those credits are required courses. The remaining nine credits are electives, and you can pick from finance, accounting, economics, management, marketing and computer science courses to fulfill those electives. Required courses include managerial accounting, federal taxation theory and research and commercial law. You’ll also need to take a class on fraud examination and one on financial accounting. This course looks at both the theories of financial accounting as well as the analysis of those theories.
Accreditation
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
Contact
Highway 8 West
Cleveland, MS 38733
(800) 467-6378
Jackson State University
Department of Accounting, Finance and Entrepreneurship
Jackson State University offers various accounting degree programs through its Department of Accounting, Finance and Entrepreneurship. One of those programs is a bachelor’s program that teaches students all the fundamentals that they will need at the graduate level. The university has its own Accounting Society Organization that puts on special events for students studying accounting like networking events with alumni and lectures put on by professionals working for top accounting firms. Students can also talk with their advisers and find opportunities for gaining experience outside of school like internships. Graduates of this program work for the Big Four CPA Firms.
Master of Professional Accountancy
To get your Master of Professional Accountancy through Jackson State, you need to complete a total of 30 credits. At least two of the classes that you take will come from electives, though you have the option of taking electives from within this department or from others. The required courses in the program include advanced managerial accounting, advanced auditing, managerial finance and statistics for business decisions. Some courses are only available during one of the two main semesters. Jackson State requires that students take courses on topics like financial accounting, income tax accounting, information systems or international accounting as well.
MBA for Non-Accounting Undergraduate Degree Holders
One of the more unique Master’s in Accounting degree programs in Mississippi is this one that Jackson State offers for college students who have a bachelor’s degree in a field other than accounting. You’ll need to take 18 credits of business prerequisites and 18 credits of accounting prerequisites before starting the full program. If you took any of those classes from another university, you can transfer those classes. You will also need to take the GMAT and score at least 950 on that exam before you can begin taking MBA classes and accounting courses at Jackson State.
Accreditation
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
1400 John R. Lynch St.
Jackson, MS 39217
(601) 979-2121
Millsaps College
Graduate School
Before enrolling in Millsaps College, which has its main campus in Jackson, you can attend an information session and actually meet with some of the professors who will teach your future classes. These information sessions also give you the opportunity to sit in on some of the classes you might take and meet with current students who can answer questions that those instructors cannot. Millsaps College has a European Study program that allows accounting majors to study abroad too that makes it one of the more unique Master’s in Accounting degree programs in Mississippi . You can spend three weeks to six weeks studying abroad.
MAcc Program
This program has some prerequisites that students must take before enrolling or starting, including classes on intermediate financial accounting, auditing and federal taxation of income. The college will look at your transcript to determine if you need to take any of these classes. You will also need to take five required classes that include advanced auditing, advanced managerial accounting and advanced taxation. Students must score a B- or higher in each class or they will need to take those classes again. Some of the electives that you can take in this program include tax planning research and federal estate and gift taxation.
Accreditation
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
1701 North State St.
Jackson, MS 39210
(601) 974-1000
Mississippi College
Masters & Degrees
Mississippi College offers an MBA in Accounting program that ranks among the top Master’s in Accounting degree programs in Mississippi because it’s available in three different types. The standard or traditional option is best for recent college graduates because it features classes that meet at standard times on the campus. Its online option is a good choice for busy students and those who work full-time jobs because it lets them take courses that they can fit around their schedules. The college also offers a hybrid version of this program that combines both online classes and those that meet on campus.
MBA in Accounting
The Mississippi College program combines elements of accounting with business administration. Graduates of this program may work for government agencies or private firms and help individuals and corporations file taxes and set budgets. Some of the classes that you’ll take include management accounting, government accounting, taxation and auditing. Before you enroll, you will need to take the GMAT and submit your score when submitting your application. The college has some prerequisites that students will need to take, but these prerequisites consist of just nine credits of business classes that most students take during their undergrad years.
Accreditation
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
Contact
200 S. Capitol St.
Clinton, MS 39056
(601) 925-3000
Mississippi State University
Adkerson School of Accountancy
The Adkerson School of Accountancy is responsible for the accounting and taxation programs available through Mississippi State University. Also known as Mississippi State and MSU, the university requires that students keep their grades up or risk being expelled from the program. You need to maintain a 3.0 GPA in all accounting and graduate classes that you take and score no lower than a B in up to two classes. In addition to an accounting program, the university also offers a Master of Taxation that requires 21 credits of required classes and nine credits of electives from accounting or business disciplines.
Master of Professional Accountancy
Though Mississippi State offers one of the top Master’s in Accounting degree programs in Mississippi, it offers this as a general program and as a program with a concentration in systems. Systems concentration students will take three courses on fraud examination, advanced database design administration and advanced systems analysis and design in lieu of taking any electives. Both programs include the same five required courses: advanced accounting, income tax II, business assurance services, advanced managerial accounting and a seminar in financial accounting theory. As a general program student, you can take any advanced upper level accounting classes as electives.
Accreditation
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, MS 39762
(662) 325-2323
Strayer University
Online Degrees
One of the top names in the world of for-profit colleges is Strayer University, which started out as a small business college that offered courses designed to help students enhance their careers and start brand new careers. This campus eventually evolved and became part of a major system that now has campuses across the country. Many of these campuses are in major cities and are in office parks that make it easier for students to take classes after work. Strayer has a campus in a convenient location of Jackson but also offers a Master of Business Administration in Accounting online.
Online Master of Business Administration in Accounting
The online MBA that Strayer University offers is available with a concentration in accounting. You can study different aspects of both business and finances while in this program. The program features classes on managerial accounting, financial accounting, advanced auditing, accounting information systems, commercial law and financial management. You’ll also need to take a class on law, ethics and corporate governance. Other courses include organizational tax research and planning, financial reporting and analysis and managerial accounting. As one of the top Master’s in Accounting degree programs in Mississippi, this Strayer program has other concentrations available too like corporate accounting and forensic accounting.
Accreditation
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
Contact
100 East Capital St.
Jackson, MS 39201
(601) 718-5900
University of Mississippi
Patterson School of Accountancy
The University of Mississippi is home to the Patterson School of Accountancy, which ranks as one of the top schools in the nation in terms of accounting programs. All incoming students meet with a new adviser, and this adviser will use his or her experience to help students make decisions regarding what classes to take and whether to do an internship. Internships are available with some of the top accounting firms in the area as well as those across Mississippi and in other states. The university has a retention policy that awards students points for low grades that may lead to them losing their spots.
Master of Accountancy
One of the Master’s in Accounting degree programs in Mississippi that U of M offers is a Master of Accountancy that consists of 30 semester hours of courses. You will need to take two electives from within the accounting department and two electives from other disciplines. All students must also take required courses like accounting theory, cost and managerial accounting, income tax and a seminar on auditing. The university offers a similar program called as Master of Taxation that it designed specifically for those who want to work as tax accountants, which also consists of 30 semester hours.
J.D. & Master’s Degrees
The University of Mississippi is the only university in the state that offers joint degree programs for its accounting students. You can get either a Master of Accountancy or a Master of Taxation as well as your law degree. Combining those two degrees gives you a better understanding of financial and economic laws. To enroll in a joint program, you must apply and receive an acceptance letter from both programs first. It takes three years of full-time study to finish the program and features classes like torts, civil procedure, contract drafting and negotiation and legal research and writing.
Accreditation
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
P.O. Box 1848
200 Conner Hall
University, MS 38677
(662) 915-7468
Master’s in Accounting degree programs in Mississippi help prepare you for the national CPA licensing exam and for working in the field.
See also: Top 35 Master of Accounting Online Degree Programs
