Master in Professional Accountancy

The Master in Professional Accountancy (MPA) program builds on undergraduate accounting knowledge to prepare students as professional accountants in auditing, corporate accounting, governmental accounting, consulting, or management. The program strives to broaden students' education by integrating communication, ethics, diversity and information systems with basic accounting knowledge. The program has been designed to help prepare students for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination, but would also prove useful for those preparing for other professional accounting certifications such as the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). Emphasis in the graduate program is on teaching students how to perform research so that they are able to stay current in their respective fields.

The program admits both professionals and recent college graduates who hold a baccalaureate degree. Students enter in cohorts of 15 to 20 and move as a group through 11 required courses in two academic years.

Students whose undergraduate degree is not in accounting must satisfy a set of prerequisite courses that includes Intermediate Accounting I and II, Cost Accounting, and Income Tax. The manner in which students meet these prerequisite courses depends on their academic status as full-time or part-time students.

The standard part-time program can be completed in 21 months following the regular Elmhurst College calendar.

The program includes 11 required three-hour courses beginning with courses in accounting theory and communication. The following nine courses build on the concepts and skills introduced in the first two classes. Accounting topics covered include auditing, tax, international accounting, partnerships, governmental accounting, and non-profit accounting. Supporting coursework in business law, information systems, professional ethics, and managing diversity helps broaden the students' understanding of how accounting information influences decision makers both within and outside the organization. The final semester includes a capstone course where student teams complete a project that ties the themes of the program to a currently evolving issue related to auditing and reporting or accounting information systems.

Prof. Paul Jacobs, Program Coordinator
Telephone: (630) 617-3121
Fax: (630) 617-6497
E-mail: paulj@elmhurst.edu

If you have any questions regarding a graduate program at Elmhurst College, please direct them to:

Elizabeth D. Kuebler, Director
Office of Graduate Admission
Telephone: (630) 617-3069
E-mail: betsyk@elmhurst.edu