Yes. We have a higher percentage of our courses taught by full-time faculty than other South Florida accounting or tax programs. The few part-time faculty members we use are professionally qualified and are regarded as experts in their respective field.

The MS in Accountancy program is primarily designed to meet the needs of full-time students. Full-time students may begin the program during the summer, fall or spring and complete the degree requirements within one academic year. Part-time students may typically complete the program by taking coursework during the fall and spring semesters, and earning additional credit hours in summer classes.

Although some courses are offered in the evening, most graduate accounting and tax classes are taught during the day; courses are not offered on weekends.

No, we do not offer any online classes in the on-campus Master of Science in Accountancy program.

Demonstrating proficiency in written and oral English is crucial as students must participate in class discussions and presentations, as well as successfully complete written assignments.  Therefore, International applicants whose native language is not English and/or who do not fulfill one of the criteria mentioned below must take an English language proficient exam.  The requirements are as follows:

• TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language):  The TOEFL should have been taken within 2 years prior to application for admission; a minimum score of 600 (paper-based), 94 (internet-based) or 240 (computer-based) is required. Visit the TOEFL website, www.toefl.org, for more information.

• IELTS (International English Language Testing System): The IELTS should have been taken within 2 years prior to application for admission; a minimum score of 6.5 on IELTS is required, 7.0 or greater is preferred. Visit the IELTS website, www.ielts.org, for more information.

The above requirement may be waived for non-native English speakers provided the applicant fulfills one of the following criteria:

• An applicant has earned an undergraduate degree in a country where the official language is English (this does not include degrees from just English-speaking institutions or just a country where English is spoken). 
• An applicant has studied in the United States at an undergraduate level for at least one year or the equivalent of 30 consecutive credits.  
• An applicant has lived and worked in an English-speaking country for the past two or more years.

The TOEFL code for the University of Miami is 5815.

The GMAT code for University of Miami is 7NV-S1-96.

Transcripts:

Official transcripts for all undergraduate coursework as well as any post-graduate coursework from each university attended (including summer school, part-time study, or post-graduate even if only for one course) must be sent directly to the Graduate Business Programs office. An additional final transcript showing degree conferred and date of graduation should be sent after completion of any coursework still in progress at the time of admission.

Applicants who received a degree from an institution outside of the United States must submit transcripts in sealed envelopes from the university attended.  Either university provided English versions or certified English translations of both the transcript and the diploma, along with the original transcript and a photocopy of the diploma, must be provided.
Transcripts should be sent to the following address:

Regular U.S. Mail:

Graduate Business Programs
Miami Herbert Business School
University of Miami
P.O. Box 248505
Coral Gables, Florida 33124-6524

Alternate Delivery Service
(FedEx, UPS, DHL, courier):

Graduate Business Programs
Room 221 Jenkins Bldg.
Miami Herbert Business School
University of Miami
5250 University Drive 
Coral Gables, Florida 33146
Phone for FedEx, UPS, DHL, etc. purposes only: 1-305-284-2510

Letters of Recommendation and Resumes:

Each applicant is required to submit two letters of recommendation. Most applicants provide a recommendation from a college instructor or from an employer or immediate supervisor.

Resumes and letters of recommendation can either be emailed to the Director of Accounting Master’s Programs, Michael Werner at maccmst@bus.miami.edu or mailed to the Graduate Business Programs office addresses listed above.

For tuition and financial information, click here.

Through the generosity of alumni and friends of the Miami Herbert Business School, certain endowed and annual scholarships are made available to graduate students enrolled in accounting-related degree programs. Click here for more information.

Students who complete their undergraduate degree in accounting at the University of Miami or the equivalent from an AACSB-accredited institution will normally meet the prerequisites for the MS in Accountancy program.  However, some graduate tax classes may require an undergraduate corporate income tax course which is not required by some undergraduate programs. The courses listed below are the normal undergraduate prerequisite courses:

ACC 211    Principles of Financial Accounting
ACC 212    Managerial Accounting
ACC 301    Cost / Managerial Accounting
ACC 311    Intermediate Financial Accounting I
ACC 312    Intermediate Financial Accounting II
ACC 402    Auditing
ACC 403    Fundamentals of Taxation
ACC 404    Advanced Taxation (Only required for some graduate tax courses)
ACC 406    Accounting Systems (or ACC306)

Students wishing to enter the MS in Accountancy program that have a non-accounting degree (preferably in business) and have completed introductory financial accounting and managerial accounting should consider the Accounting Summer Intensive Program below. Click here for more information about the University of Miami Accounting Summer Intensive Program.

Yes. We have two available options.

The Accounting Summer Intensive Program is designed for those who hold at least an undergraduate degree in a field other than accounting from an accredited college or university. Students that have a non-accounting degree can apply to our Master of Science in Accountancy (MS in Accountancy) and will automatically be considered applicants to the Accounting Summer Intensive Program when we discover that their undergraduate degree is not in accounting. 

The 7-week, 12-credit summer intensive program begins in early July and runs through about late August.  Six 2-credit upper division accounting prerequisite courses are covered including the following:

• Intermediate Accounting I
• Intermediate Accounting II
• Cost Accounting
• Accounting Information Systems
• Introduction toTaxation
• Auditing

Upon successful completion of the intensive program, students enter the MS in Accountancy program in the fall semester. Students must complete 30 credits beyond the 12-credit intensive program and can complete both programs and graduate with their master’s degree in just over ten months of full time study.

The Accounting Summer Intensive Program is fast-paced and requires full-time attention.  The program is intensive and not designed for students that are working even part-time.

For additional information about the Accounting Summer Intensive Program, click here.

This certificate program is designed for those who hold at least an undergraduate business degree in a field other than accounting from an accredited college or university and whose present interest or occupation is accounting. The Undergraduate Certificate in Accounting is awarded by the Division of Continuing and International Education and the Department of Accounting. This program requires students to take the same 24 semester hours of upper-division accounting courses required for an undergraduate major.

Students who wish to be eligible to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam in Florida must have completed 120 semester hours including 24 semester hours of accounting (above the elementary level) and 24 semester hours of business courses, including a minimum of six hours of business law. There are additional educational requirements to become licensed as a Certified Public Accountant in Florida. Students may wish to consider the University of Miami's MS in Accountancy or MST programs to meet those additional educational requirements.

Once you have begun classes, you need to start planning for graduation. Once you have completed your first four graduate courses (12 credit hours), you need to complete an Application for Admission to Candidacy for the Master’s Degree. This is a one page form available from the Accounting Department. In your final semester you must then apply for graduation which is done online through MyUM. Graduation ceremonies are held only during the Fall and Spring terms but you may graduate in any term including summer. Students must have a 3.00 GPA to graduate with a master's degree from the University of Miami.

Yes. All students are encouraged to visit the Toppel Career Center for assistance with career planning as well as part-time, full-time, and internship opportunities. Representatives from local, national, and international businesses visit the campus to meet with students and to interview and discuss career employment opportunities with graduating students and alumni. Individual interviews are scheduled with visiting employer representatives.

A series of programs is offered throughout the year providing information and skill-building activities in resume development, interviewing skills, networking, securing internships, and much more. The Toppel Career Center has established a comprehensive and current career resource and research facility which contains career-related materials for use by students and alumni including employment opportunities, salary surveys, descriptions of specific careers, and the preparation necessary to attain them. The Lehman computer lab enables students to work on their job and internship search. CaneZone, an internet-based Career Management System, allows students to create a career profile, upload resumes, search for jobs and internships, and sign up for on-campus interviews. Students and alumni can also use TypeFocus, a computerized career information system, which is an excellent tool for career decision making. Career Column, a weekly e-newsletter available to students and alumni provides career information and updates about current events at the career center. An annual Accounting Career Fair is jointly sponsored each Fall by Toppel Career Center and Beta Alpha Psi (the Accounting honorary fraternity). This is a fantastic opportunity for accounting students to network with over 30 local and national firms looking to fill both internship and full-time positions.

In addition to the resources provided by the Toppel Career Center, the Department of Accounting Program Manager, Daniel Medina, is available to provide one-on-one support, advice, and critiques for students during their interviewing process.

Most of our students intend to become qualified as Certified Public Accountants (CPA). While the CPA exam is a national exam administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, its execution and licensing practices are governed by state law. For example, some states require a certain number of credit hours in particular subjects and have overall accounting and business credit hour requirements. As such, you should check with the state in which you intend to practice to determine what the specific course requirements are for that state. Note, our department is unable to make a determination of your eligibility to sit for the CPA exam. This can only be done by the appropriate state board. The licensure requirements for the State of Florida can be viewed at: http://www.myfloridalicense.com/dbpr/cpa/licensure.html

For your convenience, the Florida rules that apply to most individuals are summarized here. Please check the State of Florida Web site noted above for updates and rules which may apply in particular circumstances.

As of July 1, 2008 the Florida State Board of Accountancy (BOA) separated the requirements to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) into two parts: (1) the requirements to be eligible to take the CPA exam and (2) the requirements for licensure to practice as a CPA in Florida.

Requirements to Sit for the CPA Exam: To be eligible to take the CPA exam, you must have completed 120 semester hours including 24 semester hours of accounting (auditing, cost and managerial accounting, financial accounting, accounting information systems, and taxation) at the upper division level (300-level or above) and 24 semester hours in general business courses (including at least 6 semester hours of business law courses). One business law course can be at a lower lever (freshman or sophomore), the other course must be upper division (junior level or higher).

Requirements for Licensure: In addition to passing all four parts of the CPA exam, the BOA requires that you have completed a bachelor’s degree plus an additional 30 hours for a total of 150 semester hours before you can become licensed as a CPA. One year of work experience under the supervision of a licensed CPA is now also required to become licensed. (This experience may be obtained before or after sitting for the exam, however, all requirements to sit for the exam must be met before the work experience commences.)

The 150 semester hours must include a minimum of 36 semester hours of upper division accounting courses and at least 39 semester hours of general business courses. Excess upper division accounting courses may be used to meet the general business requirement. Accounting courses for non-accounting majors and any MBA or graduate courses that are equivalent to elementary accounting are not accepted for this requirement.

Accreditation
The Board accepts degrees from schools accredited by the following associations: Middle States Association, New England Association, North Central Association, Northwest Association, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Association of Independent Schools and Colleges who have been approved by the Florida State Board of Independent Colleges and Universities, and Canadian Schools who have been approved by their provincial educational bodies. If you have graduated from a school or college which is not accredited by the above mentioned means, then you must use the provisions of F.A.C. 61H1-27.001 (5) (see below).

Applicants Who Have Graduated from Non-Accredited Schools (61H1-27.001) (5)
Applicants who have graduated from a non-accredited school may still qualify to sit for the CPA examination. The candidate must take 15 semester hours of graduate classes with at least nine hours of graduate level accounting courses to include three semester hours of graduate tax. THESE HOURS MUST BE TAKEN AFTER ADMISSION TO GRADUATE SCHOOL. If the courses are taken before admission to a graduate program, the classes will not be accepted, even if the school includes them as part of the graduate program. These courses cannot duplicate other courses which the applicant has taken and they cannot be used to accredit the non-accredited degree and satisfy the educational requirements. The applicant must complete the graduate school courses to validate the non-accredited degree. The applicant must also meet all other requirements for endorsement or transfer of credit. An evaluation of foreign transcripts must be completed by an evaluation service which has been approved by the Board.

Duplicate Courses
No credit will be given for courses which duplicate another course for which the applicant has received credit. Review courses are considered as duplicates.

For the CPA requirements in other states, you should consult the State Board of Accountancy for your state. Links to the requirements for each state can be found at:

The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy

List of State Boards of Accountancy

General information about the CPA exam from the AICPA http://www.aicpa.org