Accounting

Contact: Dr. W. Ken Harmon
Director, School of Accountancy and MAcc Program Director
Office: Burruss Building
Phone: (770) 423-6084
Email: wharmon3@kennesaw.edu
Web address: http://colesMAcc.com

All graduate and undergraduate business degree programs at Kennesaw State University are accredited by AACSB International—The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (http://www.aacsb.edu). The accounting degree programs also hold specialized AACSB accounting accreditation.

Vision and Mission Statements, Michael J. Coles College of Business

Vision: The Coles College of Business aspires to be the preferred provider of timely, flexible business education and relevant, applied research and practice valued by the marketplace.

Mission: The Coles College of Business provide high quality, applied business education and knowledge creation in a collegial, stimulating, and supportive learning-centered environment. Predominantly serving residents and the business community of the metropolitan Atlanta and the Northwest Georgia region, we strive to develop our students into highly effective and ethical business leaders who are prepared for an increasingly complex, technologically sophisticated and interdependent world. We offer innovative and flexible programs through a diverse and talented pool of faculty and staff who contribute to the professional and ethical standards of their respective disciplines. In all our activities, we treat individuals with integrity and respect and are focused on the continuing development of our students, faculty and staff, and communities.

– Revised March 2008

Coles MBA Students

The following parameters apply to MBA students who wish to take 8000-level accounting courses as their MBA electives: (See details in the program description below.)

Must complete ACCT 8000, which is a prerequisite for all MAcc graduate courses
Must hold a baccalaureate degree in accounting or must complete all undergraduate accounting pre-requisite courses required for MAcc students
May take ACCT 8990 as an elective only after completion of 12 hours (four 8000-level, graduate courses) including ACCT 8100 and ACCT 8400
May not use ACCT 8990 to satisfy MGT 8999

General Requirements for Admission to the MAcc Program

Admission to the MAcc program is granted to those persons showing high promise of success in graduate business (accounting) study. Applicants’ portfolios are reviewed as a part of a competitive process based on the following components:

Professional Experience
Academic Background
Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT)
Applicants may also provide up to 3 references if they choose

*International applicants have additional requirements; see Graduate Admission .

Transfer Credit

Students may transfer a maximum of six semester hours of graduate course work with grades of “B” or better taken at an institution accredited in a manner acceptable to KSU provided the transfer hours are made prior to the last 24 hours of course work. These courses may be no more than six years old at the time of acceptance, and they must be relevant to the MAcc program. Special hardship cases, such as job transfers, will be decided on an individual basis by the program director. The transfer of credit for course work completed at another institution will be approved only under the following conditions:

The course was completed at an institution accredited in a manner accepted by KSU.
A minimum grade of “B” was received in the course.
The course was restricted to graduate students only.
The content of the course corresponds to that of a course required or permitted in the student’s program at Kennesaw State University.
The credit to be considered for transfer will not be more than six years old at the time the student enters Kennesaw State University.
A request for consideration of transfer credit must be submitted to the director of the MAcc program by the student concerned during the first semester of residence here. The request must indicate the specific course(s) for which transfer credit is sought. A copy of the other institution’s transcript and a course description from the catalog must be submitted. A course outline may also be required.

Grades

Expectations for satisfactory graduate level student performance are detailed in the Academic Policies section of this catalog.

Grades and hours earned in the business foundation courses are included in computing graduate grade point average. “A”s and “B”s are expected.

Students who must take the undergraduate accounting prerequisite courses must obtain an average grade of “B” or better in those courses. Classes may be retaken to achieve this average.

Petition to Graduate

Each MAcc student must petition to graduate the semester prior to completion of program requirements. To request a petition, go to http://coles.kennesaw.edu/mba-options/MBA/Petition.html. The Graduate Business Office will prepare a petition and email it to the student’s preferred email account. Directions on filing the petition with the Office of the Registrar will be included.

Admission Criteria for Non-Degree Students

Accounting professionals seeking to take courses to meet continuing education requirements and others who wish to meet educational requirements to sit for the CPA, but who do not wish to work toward a MAcc degree, may apply for admission as a non-degree/post-baccalaureate student. The requirements for admission to this status are:

Baccalaureate degree from an accredited university
Review of academic background

Since all applicable business foundation courses and accounting prerequisites must be met prior to taking any graduate classes, this option is primarily for those with an accounting degree and background. To apply, visit http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/admissions/forms.html. Check “MAcc non-degree” on the application. Degree-seeking students are given priority in scheduling and admission to classes.

Changing from Non-Degree to Degree Status

Students who wish to work toward a MAcc degree should not enter as non-degree/post-baccalaureate students. Only in special circumstances will a student admitted as a non-degree/post-baccalaureate student be allowed to enter the MAcc program. In those rare cases where a student is subsequently accepted to the MAcc program, no more than nine semester hours completed as a non-degree/post-baccalaureate student may be applied toward the MAcc degree, and the decision of whether to allow those hours to be applied will be made on an individual basis by the MAcc program director. A student must submit a satisfactory GMAT score upon completion of nine semester hours in order to continue study in the MAcc program regardless of grades achieved in courses completed as non-degree.

Readmission to the Master of Accounting

Any graduate student who has a break in attendance of six semesters or more must apply for readmission to the MAcc program. Students applying for readmission must meet all admissions criteria in place at the time of readmission including minimum GPA and GMAT scores. The six-year time limit for degree completion applies. To apply for readmission visit http://www.kennesaw.edu/graduate/admissions/forms.html

The Master of Accounting program is made up of these four course groupings: business foundation courses, accounting prerequisites, core courses, and electives. All students complete the required 18 credit hours of prescribed core accounting and business courses and 12 credit hours of accounting electives for a total of 30 credit hours.