Accountancy

Program Overview
Admissions Requirements
Courses
Tuition & Aid

Pass the CPA exam the first time!

At nearly 80%, our first time CPA exam pass rate soars above the national average.

There’s never been a better time to pursue your accounting career. Demand for accountants far outweighs the candidates. We will prepare you to pass every part of the CPA exam on the first try. Our uniquely-designed curriculum will equip you for working in the professional world. We know graduate business education is costly, so a Lipscomb MAcc comes with several special opportunities.

Get hands-on experience with a full-time internship at the height of tax season. Score more than 600 on the GMAT, and you could receive a significant scholarship. And you can earn up to $1,000 in scholarship money for each part of the CPA exam passed prior to your final semester. After graduation, you'll join your peers — who all got the work they were looking for.

Simply want to become eligible for CPA licensure in less than a year? Our Graduate Certificate of Accountancy for Professionals (GCAP) is for professionals like you. If you're in need of 12 accounting hours or less, you'll be eligible for your licensure after receiving this certificate. Choose an academic course for a corresponding part of the CPA exam and you'll be on your way:

Advanced Auditing & Forensics (AUD)
Managerial Accounting & Finance (BEC)
Taxation of Business Entities (REG)
Advanced Financial Reporting (FAR)

Accounting Boot Camp

Do you need the prerequisites for a Master of Accountancy program? Or are you interested in pivoting from your current career to the field of accounting? Lipscomb’s Accounting Boot Camp can get you where you want to go!

Accounting Boot Camp is a rigorous, accelerated program which will prepare you with the basic accounting skills necessary to begin a Master of Accountancy program or to begin your career in the world of corporate accounting. Boot Camp is fast paced! Beginning in May and meeting two nights per week and half days on Saturdays, you’ll quickly get the knowledge you need to move forward in your career.

Learn More about Accounting Boot Camp

Gainful Employment

The Graduate Certificate in Accountancy is a Gainful Employment program regulated by the U.S. Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education requires additional information be provided to you about this certificate program. For more information view the Gainful Employment Disclosure.

Program Foundations

Tracks

Executives-in-Residence

Admissions Requirements

Prerequisites

Applicants for the MAcc program are required to complete the GMAT with a recommended score of 500 or higher. In addition, an undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or higher is preferred. An internship or other relevant employment in the field is strongly encouraged. A GMAT waiver option is available for applicants with an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or higher. Applicants who are granted the GMAT waiver, in turn, waive consideration for the MAcc scholarships based upon GMAT scores. (Try our Sample GMAT.)

MAcc candidates can satisfy the undergraduate prerequisite requirements in one of two ways.

First method: complete 18 hours in accounting

Students must complete the following courses:

Financial Accounting (Principles of Accounting 1)
Managerial Accounting (Principles of Accounting 2)
Intermediate Accounting 1 and 2
Federal Income Taxation (Individual Tax)
Principles of Auditing

Second method: Students can complete Lipscomb's 9 or 12 hour undergraduate Accounting Bootcamp course (MACC 501V) to satisfy all undergraduate prerequisites.

Learn More about Accounting Bootcamp

Application Requirements

Resume
Personal Statement
References
GMAT
Official Transcripts
Interview

All students, particularly those without an undergraduate degree in business, should remember that many states, including Tennessee, require students to have earned a specified number of hours in business to sit for the CPA exam. Additional hours in business or accounting courses may be recommended to comply with such requirements.

Applicants who completed their undergraduate degree from an institution outside the United States must submit a course by course evaluation of their transcript from World Education Services (WES). Information about this process may be obtained on the WES website at www.wes.org.

International students should be proficient in written and oral English. A TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo score, credit earned in English language courses, letters from employers or instructors, or a personal interview may be presented to demonstrate proficiency.

There is no GMAT waiver option for applicants who completed their undergraduate degree outside the US.

Priority scholarship application deadline for Fall 2021 is January 31.

International Students

Courses

Master of Accountancy, Assurance and Analytics Concentration

Courses required for all MAcc students (15 hours):

MAcc 6213 - International Accounting and Taxation

MAcc 6303 - Advanced Financial Reporting
MAcc 6513 - Managerial Accounting & Finance
MAcc 6603 - Advanced Auditing & Forensics
MAcc 663V - Professional Certification Preparation

Required courses for Assurance and Analytics Concentration (12 hours)

MAcc 6653 - IT Audit and Risk Management
MAcc 6403 - Advanced Accounting and Consolidations
MITM 5213 - Predictive Analytics and Data Mining
MAcc 6763 - Taxation of Business Entities

Elective Courses for Assurance and Analytics (3 hours):

MAcc 661V - Internship in Accounting
ISEC 5113 - Introduction to Information Security
MAcc 6313 - Governmental and Non-Profit Accounting

Master of Accountancy, Tax Concentration

Courses required for all MAcc students (15 hours):

MAcc 6213 - International Accounting and Taxation
MAcc 6303 - Advanced Financial Reporting
MAcc 6513 - Managerial Accounting & Finance
MAcc 6603 - Advanced Auditing & Forensics
MAcc 663V - Professional Certification Preparation

Additional courses required for tax concentration students (12 hours):

MAcc 6032 - Tax Planning for High-Net Worth Individuals
MAcc 6703 - Taxation of Passthrough Entities
MAcc 6712 - Taxation of Corporations
MAcc 6732 - Accounting for Income Taxes
MAcc 6742 - State and Local Taxation
MAcc 6751 - Tax Procedure, Research and Writing

MAcc Elective (3 hours required)

Each MAcc student is required to select one elective course, which may be either (i) any MAcc course that is not required for their concentration or (ii) from the list below:

MAcc 661V - Internship in Accounting
ISEC 5113 - Introduction to Information Security
MAcc 6313 - Governmental and Non-Profit Accounting

Professional Accountancy Graduate Certificate

For those students who do not want to complete the entire master's degree, the 12-hour certificate program will provide the additional hours needed to sit for the CPA exam. These hours can be applied towards the MAcc or the MBA concentration. Students take the following courses which align with each section of the CPA exam to complete the Graduate Certificate:

MAcc 6303 - Advanced Financial Reporting
MAcc 6513 - Managerial Accounting & Finance
MAcc 6603 - Advanced Auditing & Forensics
MAcc 6763 - Taxation of Business Entities

Note:

Course descriptions are given in the MAcc section of this catalog. Appropriate prerequisite requirements apply to all certificate courses.

Certificate students can shift from that program to the MACC or MBA program. Such students must notify the graduate business office of their intent to change programs and submit the appropriate paperwork. A minimum 3.00 GPA is required to shift programs. Admission requirements are the same as the MAcc program.

Tuition & Aid

Tuition for the Master of Accountancy program is $1,250* per semester hour or $37,500* for 30 hours.

Tuition for the Graduate Certificate of Professional Accountancy is $1,250* per semester hour or $15,000* for 12 hours.

*Note: The graduate tuition rates may increase annually, effective each summer semester.

Types of Aid

Assistantships and Scholarships

Student Loans

As a graduate student, you are still able to file the FAFSA—and you should! By filing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), you may be eligible for a number of student loans.

Federal Stafford Loan

A borrower must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment for at least six semester hours and must be working toward a degree or certificate. Loans must be actively accepted in myLipscomb in order to be applied as an expected payment to the student bill. Stafford Loans will not pay until the student has completed both Entrance Counseling and the Master Promissory Note at studentloans.gov. Loans will not be credited to accounts until 30 days after classes begin or when a student begins the sixth credit hour, whichever comes last.

Graduate PLUS Loan

The Graduate PLUS Loan is available to independent graduate students. Both loans require credit approval by the Department of Education, as well as a FAFSA submission. Apply.

Private Loans

In addition to the federal loans outlined here, you may consider private loans made by banks and other financial institutions. It is recommended that private loans only be considered in instances where funding is needed in addition to any federal loans, as interest rates may be higher. Eligibility for these loans requires a credit check and students are often required to have a cosigner to qualify.

Veteran Aid/Yellow Ribbon Program

Through an agreement with the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, Lipscomb University will guarantee some level of graduate tuition funding, applicable to all Lipscomb University graduate programs, for graduate students who qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Depending on program tuition rates, the graduate tuition funding may or may not cover the total tuition cost of the program.

The Yellow Ribbon Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program) is a provision of the Post- 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows institutions of higher learning in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition expenses. View eligibility requirements.

Any questions concerning eligibility or benefits should be directed to the VA school-certifying official located in the lower level of Bennett Campus Center, Suite 140, or visit their website.

Contact Information

Graduate and Adult Admissions, Admin

Karen Risley
Director of Graduate Enrollment, Business
6159665145 ext. 5145
karen.risley@lipscomb.edu

100%

Job placement rate

Networking

Both our deeply connected faculty and our experiential learning opportunities offer myriad ways for you to form relationships with leaders in the industry. These connections will serve and support you throughout your career.

Nashville

A big city. An even bigger opportunity. We consider Nashville an extension of our classroom, and as a leading city in many industries, that means you’ll gain experience and insight you won’t find anywhere else.

Flexible Schedule

Our courses are offered at a variety of convenient locations around Nashville or online, at times designed to work with your busy schedule. Our hybrid class model allows you the best of going to school as a working professional.

Our Faculty

Mark Jobe

Associate Professor

Mark Jobe is a native Mississippian. He was born in Elvis Presley's home town, reared in the rolling hills of northeast Mississippi, and educated at Ole Miss. Shortly after graduation,...
Meet Mark Jobe
Perry Moore

Director, Graduate Business Programs

Dr. Perry Moore is the Charles E. Frasier Professor of Accountancy and Director of Accreditation at Lipscomb University's Pfeffer Graduate School of Business. He is a Certified Public Accountant, a...
Meet Perry Moore
Marcy Binkley

AFE Department Chair & MAcc Director

Marcy Binkley, CPA is an Instructor of Accounting at Lipscomb University. As an Instructor of Accounting, Marcy teaches principles courses including Financial and Managerial Accounting at the undergraduate level. She...
Meet Marcy Binkley
Jeff Jewell

Professor

Jeff was born in Bloomington, Indiana, but grew up in Searcy, Arkansas, where both of his parents were professors at Harding University. Jeff earned his BA in history from Harding,...
Meet Jeff Jewell
Tim Creel

Assistant Professor

Dr. Tim Creel is an Assistant Professor of Accounting at Lipscomb University. He is a CPA, Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified in Corporate Strategy and Analysis (CSCA), and a Certified...
Meet Tim Creel

Career Paths

Accountants and Auditors

Accountants and auditors prepare and examine financial records. They ensure that financial records are accurate and that taxes are paid properly and on time. Accountants and auditors assess financial operations and work to help ensure that organizations run efficiently.

Lawyers

Lawyers advise and represent individuals, businesses, and government agencies on legal issues and disputes.