Accounting - Master's

Application Deadlines

For students seeking a GA position:

• April 1 - Summer admission
• April 1 - Fall admission
• November 1 - Spring admission

Graduate School general application deadlines:

• May 15 - Summer admission
• August 15 - Fall admission
• January 15 - Spring admission

 Application Requirements

1. Graduate Admissions Application
2. Official transcript(s) sent to Graduate School
3. Three letters of recommendation, from individuals who can speak to the applicant’s upper-level academic performance (MPA applicants typically provide 2 academic and 1 professional)
4. Resume
5. Statement of Purpose (Personal essay writing sample, 1-2 pages, double spaced)
6. International students must submit TOEFL, IELTS or PTE scores
7. Immunization records
8. Official GMAT or GRE score, unless applicant meets qualifications to be eligible for waiver.
9. For admission for Summer/Fall 2019 admission and prior, GMAT or GRE scores are required for all applicants.
10. Beginning with Spring 2020 admission, GMAT/GRE waivers may apply in the following circumstances:
    • Applicants who have previously earned a Master’s degree or higher.
    • Applicants who have previously passed the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam; and/or
    • Applicants who have demonstrated strong academic performance in their undergraduate accounting curriculum, as evidenced by earning a Bachelor’s degree while achieving a minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.0, along with a minimum Accounting GPA of 3.0, from a university accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

The program contains 7 core classes and 3 graduate business electives for a total of 30 credit hours (10 courses).

Most prerequisites are met by students with a BSBA in accounting; however, the MPA program does not require an undergraduate degree in accounting. Students without an undergraduate degree in accounting must meet additional undergraduate business and accounting prerequisites requirements, before beginning the program.

Students may enter the MPA program at any time – summer, fall or spring.

The program may be completed on a full-time basis in one calendar year. A part-time program is also available.

The MPA program requires the successful completion of 30 credit hours of graduate work with a cumulative GPA of 3.0+ to graduate.

Graduate Assistantship positions, available to MPA students on a competitive basis, can waive up to the full cost of tuition and provide a monthly stipend for qualifying students. In addition, scholarships may be available to MPA students through The Southern Miss Foundation. Students may also apply for financial aid.

MPA students are eligible to become members of the superior, award-winning Beta Alpha Psi chapter at Southern Miss, an honorary organization for financial information students and professionals. Beta Alpha Psi regularly hosts a wide variety of speakers at its meetings and provides numerous opportunities for students to develop professionally and network with accounting professionals.

MPA students are encouraged to consider participating in Study Abroad programs including British Studies, Italian Studies, or Asian Studies. Students may earn up to 6 hours of graduate course credit for study abroad electives.