• Master of Accounting and Information Systems Program

  The Master of Accounting and Information Systems Program (MACIS Program or Program) provides graduate level education for professional careers in accounting, assurance, business, information systems auditing, and tax. It is especially appropriate for those individuals planning to become a CPA, CMA, or CISA and enter professional accounting.  For those planning to enter a Ph.D. program, the Program offers the necessary foundation.
  
  The MACIS Program is open to students with a bachelor's degree in any discipline. For those who have fulfilled the background requirements, the Program consists of 30 semester hours and can normally be completed within one academic year.  Students without prior collegiate studies in accounting can expect to spend additional time in the Program completing prerequisites.

  The MACIS Program offers five Options designed to prepare students for different types of careers:  Accounting Analytics, Audit, Tax, Financial Services and Information Systems. Accounting Analytics provides students with a degree grounded in applying state-of-the-art analytics concepts, techniques, and software to help solve accounting and assurance problems, as well as improving general business decisions. Audit prepares students to effectively practice as accountants or auditors within a company or public accounting firm, ranging from small firms or companies to large firms or Fortune 500 companies and other large entities.  Financial Services provides students with an analytical perspective from which s/he can effectively examine key business decisions related to financial markets and institutions and advise clients accordingly.  Information Systems prepares students to work within the Advisory Practice of a large professional services firm, become an information system auditor, or work in the information technology department within a company. Tax prepares students to provide tax planning and consultation, as well as preparation services in the tax department of companies or large public accounting firms.  It also prepares students to perform these services in smaller public accounting firms where they are likely to perform both audit and tax services.

  Courses generally offered include: 

  • ACIS 5014 Information Systems Audit and Control
  • ACIS 5064 Taxation of Business Operations & Advanced Individual Income Tax Topics**
  • ACIS 5104 Fundamentals of Accounting
  • ACIS 5114G Advanced Financial Accounting
  • ACIS 5124 Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting
  • ACIS 5194 Financial Statement Analysis*
  • ACIS 5214 Advanced Strategic Cost Management
  • ACIS 5314 Tax Concepts and Research
  • ACIS 5324 Taxation of Business Entities*
  • ACIS 5334 Advanced Corporate Tax
  • ACIS 5364 Multi-jurisdictional Tax Concepts
  • ACIS 5414 Advanced Financial Statement Auditing*
  • ACIS 5424 Research and Analysis in Accounting*
  • ACIS 5444 Forensic & Investigative Accounting
  • ACIS 5504 Sys/Database Concepts
  • ACIS 5524 Advanced Database Management Systems
  • ACIS 5534 Information Systems Development
  • ACIS 5584 Information Systems Security and Assurance
  • ACIS 5624 Cybersecurity Governance and Risk Management
    
  • ACIS 5654G Advanced Accounting Analytics*
  • ACIS 5754 Accounting Internship
  • BIT 5424 Advanced Business Info Viz/Analytics

  • BIT 5534 Applied Business Analytics and Intel II

  • FIN 4264 Managing Risk with Derivatives

  • FIN 4274 Equity Securities

  • FIN 5194 Commercial Law

   *Course required under all Options

  **Students are required to take either ACIS 5064 or ACIS 5324, depending upon their chosen MACIS Option.

The program leading to the Ph.D. in business with a concentration in accounting and information systems (ACIS) permits the student to pursue advanced graduate studies in preparation for a career in university teaching and research.

The first two to three years of the Ph.D. program are devoted to course work. The program's basic requirements include core course work in accounting and research methods, as well as course work in a supporting area and statistics. The remainder of the time is devoted to the dissertation and development of coauthored research papers. There is no foreign language requirement, although computer proficiency is expected.

The following specific courses are required in the major field: ACIS 6004, 6014, 6024, and 6044. Depending on a student's background and research method interest, additional ACIS courses will be required. Each candidate for the Ph.D. in business with a major in accounting and information systems must pass the first and second year research paper requirements, a written examination at or near the completion of course work, defend a dissertation proposal before the accounting and information systems faculty, and pass a final oral examination after the dissertation is completed.