Program Overview

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Business: Accounting: Accounting, Assurance, Advisory, MAcc

The Master of Accountancy in Business: Accounting degree has a named option in Accounting, Assurance, Advisory (AAA), designed to prepare students for various accounting-focused career opportunities. This option requires students to complete advanced accounting courses and non-accounting business electives.

Admissions

Admissions to the Accounting: Accounting, Assurance, Advisory, MAcc are suspended as of spring 2026 and will be discontinued as of fall 2028.

• Fall Deadline: See program webpage.
• Spring Deadline: This program does not admit in the spring.
• Summer Deadline: This program does not admit in the summer.
• GRE (Graduate Record Examinations): May be required in certain cases; consult program.
• English Proficiency Test: Students should direct the Educational Testing Service to forward their test results, taken within two years of the intended start term, to the University of WisconsinMadison (institution code: 1846). A minimum TOEFL score of 104 is required for consideration of admission into the program.
  • The TOEFL is waived for students who have earned a four-year undergraduate degree and/or master degree (minimum of eight semesters total) with instruction in English or who will complete such a degree prior to matriculation in the Master of Accountancy program.
• Other Test(s) (e.g., GMAT, MCAT): GMAT may be required in certain cases; consult program.
• Letters of Recommendation Required: 2

The Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program is open to any applicants who have earned a four-year undergraduate degree, or the equivalent, in any discipline, from an accredited institution.

Transcripts

It is not necessary to send official transcripts at the date of application. Applicants will be asked to upload an unofficial transcript into the online application system. Applicants later admitted to the program will be asked to send their official (final) transcripts reflecting an undergraduate degree.

GMAT

The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) may be an acceptable alternative to the GMAT test on a case-by-case basis. Scores should be submitted to the University of Wisconsin Madison, institution code 1846.

The GMAT score will be waived if you meet one of the four sets of criteria below:

1. Undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business
2. Undergraduate degree from a US accredited university or college
   • Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)
   • At least one math course or quantitative course like finance or accounting with a B or better
3. Undergraduate degree completed outside of the US
   • Submission of original transcripts, along with transcripts evaluated by World Evaluation Services (WES)
   • Cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher
   • At least one math course or quantitative course like finance or accounting with a B or better
4. Awarded an advanced degree, such as an MBA, JD, MD, PhD, from an accredited US institution

Funding

The Bursars Office provides information about tuition and fees associated with being a graduate student. Resources to help you afford graduate study might include assistantships, fellowships, traineeships, and financial aid. Further funding information is available from the Graduate School.

Requirements

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

Review the Graduate School minimum degree requirements and policies, in addition to the program requirements listed below.

Named Option Requirements

Mode of Instruction

• Mode of Instruction: Face to Face
• Definitions:
  • Accelerated: Accelerated programs are offered at a fast pace that condenses the time to completion. Students typically take enough credits aimed at completing the program in a year or two.
  • Evening/Weekend: Courses meet on the UWMadison campus only in evenings and/or on weekends to accommodate typical business schedules. Students have the advantages of face-to-face courses with the flexibility to keep work and other life commitments.
  • Face-to-Face: Courses typically meet during weekdays on the UW-Madison Campus.
  • Hybrid: These programs combine face-to-face and online learning formats. Contact the program for more specific information.
  • Online: These programs are offered 100% online. Some programs may require an on-campus orientation or residency experience, but the courses will be facilitated in an online format.

Curricular Requirements

• Minimum Credit Requirement: 54 credits
• Minimum Residence Credit Requirement: 24 credits
• Minimum Graduate Coursework Requirement: 27 credits must be graduate-level coursework.
• Overall Graduate GPA Requirement: 3.00 GPA required.
• Other Grade Requirements: Students may be required to retake a course in which they receive a grade lower than a C.
• Assessments and Examinations: No required assessments or examinations beyond course requirements.
• Language Requirements: No language requirements.

Required Courses

MAcc students seek advanced preparation for careers in various aspects of accounting. The degree stresses in-depth study of accounting theory, auditing, taxation, information systems, applications, policy, and decision making.

• First Year:
  • Fall:
    • ACCT I S 340: Accounting Information Systems (3 credits)
    • ACCT I S 620: Fundamentals of Taxation (3 credits)
    • ACCT I S 701: Financial Reporting I (3 credits)
    • ACCT I S 710: Managerial Accounting (3 credits)
  • Spring:
    • ACCT I S 630: Foundations of Auditing (3 credits)
    • ACCT I S 702: Financial Reporting II (3 credits)
    • GEN BUS 301: Business Law (3 credits)
    • Business Elective (3 credits)
• Second Year:
  • Select a minimum of 4 courses from the following:
    • ACCT I S 406: Accounting and Analysis for Reporting Entities
    • ACCT I S 603: Financial Statement Analysis
    • ACCT I S 621: Corporate and Advanced Taxation
    • ACCT I S 640: Foundation in Accounting Analytics
    • ACCT I S 730: Advanced Auditing: Analysis, Policy, and Judgment
    • ACCT I S 740: Information Risk, Control, & Forensics
    • ACCT I S 770: Accounting Theory: Reporting Incentives and Consequences
    • ACCT I S 771: Analysis of Performance Measurement & Control
  • Complete a minimum of four and a maximum of six elective courses (12-18 credits)
• Total Credits: 54

Policies

Prior Coursework

• Graduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions: With program and department approval, up to 6 credits of graduate coursework completed two years prior to admission at an AACSB accredited institution, in which a grade of B or better was earned, may transfer toward the degree.
• Undergraduate Credits Earned at Other Institutions or UW-Madison: Up to 6 credits from courses numbered 300 or above from UW-Madison will be allowed to transfer toward the minimum graduate degree credit requirement. Coursework earned seven or more years prior to admission to a masters degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.
• Credits Earned as a Professional Student at UW-Madison (Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, and Veterinary careers): Refer to the Graduate School: Transfer Credits for Prior Coursework policy.
• Credits Earned as a University Special Student at UWMadison: With program and department approval, students are allowed to transfer no more than 15 credits of coursework numbered 600 or above taken as a UWMadison University Special student. Coursework earned seven or more years prior to admission to a masters degree is not allowed to satisfy requirements.

Probation

Refer to the Graduate School: Probation policy.

Advisor / Committee

Every graduate student is required to have an advisor. An advisor is a faculty member, or sometimes a committee, responsible for providing advice regarding graduate studies.

Credits Per Term Allowed

15 credit maximum. Refer to the Graduate School: Maximum Credit Loads and Overload Requests policy.

Time Limits

Refer to the Graduate School: Time Limits policy.

Grievances and Appeals

These resources may be helpful in addressing your concerns:

• Bias or Hate Reporting
• Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures
• Hostile and Intimidating Behavior Policies and Procedures
• Office of the Provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs
• Employee Assistance (for personal counseling and workplace consultation around communication and conflict involving graduate assistants and other employees, post-doctoral students, faculty and staff)
• Employee Disability Resource Office (for qualified employees or applicants with disabilities to have equal employment opportunities)
• Graduate School (for informal advice at any level of review and for official appeals of program/departmental or school/college grievance decisions)
• Office of Compliance (for class harassment and discrimination, including sexual harassment and sexual violence)
• Office Student Assistance and Support (OSAS) (for all students to seek grievance assistance and support)
• Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards (for conflicts involving students)
• Ombuds Office for Faculty and Staff (for employed graduate students and post-docs, as well as faculty and staff)
• Title IX (for concerns about discrimination)

Any student who feels that they have been mistreated by a faculty or staff member has the right to lodge a complaint. Complaints may concern course grades, classroom treatment, program admission, or other issues. To ensure a prompt and fair hearing of any complaint and to protect both the student's rights and the person at whom the complaint is addressed, the grievance procedures below are used in the School of Business.

Professional Development

Take advantage of the Graduate School's professional development resources to build skills, thrive academically, and launch your career.