Program Overview

Master of Professional Accounting

The MPA is the first AACSB-Accredited Accounting program in the GCC and MENA region. It caters to practicing accountants and managers who have chosen the professional path, and who would like to further their education with a post-graduate degree in accounting. The program covers much wider areas of accounting than any of the other professional accounting certifications that tend to be narrowly specialized. In addition, it develops personal and business competencies (technical and non-technical) of graduates and provides them with an excellent foundation for successful professional careers. The degree will also be a natural route to a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA).

Program Objectives

• Communicate effectively in a professional context.
• Think critically in relation to the analysis and solution of advanced accounting problems.
• Work individually as well as contribute positively to the functioning of teams as members and leaders.
• Ethically and socially responsible when making accounting-related decisions.
• Demonstrate advanced specialized knowledge in accounting and cognate fields when appropriate.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a highly developed professional oral presentation of information, criticizing substantively complex matters in accounting accompanied by appropriate technology.
• Demonstrate abilities to communicate effectively in writing, using information technology to the production of highly developed professional written materials on substantively complex matters in accounting.
• Apply advanced technologies and techniques (qualitative/quantitative) to the collection and analysis of financial and non-financial information and deriving appropriate decisions in various accounting fields.
• Critically interpret information, through accurate identification of accounting complex problems, and suggestion of accounting-based innovative solutions.
• Demonstrate autonomy, responsibility, and creativity in planning and executing major projects in their work.
• Demonstrate ability to work in teams, showing leadership and direction, appropriate to complex accounting environment settings.
• Apply professional standards and codes of conduct at national and international levels.
• Relate complex ethical issues consistently, reflecting social responsibility, and leading to informed, fair and valid accounting-related decisions.
• Demonstrate a comprehensive advanced knowledge of key concepts across the breadth of accounting topics.
• Assess contemporary issues in accounting through synthesizing knowledge from accounting and cognate fields when appropriate.

Degree Requirements

Required Credit Hours: minimum 36 hours

Professional Accounting

• Required Courses (24 hours)
  • ACCT600: Advanced Financial Accounting for Corporations (3 credits)
  • ACCT615: Advanced Management Accounting (3 credits)
  • ACCT620: Auditing, Accountability and Assurance Services (3 credits)
  • GBUS670: Corporate Governance, Social Responsibility and Ethics (3 credits)
  • ACCT630: Financial Accounting Standards, Theory and Policy (3 credits)
  • ACCT635: Financial Statements Analysis (3 credits)
  • ACCT640: Management Control Systems (3 credits)
  • ACCT645: Seminar on Applied Research in Accounting (3 credits)
• Elective Courses (Students Should take four courses from the following) (12 hours)
  • ACCT661: Accounting in Special Contexts (3 credits)
  • ACCT662: Risk-based Internal Auditing (3 credits)
  • ACCT663: Accounting for Islamic Financial Institutions (3 credits)
  • ACCT664: Legal Environment and Taxation (3 credits)
  • ACCT665: Strategic Management Accounting (3 credits)
  • ACCT666: Selected Topics in Financial Reporting (3 credits)
  • FINC610: Financial Management (3 credits)

Bridge Courses

• Students whose first degree is not accounting (12 hours)
  • ACCT500: Elements of Accounting and Finance (3 credits)
  • ACCT505: Financial and Corporate Reporting (3 credits)
  • ACCT510: Management and Cost Accounting (3 credits)
  • MGMT510: Business Environment (3 credits)