WKU’s Master of Accountancy Program (MAcc) is set to begin inthe fall of 2012, along with a new program for those majoring inaccounting that will provide another avenue for achieving agraduate degree.
The Professional Program in Accountancy (PPA) allows students tobegin work on their MAcc degree during the first semester of theirsenior year, taking graduate level classes while still anundergraduate.
The MAcc program came out of a desire to give students anothermeans to achieving Certified Public Accountant status. Accountingstudents interested in becoming CPAs as required by most statesmust pass the CPA exam. However to be eligible for the exam and CPAcertificate, students must have completed 150 hours of academiccourse work.
WKU’s current accounting program offers 120 hours of course work,leaving students interested in becoming a CPA with few options.Students must either take additional irrelevant classes or go toanother university that has a MAcc program.
Starting in fall of 2012 students can continue to take relevantaccounting courses and at the end of an additional 30 hours ofcoursework receive a MAcc degree.
The PPA grants undergraduate students who already know they want toget their MAcc degree another option for doing so. There areseveral benefits of going the PPA route rather than leaving andreturning to WKU for the MAcc. They will be able to pay normalundergraduate fees instead of graduate fees when they take graduateclasses their senior year. They won’t have to take the GraduateManagement Admission Test or student assessment course normallyrequired. It is the only program like it in Kentucky.
Jeffrey Katz, dean of the Gordon Ford College of Business, said theupcoming programs continue the business school’s reputation forinnovation and high-quality students.
It’s the reduced cost and waiving of the GMAT test that MorganJohnson, a junior majoring in accounting, said is the mostbeneficial aspect of the new program.
“That’s two big tests that people have to take that I don’t have totake,” Johnson said. “Having a master’s coming out of school willhelp me take the CPA for one and help me stand out above others aswell.”
Steve Wells, chair of accounting, believes that the PPA is a greatoption for WKU students and that its format could be applied toother WKU graduate programs.
“If you’re going to be spending 150 hours you might as well begetting another degree,” Wells said. “We’re kind of breaking newground, but I suspect some other programs will follow suit.”
Johnson said that not having to study for the CPA exam as muchbecause of training in class due to the MAcc and PPA programs willreally help her personally.
“I think after people start realizing what we’re doing…it’s only 30more hours and everybody needs it,” Johnson said. “It will help alot, I think it will bring in a lot of people.”