Building the knowledge, values, and skills you’ll need to advance towards business leadership is possible when you attend one of the several top-notch accredited accounting degree programs in Mississippi. As our nation’s 31st most populous state, Mississippi has some of the highest ranking business schools in America with approval from the elite AACSB International. Although Mississippi is often associated with its cotton farming and catfish aquaculture, the state has a rather diversified economy with one of the country’s lowest living costs. According to the BLS, there are currently 5,170 accountants working in Mississippi and earning an annual yearly salary of $56,030. As employment in accounting continues growing by 13% over the next decade, graduates from the following accredited master’s in accounting programs will be in demand across Mississippi.

Jackson State University

College of Business

As part of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Jackson State University is a comprehensive public historically black teaching institution enrolling over 9,500 students on its 245-acre urban campus in the state’s capital city of Jackson along the Pearl River. Along with being named the 32nd best master’s-level university in Washington Monthly magazine for service and ethics, JSU is ranked the nation’s 19th top historically black college by the U.S. News and World Report. Backed by full AACSB accreditation, the College of Business has an enriched learning environment to nourish students with top-notch management education and practice.

Master of Professional Accountancy

With the primary goal of preparing graduate students for careers in professional accounting practice, the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) consists of 30 credits for students with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from an accredited institution. There’s also a unique 48-credit track available for non-accounting degree holders to catch up with introductory accounting prerequisites before the MPA. Advanced topics discussed will include managerial accounting, auditing, taxation, operations management, governmental accounting, business strategy, financial statement analysis, and managerial finance. Graduates will have the qualifications needed to fulfill the 150-hour requirement for taking the CPA exam in Mississippi and many other states.

Accreditations

  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Contact

1400 John R. Lynch Street
Jackson, MS 39217
(601) 979-2414
qbooker@jsums.edu
http://www.jsums.edu/business/graduate-degree-programs/

Millsaps College

Else School of Management

Affiliated with the United Methodist Church, Millsaps College is a small comprehensive private liberal arts institution serving a close-knit community of under 1,000 students on a 103-acre urban campus in the state’s capital hub of Jackson. Placed among the 40 “Colleges That Change Lives” by Loren Pope, Millsaps is ranked as the 89th best national liberal arts college in America in the U.S. News and World Report survey. Along with being in the Princeton Review’s “Best 300 Business Schools,” the Else School of Management is acclaimed for having one of the 20 top-tier graduate business programs in North America by CEO Magazine.

Master of Accountancy (MACC)

Designed to provide greater depth and breadth beyond the baccalaureate level, the Master of Accountancy (MACC) program at Millsaps is available for graduate students of all backgrounds who wish to fulfill the educational credentials necessary to become a CPA in Mississippi. Within the 45-credit curriculum, students will take 15 hours of prerequisites or skip ahead to the 30 hours of major coursework depending on previous schooling. Courses will delve into topics on taxation, auditing, cost accounting, financial reporting, income tax, financial accounting, managerial accounting, and government/non-profit accounting. Accounting students can also learn about contemporary practice issues in a global environment by studying abroad in Else’s Center for Business and Culture in Merida, Mexico.

Accreditations

  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Contact

1701 North State Street
Jackson, MS 39202
(601) 974-1253
mbamacc@millsaps.edu
http://www.millsaps.edu/academics/accounting.php

Mississippi State University

College of Business

Headquartered on a main 4,200-acre rural campus in the college town of Starkville with satellite locations in Meridian, Biloxi, and Vicksburg, Mississippi State University is a comprehensive public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research institution educating over 20,100 students total. Named the 36th top college in America by the Social Mobility Index, MSU is ranked the 156th best national university, 84th top public school, and 47th best college for veterans nationwide by the U.S. News and World Report. With the 38th best online graduate business degrees, the College of Business is dedicated to giving students the skills needed to excel in their chosen business discipline with confidence.

Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA)

On the pathway towards CPA credentialing, the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) at MSU strives to further graduate students’ understanding of business and accounting while forming a solid foundation for professional accountancy practice. Within the 30-credit curriculum, students will build on their undergraduate coursework to learn more about income taxation, financial accounting, managerial accounting, business assurance, auditing, wealth management, accounting research methods, and financial policy. Students can also choose a concentration in Systems to replace their electives with courses in fraud examination, advanced systems analysis, database design administration, and computer programming. For admissions, graduate students must have an undergraduate accounting GPA over 2.6 and earn at least a 450 on the GMAT exam.

Accreditations

  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Contact

75 B.S. Hood Drive
Mississippi State, MS 39762
(662) 325-2580
business@msstate.edu
http://www.business.msstate.edu/programs/adkerson/graduate/mpa/index.php

University of Mississippi

Patterson School of Accountancy

As the state’s major flagship public sea-grant and space-grant research institution, the University of Mississippi is home for over 23,000 students on its main 3,391-acre rural campus in Oxford as well as its satellite centers in Booneville, Tupelo, Southhaven, Jackson, Abbeville, and Grenada. Well-known for ranking safest in the SEC on CollegeSafe.com, Ole Miss has been crowned the 149th best university and 78th top public school in the United States by the U.S. News and World Report. The Patterson School of Accountancy was also distinguished in the Public Accounting Report for having the country’s 5th top graduate accounting program.

Master of Accountancy (MAccy)

Following guidelines set by the AICPA, the Master of Accountancy (MAccy) at Ole Miss is structured to deliver a fifth year of advanced accounting education to equip graduate students with the complex characteristics essential for success in professional accountancy work. Students work towards unlocking career opportunities in public accounting, industry, non-profit, corporate, and government accounting with 30 semester hours. Over just one year full-time, students can certify their expertise in income taxation, cost accounting, auditing, financial statement analysis, international accounting, and accounting information systems. Completing a three-hour accounting internship for credit is encouraged for hands-on learning. There’s also a Master of Taxation (MTax) offered to Ole Miss students looking to specialize their studies.

Accreditations

  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Contact

P.O. Box 1848
200 Conner Hall
University, MS 38655
(662) 915-7468
umaccy@olemiss.edu
http://accountancy.olemiss.edu/masters/

University of Southern Mississippi

School of Accountancy

Initially founded in 1910 as a teaching college, the University of Southern Mississippi is now a comprehensive public four-year research institution serving over 15,300 students on its 300-acre urban campus in Hattiesburg just 70 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico. Ranked 98th out of 245 doctoral universities nationwide in Washington Monthly magazine, Southern Miss is also named the 145th best college in the South by Forbes. Backed by AACSB accreditation, the School of Accounting was recognized for placing 33rd among master’s in accounting programs across America in a report from the University Priorities Committee.

Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA)

Ideal for graduate students wishing to sit for the Uniform CPA exam, the Master of Professional Accountancy (MPA) program at Southern Miss has a proven track record for placing graduates in local, regional, national, and international accounting firms as well as private industry and public government agencies. In the fifth year of studies, students complete at least 30 semester credit hours in a full-time format, but there’s limited part-time enrollment available too. Students work closely with accomplished faculty to expand their knowledge and put their practice skills to test in the accounting community. High-achieving MPA students can also participate in the university’s award-winning Beta Alpha Psi chapter for unparalleled networking connections.

Accreditations

  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Contact

118 College Drive Suite 5178
Hattiesburg, MS 39406
(601) 266-6109
amber.hatten@usm.edu
http://www.usm.edu/business/accounting/about-mpa

In today’s increasingly complex business world, accountants are held to a higher standard and required to have more in-depth financial knowledge to keep up with rapidly changing accounting regulations. Businesses depend on accounting professionals to keep their operations operating without any hitches or delays in funding. Accounting is the financial backbone of business in which qualified accountants help managers achieve their growth goals and maximize profit. If you’re looking to work as a CPA within the “Magnolia State,” check out these accredited accounting degree programs in Mississippi for advancing in this in-demand field.

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