Accounting

Admission Requirements Degree Requirements

Mailing Address:
Liautaud Graduate School of Business (MC 077)
University of Illinois at Chicago
815 West Van Buren Street
Suite 220, Rice Building
Chicago, IL 60607-3525

Campus Location: 220 RB
Program Code: 20FS1000MS
Telephone: (312) 996-4573
E-mail: lgsb@uic.edu
Web Site: www.lgsb.uic.edu
Head of the Department of Accounting: Professor Peter Chalos
Director of Graduate Studies: Professor George Roe

The Department of Accounting through the Liautaud Graduate School of Business offers work leading to the Master of Science in Accounting degree and participates with the MBA Program in the MBA/MS in Accounting joint degree program.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are considered on an individual basis. Transcripts for all undergraduate and any graduate work must be submitted to the Liautaud Graduate School of Business Program Office. In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, applicants must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Science

  • Baccalaureate Field No restrictions.
  • Grade Point Average At least 3.00/4.00 for the final 60 semester (90 quarter) hours of undergraduate study. Applicants possessing a master’s degree in business or an equivalent degree from a program accredited by the AACSB-International must have maintained a grade point average of at least 3.00/4.00 in that program.
  • Tests Required GMAT; minimum score of 500.
  • Minimum English Competency Test Score
    • TOEFL 570 (paper-based); 230 (computer-based); 81, with subscores of Reading 20, Listening 20, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Internet-based), OR,
    • IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four subscores.
  • Letters of Recommendation Two required.
  • Personal Statement Required.
  • Resume Required.
  • Deadlines The application deadline for this program is the Graduate College deadline. There is no summer admission for the Accounting program.

MBA/MS in Accounting

Applicants to the joint degree program must satisfy the admission requirements of both the MBA and MS programs.

Degree Requirements

In addition to the Graduate College minimum requirements, students must meet the following program requirements:

Master of Science

  • Minimum Semester Hours Required 32.
  • Course Work Degree candidates must present a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00/4.00 for all 400- and 500-level courses.
  • Required Courses (2 courses, 8 hours): Select two courses from the following: ACTG 516, 525, 585, and 593.
  • Elective Courses (3 courses, 12 hours): Select three courses from the following:  ACTG 417, 446, 456, 465, 475, 484, 509, 515, 516, 525, 535, 537, 545, 570, 585, 593, and 594.  (Courses used to fulfill the required course requirement do not count towards the elective course requirement.)
  • Accounting/Business Electives (3 courses, 12 hours): Select three courses from the following or select three approved LGSB courses: 417, 446, 456, 465, 475, 484, 509, 515, 516, 525, 535, 537, 545, 570, 585, 593, and 594.  (Courses used to fulfill the required or elective course requirement do not count towards the accounting/business course requirement.)
  • At least 5 of the courses used toward the MSA degree must be at the 500-level.
  • Background and Breadth Courses (11 courses, 44 hours): Students without an approved undergraduate degree in Accounting must complete the following 11 courses in addition to the above requirements:  ACTG 435, 474, 500, 502, 503, 506, 508, IDS 570, and three business electives. Up to 8 of the courses may be waived based on completion of prior satisfactory equivalent study.
  • Comprehensive Examination None.
  • Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options Course work only. No other options are available

MBA/MS in Accounting

  • Minimum Semester Hours Required 68.
  • Course Work Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00/4.00 for all course work.
  • Required Courses (20 courses, 44 hours): ACTG 515 and 593; 3 electives from ACTG 417, 446, 456, 465*, 475, 484*, 509, 516*, 525*, 535*, 545*, 585 (with at least one marked *); ACTG 500; ECON 520; FIN 500; IDS 532; MGMT 541; MKTG 500; a 3-course concentration within the MBA program, excluding accounting; and one 500-level business course from a department other than accounting and the MBA concentration field.
  • Accounting Background Courses (5 courses): ACTG 435, 502, 503, 506, 508.
  • Any of the accounting background courses can be waived with prior credit and ACTG 500 can be waived with a competency examination. However, a minimum of 68 hours must be completed by taking additional accounting or business electives. No more than two 400-level courses can be counted toward the MS portion of the degree.
  • Comprehensive Examination None.
  • Thesis, Project, or Course-Work-Only Options Course work only. No other options are available.