Financial Management and Accounting

Graduate School of Management and Technology

Program Description

A strong understanding of business processes, combined with an integrated knowledge of accounting and information technology, will make you a valuable resource in the workforce. Our program in accounting and information technology will give you an edge on the competition.

---

Program Overview

The curriculum requires 36 credits and consists of six accounting courses, five information technology courses, and one program capstone.

Note: Successful completion of the program may satisfy the educational requirement for candidacy for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. Educational requirements to sit for the CPA exam or to practice as a CPA vary among states. Students are responsible for staying abreast of the current requirements of the state in which they will sit for the exam or practice professionally.

---

Program Objectives

Graduates of this program will be able to:

• Successfully apply accounting and information technology concepts, principles, and techniques in the analysis and resolution of accounting systems problems and opportunities within their organizations
• Effectively communicate accounting and information technology ideas, concepts and solutions
• Evaluate the effects of technology on an organization’s accounting system
• Evaluate issues and innovations in accounting and in information technology, and their effects on managerial decision-making
• Evaluate and design accounting and information systems to meet organizational goals
• Develop and evaluate alternative solutions to organizational problems

---

Partnerships

Articulation Agreement with UMUC’s School of Undergraduate Studies (SUS)

Students who completed their undergraduate degree at UMUC with a major in Accounting may be able to reduce their total coursework by 6 credits (2 courses) under this Articulation Agreement with the School of Undergraduate Studies (SUS).

The UMUC BS in Accounting and the MS in Accounting and Information Technology will “share” 6 credits of coursework and have selected certain courses that each program will accept from the other's curriculum. UMUC undergraduates and alumni are eligible to complete both degrees for a total of 150 credits.

The shared credits are restricted to the following substitutions:

• GSMT will accept either SUS ACCT 426 Advanced Cost Accounting in lieu of GSMT ACCT 611 Management Accounting or SUS ACCT 427 Advanced Auditing Theory and Practice in lieu of GSMT ACCT 612 Auditing Process.
• SUS will accept either GSMT ACCT 612 Auditing Process in lieu of SUS ACCT 427 Advanced Auditing Theory and Practice or GSMT ACCT 614 Accounting Information Systems in lieu of SUS ACCT 326 Accounting Information Systems.

The total number of credits shared between the two programs cannot exceed 6 credits. Credits for sharing must have been completed no earlier than 5 years prior to the beginning of graduate studies and no later than 1 year after the beginning of graduate studies. A minimum grade of B must be earned in the undergraduate class for the credits to be accepted at the graduate level.

---

Career Path

The MSAT program prepares graduates for a number of entry-, mid-, and high-level positions, as determined by a student’s work experience. Depending on a student’s background and an employer’s criteria, graduates of the MSAT program may qualify for positions such as:

• CIO Liaison with the CFO Office
• CFO Liaison with the CIO Office
• Public Accountant or Auditor
• Government Accountant or Auditor
• Management or Systems Analyst
• Fraud Examiner or Internal Auditor

---

Student Profile

The program will assist students who are:

• Currently in an accounting or information technology position and want to raise their knowledge base to move into a position focused on Accounting Information Systems or Accounting Information Technology or serve as liaison between the information technology department and organization executives
• Currently in an accounting or information technology position and want to raise their knowledge base to move into a position either in the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) or the Chief Information Officer (CIO) career path
• Currently not in an accounting or information technology position and want to increase their knowledge base to enable a move into one or the other without becoming so specialized that they lose flexibility

Admissions | Graduate School | Student Services | Library | UMUC Policies