Innovative new graduate program in accounting launches this fall

The University of Washington Tacoma’s Milgard School of Business will launch a new master of accounting (MAcc) degree program. The first class of students will start in Autumn 2012. The demand for accounting graduates has never been greater. The MAcc will meet the need for additional capacity in graduate accounting programs in the Puget Sound and in Washington state helping to fill employer demands for well-trained accounting professionals.

“In addition to offering a traditional accounting curriculum," notes Chancellor Debra Friedman, "the MAcc has innovative features including a global emphasis and a focus on social responsibility, both hallmarks of Milgard School of Business programs.”

The curriculum is widely applicable to accounting careers in the public accounting, corporate, government, and not-for profit sectors. Discussing the program, Lisa Wilson, partner at McGladrey & Pullen LLP said, “I have been involved in our recruiting process for college graduates for over 20 years. The students that complete the Milgard Master of Accounting program will be an asset to our field and will certainly have the potential to outshine other students during the hiring process and in their careers. This clearly will be a benefit to McGladrey and to other employers.”

The MAcc is a professional 45-credit one-year program. Courses will be offered in the evening to accommodate working professionals. Students successfully completing the program will meet the CPA exam fifth-year requirement in Washington and most states across the country. The program will develop students’ critical thinking, teamwork, and communication skills, as well as their ability to research complex accounting and tax-related issues. 

It will also be one of the first master in accounting programs in the United States to incorporate an innovative curriculum in social reporting, forensic accounting and international accounting.

Shahrokh Saudagaran, dean of the Milgard School of Business, believes that “the time is right for offering a UW graduate degree in accounting in the South Sound. The innovative features of the MAcc program, particularly the focus on social reporting and the audit of social reports, have the potential to garner national visibility for the university.”

The program will consist of 10 four-credit courses and one five-credit internship or independent study. The courses cover key areas of accounting and business knowledge such as advanced topics in accounting, international accounting, planning, control and performance evaluation, financial statement analysis, financial accounting theory, taxation, business law and ethics. In addition, the Milgard MAcc program challenges students to apply their learning to real-world situations through internships with corporations and public accounting firms. Graduates of the program will find their MAcc degree to be a mark of distinction that will help launch their accounting career.

Established in 1994 as UW Tacoma’s Business Administration program the Milgard School of Business was named in 2003 in recognition of a generous endowment of $15 million from Gary E. Milgard, the Gary E. Milgard Family Foundation, and James A Milgard. An additional gift from the Milgard family later raised the endowment to $20 million. The Milgard School of Business offers a world-class education with degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate level and custom-designed executive development programs.

The Milgard Network is comprised of business leaders centered in the South Sound and spread throughout the region. Membership in the Milgard Network will give MAcc students access to the vital relationships and information that professional careers require to flourish. Current members of the Milgard Network have reaped the benefits of hidden job opportunities, professional recommendations, client leads, business partnerships and invitations to join non-profit boards.