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Master's Programs

Patterson School of Accountancy master’s programs are designed to provide a fifth year of accounting education that prepares graduates for careers in professional accounting and in other business fields.

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Enhance your accountancy knowledge and skills

As a master’s student, you will not only enhance your knowledge in the field of accounting but will also develop critical thinking, analytical, technology, and writing skills that will set you apart from your peers as you begin your career. The analytical work that you will do in your master’s program will give you skills to dig deeper into data analysis, allowing you to use that analysis to interpret results and, more importantly, transform those results into usable information for decision making.

Our master’s programs:

  • Include 30 semester hours (10 three-hour courses) taken in person on the Oxford campus
  • Can be completed in 10-12 months
  • Provide students with a comprehensive education in accountancy and, if desired, specialization(s) in an area(s) of interest
  • Offer a three-credit-hour CPA review course that gives students high-quality exam preparation and the opportunity to sit for the CPA exam
  • Connect students with professionals in the field through events and internships.

Master's Programs

GRAD

Accountancy, M.Accy.

Prepare for your career with graduate-level accounting education that you can tailor to your interests and career goals.

  • Oxford

GRAD

Accountancy and Data Analytics, M.A.D.A.

Prepare for your accounting career in the data age through hands-on experience in data analytics and cutting-edge technologies.

  • Oxford

GRAD

Taxation, M.Tax.

Prepare for your career with graduate-level accounting education and a specialization in taxation.

  • Oxford

GRAD

Taxation and Data Analytics, M.T.D.A.

Prepare for your career in the data age through hands-on experience in data analytics and a specialization in taxation.

  • Oxford

Admission Requirements

  • Minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA
  • Completion of the required undergraduate courses, with minimum grades where applicable
  • Minimum 445 GMAT score if you do not qualify for a GMAT waiver
  • For international students: minimum required English language proficiency exam score if you do not qualify for an exemption

Students who do not meet the minimum requirements for full standing admission may be considered for admission in another category. Admission in a category other than full standing requires fulfilling specified grade and/or course requirements and limits financial aid eligibility until full-standing admission is obtained.

University of Mississippi accounting majors: minimum grades of C in ACCY 401: Auditing and ACCY 405: Income Taxes I

Accounting majors from other institutions with separate accounting accreditation by AACSB International: minimum grades of C in undergraduate auditing and tax courses that are equivalent to ACCY 401: Auditing and ACCY 405: Income Taxes I

Accounting majors in programs without separate accounting accreditation by AACSB and applicants who majored in a field of study other than accounting:

If a required course is not available at your undergraduate institution, you can take it at the University of Mississippi.

We accept scores for the current and previous versions of the GMAT. Scores are valid for five years.

The GMAT requirement is waived for:

  • Patterson School accounting majors with an overall or resident GPA of 3.0 or higher
  • Undergraduate accounting majors with an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher from other AACSB-accredited institutions.

The GMAT is required for all students who wish to be considered for a PSOA graduate assistantship.

We ask students who are not eligible for a GMAT waiver to make up to three attempts if needed and send us all GMAT scores received.

When to Take the GMAT

  • Starting the master’s program in summer or fall:
    • take the GMAT in spring or summer of the year prior 
  • Starting the master’s program in winter intersession or spring:
    • take the GMAT in spring or summer of the year prior to be considered for a PSOA graduate assistantship for the fall semester that you’re enrolled
    • take the GMAT in spring or summer fall two years prior  to be considered for a PSOA graduate assistantship for the spring semester that you’re enrolled (note that we rarely have openings for spring semester)

Be sure to consider application deadlines and the timeframe for receiving your score (up to 20 business days) when scheduling the GMAT.

If you are an international student, you are required to meet English language proficiency exam requirements as specified by the Office of International Student and Scholar Services unless you are a citizen of a country on the exemption list or a graduate of an institution of higher education in the U.S. or a country on that list.

Application Information

Priority Deadlines

  • February 1, 2025 – Priority Deadline 1 to apply for a 2025 summer term, Fall Semester 2025, Winter Intersession 2026, or Spring Semester 2026 and be considered for Patterson School of Accountancy financial aid awards
    • PSOA graduate assistantships will be offered to applicants with an admission score of 1350 or above (admission score = (200 x GPA) + GMAT)
    • Scholarships and fellowships will be offered to selected applicants who meet specified award criteria
  • April 1, 2025 – Priority Deadline 2 to apply for a 2025 summer term, Fall Semester 2025, Winter Intersession 2026, or Spring Semester 2026 and be considered for Patterson School of Accountancy financial aid awards
    • Any remaining PSOA graduate assistantships will be offered to applicants with the highest admission scores
    • Any remaining PSOA scholarships and fellowships will be offered to selected applicants who meet specified award criteria

General Deadlines

  • May 1, 2025 – Deadline to apply for all 2025 summer terms
  • August 1, 2025– Deadline to apply for Fall Semester 2025
  • December 1, 2025 – Deadline to apply for Winter Intersession and Spring Semester 2026

  • Complete the graduate school application, which requires you to enter basic information, select your master’s program, select your starting term for the program, and pay the $60 nonrefundable application fee (required for all applicants).
  • If you are a current student or graduate of an institution other than the University of Mississippi, have your official undergraduate transcript sent to the graduate school (gschool@olemiss.edu). You do not need to have junior or community college transcripts sent.
  • If required for admission, send your GMAT score to the Patterson School of Accountancy via your GMAC account.
  • If you’re an international student, have your official English language proficiency exam scores sent to the university unless you are a citizen of a country on the exemption list or graduated from an institution in one of those countries.

If the GMAT is waived for your admission but you plan to take it for PSOA graduate assistantship consideration, you can have your score sent when you apply or have it sent so that we receive it by one of the priority application deadlines.

To register for master’s classes, you must be admitted to the master’s program and have completed your undergraduate degree, with the degree that you earned listed on your official transcript.

These semesters and terms are available to choose as your starting term in the application process: fall semester, winter intersession, spring semester, May intersession, full summer term (includes first summer term and second summer term), and August intersession. Dates for all semesters and terms are listed on the academic calendar.

Master of Accountancy and Data Analytics and Master of Taxation and Data Analytics students are required to take ACCY 628 in May intersession or August intersession; we recommend taking that class at the beginning rather than the end of your master’s studies.

University of Mississippi Undergraduates

Your undergraduate degree will be certified once final grades are posted for your last undergraduate class(es).

If you will be taking your last undergraduate classes in spring semester and will be a May graduate, your starting term for the master’s program can be May intersession or any term after.

If you will be taking your last undergraduate class(es) in the summer and will be an August graduate, your starting term for the master’s program can be the term after you take your last undergraduate class or any term after that.

If you will be taking your last undergraduate classes in fall semester and will be a December graduate, your starting term for the master’s program can be winter intersession or any term after.

Undergraduates at Other Institutions

Contact your registrar if needed to find out when your completed undergraduate degree will be listed on your transcript and when an official copy can be sent to the graduate school (gschool@olemiss.edu). Choose a starting term that begins after the graduate school will receive your official transcript.

Financial Aid

To be considered for PSOA financial aid awards, you must complete the PSOA Financial Aid Application. You will be given access to that application once you’ve completed the admission application process.

In addition to the information provided in the PSOA Financial Aid Application, transcript, admission application, GMAT, and FAFSA information is used to determine eligibility for PSOA awards.

Current GPAs as of the time of selection are used in evaluating candidates for PSOA financial aid award eligibility. Students from other institutions who have completed undergraduate classes since admission must have a new official transcript sent to the graduate school (gschool@olemiss.edu) by one of the priority deadlines to be considered for PSOA financial aid awards.

Students who apply by one of the priority application deadlines will be considered for awards given for the 2025-26 academic year.

  • February 1, 2025 – Priority Deadline 1 to apply for a 2025 summer term, Fall Semester 2025, Winter Intersession 2026, or Spring Semester 2026 and be considered for PSOA financial aid awards
    • PSOA graduate assistantships will be offered to applicants with an admission score of 1350 or above [admission score = (200 x GPA) + GMAT]
    • Scholarships and fellowships will be offered to selected applicants who meet specified award criteria
  • April 1, 2025 – Priority Deadline 2 to apply for a 2025 summer term, Fall Semester 2025, Winter Intersession 2026, or Spring Semester 2026 and be considered for PSOA financial aid awards
    • Any remaining PSOA graduate assistantships will be offered to applicants with the highest admission scores
    • Any remaining PSOA scholarships and fellowships will be offered to selected applicants who meet specified award criteria

PSOA Graduate Assistantship

The PSOA awards approximately 50 graduate assistantships each year for fall and spring semesters.

Graduate assistants perform 10 hours of service to the PSOA per week, with responsibilities that may include assisting faculty, tutoring, proctoring exams, and/or assisting in the PSOA office.

In exchange for their service, graduate assistants receive a partial tuition scholarship (approximately 60-65% of resident tuition), a 100% non-resident fee scholarship, and a semesterly stipend of $3,000. For the 2023-24 academic year, the partial tuition scholarship is $3,469.50. Graduate assistantships do not include winter intersession or summer terms. Tuition for classes in those terms is based on the student’s residency.

Graduate assistantships are offered to students with the highest admission scores [admission score = (200 x GPA) + GMAT]. We accept scores for the current and previous versions of the GMAT. For admission score calculations, scores for the previous version will be equated to current GMAT scores using the score concordance chart provided by GMAC, the test provider. When a score for the previous version of the GMAT is equivalent to more than one current GMAT score, the highest score will be used.

PSOA graduate assistants are not permitted to serve in additional graduate assistantship positions while serving in the PSOA.

Hearin Foundation Graduate Fellowship

With the goal of improving the economic status of Mississippi, the Robert M. Hearin Support Foundation has generously provided funding for fellowships awarded to students in our Master of Accountancy & Data Analytics (MADA) and Master of Taxation & Data Analytics (MTDA) programs. Hearin Fellows receive a scholarship of $7,500 in fall and spring semesters, for a total award of $15,000. Hearin Fellows fulfill a minimal service obligation, which generally consists of proctoring exams periodically during the semester. Eligible candidates are Mississippi residents who are admitted to the MADA or MTDA program and plan to work in Mississippi upon graduation from the master’s program.

 

Through our partnership with KPMG, we launched our Master of Accountancy and Data Analytics (MADA) and Master of Taxation and Data Analytics (MTDA) programs in 2018. 

KPMG continues to support students pursuing data analytics degrees in the PSOA by providing scholarships to selected students who are admitted to our MADA program and who plan to be employed with KPMG after completing the master's program. 

KPMG MADA Scholarship Program

Share Your Information

Jennifer Lea McClure

Director of Master's Programs

I'd love to hear from you if you're interested in pursuing a master's degree in the PSOA. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have questions.

Jennifer Lea McClure

Director of Masters Programs Accountancy