Q: Must I take all the business
foundation and accounting fundamental (prerequisite) courses before
applying to graduate school? (A list of these courses can be found
at the end of the Q&A section.)
A: No. Although many applicants will
already have taken equivalents to all or some of the prerequisite
courses, they are not required for admission to the MAcct Program.
Q: How may I take the business
foundation and accounting fundamental courses if I do not have them
completed?
A: You may take them as undergraduate
classes at UM or as undergraduate classes at any accredited business
school in the USA. Or, you may take some or all of the business
foundation classes as graduate Internet classes offered at UM. The
accounting fundamentals classes are not offered via an internet
option at UM.
Q: Are specific grades required/preferred
for the prerequisite business foundation and accounting fundamental
courses?
A: Yes
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a. For the business foundation
courses: |
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|
1) You must earn a C or better if you take
them as undergraduate classes. If you have a D in any of these
classes, you will be required to take them over. |
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2) You must earn a B or better if you take
them as graduate Internet courses. |
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b. For the accounting fundamental
courses, the following grades are required. A grade of C or better is
required for
each individual course. But you also must have an
overall GPA for your accounting fundamental courses of 3.0
or better for all such courses taken prior to application.
(You must maintain a 3.0 or better GPA if you take these courses
after being admitted to the MAcct. If your accounting
fundamentals GPA falls below 3.0 at any time after admission,
you will not be allowed to take any required MAcct courses.) |
Q: May I take graduate courses before I complete
my undergraduate degree?
A. No, even if you have been accepted to begin the
MAcct Program by a certain date, if you have not completed your
undergraduate degree, you will not be allowed to enter the MAcct
Program or take graduate courses until you do.
Q: May I take any graduate
courses before I am admitted to the MAcct Program?
A: If you have an undergraduate degree
AND you have completed all of the business foundation courses, you
may take up to nine credits of graduate business electives as a
graduate non-degree student if you meet all other prerequisite requirements
for each graduate class you plan to take. If you are subsequently
admitted to the MAcct, you may transfer these credits to The University
of Montana to apply toward the degree. You will NOT be allowed to
take any required MAcct courses until you are officially admitted
to the MAcct Program.
Q: May I begin the MAcct Program
at any time?
A: Yes, you may begin Summer, Fall
or Spring Semester, but the start date may affect the length of
time your program will take due to the scheduling of the classes.
Q: When should I apply for
admission?
A: The priority deadline for Summer
or Fall Semester is February 1. September 1 is the priority
deadline for Spring Semester. Late deadlines for Fall are April 15
and June 15; for Summer it is April 15; and for Spring it is November 1. Late deadline applications
may be reviewed on a space-available basis. If the program is full,
late applicants will have to apply at the next regular deadline
to be considered for admission.
Q: What are my chances for
admission to the MAcct Program?
A: That is a tough question, which
does not have a straightforward answer. Admission is dependent primarily
on your undergraduate GPA, total GMAT score, individual section
scores on the GMAT, as well as your accounting GPA. Other information
is also reviewed such as letters of recommendation, work experience,
and previous graduate work. One of the most important factors, and
also the most difficult to predict, is the availability of openings.
The total number of students in the MAcct is limited due to the
program's resource base, accreditation guidelines, and the class
size needed to provide a quality graduate education.
Q: What is the GMAT?
A: The Graduate Management Admission
Test is a worldwide-standardized test used to measure aptitude for
graduate work in business. (The LSAT is a similar test required
for people applying to Law Schools across the country.) The GMAT
does not measure your knowledge of business subjects. It is a measure
of your basic verbal, quantitative and writing skills. You can obtain
a free booklet from us or the GMAT organization. The GMAT website
is Welcome to MBA. This booklet provides a complete description, including
test dates and locations.
Q: When should I take the
GMAT and how can I prepare for it?
A: You should take the GMAT as early
as possible. The scores are valid for five years, and if you take
it early, you will have time to retake it should the first attempt
not be acceptable. You can retake the GMAT as many times as you
wish, but we accept only the most recent test scores. The GMAT is
a rather expensive test so we strongly recommend that you obtain
study materials with software to help prepare for it. These study
materials can be purchased at most university bookstores as well
as at many other book stores. The study materials will not only
help you cover the content of the exam, but they will also help
you be more efficient on the computerized structure of the exam.
Q: Can I be admitted without
taking the GMAT?
A: No. The GMAT is required of all
MAcct applicants.
Q: What are the specific
MAcct admission criteria?
| A: |
a) Strong
preference is given to candidates, who have an overall
undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better. |
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b) |
The following are required: |
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|
1). Total GMAT score of 500 or better. |
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|
2) Accounting
fundamentals courses GPA of 3.0 or better. |
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c) The GMAT has
three parts: quantitative, verbal and writing. We require a 25% or greater
percentile on the quantitative and verbal portions of the exam.
We require a 3.5 (out of a possible score of 6) on the
writing portion. An index of the GMAT plus the undergraduate GPA
x 200 is also calculated and reviewed. For example, if your
total GMAT score is 530 and your undergraduate GPA is 3.39, your
index would be 530 + 200(3.39) = 1208. The higher the index, the
better, of course. |
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d) NOTE: Even if your total GMAT
score is above 500, if an individual section is under the percentiles
given above, you will not have met the requirements. |
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e) International
students must take the TOEFL exam also. We require a score of at
least 237 or better on a computerized version of the TOEFL or 580
or better on the written version. The TOEFL is waived for
students whose undergraduate degree is from an English-speaking
school.
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Q: How long does it
take to complete the MAcct Program?
A: If all of your business
foundation and accounting fundamental classes are completed, it
takes one calendar year to complete the MAcct. This consists of
a Fall, Spring, and Summer Semester.
Q: As part of the
MAcct program, I am allowed to take
one of the 400-level Accounting Fundamental courses for graduate
credit. Will this extend the length
of the program?
A: In most circumstances the
400-level class will fit in with the MAcct class schedule and will
not extend the length of your program. But, if the class is not
offered at a time or semester that fits in the MAcct schedule, you
may have to extend your program to a two-year program to meet all
the requirements. Therefore, it is best to complete all accounting
fundamental courses before beginning graduate MAcct classes.
Q: Whom should I ask
for recommendations?
A: We need recommendations
from people who are in a position to make judgments about your potential
to do academic work, so teachers are a good choice. If you are no
longer in school, supervisors and work associates are good alternatives.
They should discuss your work ethic in the recommendation letters.
Q: If I am admitted,
can I later change the admission date that I put on my application?
A: Maybe. Your admission will
be for a specific semester. If you do want to change after you have
been admitted, you must make a written request to the MAcct Graduate
Director. The request will be forwarded to the UM Graduate School,
which makes the final determination. You may be required to fill
out a leave of absence request form or you may be asked to reapply
at the next deadline.
Q: The UM Business School
has a MAcct Program and an MBA Program. If I am admitted to the
MAcct, can I later switch to the MBA?
A: Maybe. Each program has
its own admission requirements and enrollment limits, so free transfer
from one to the other is not allowed. However, you may apply for
admission to the MBA along with other applicants. You would receive
some preference over others with similar qualifications, but you
would not be guaranteed admission.
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