2015-2016 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Master of Science in Taxation
The M.S.T. program serves individuals who are interested in expanding or continuing their education in taxation. It is specialized, practical, and intensely client focused. Students examine substantive tax law and enhance their analytical and research skills, thus enabling them to analyze tax problems, identify the relevant issues, and arrive at the appropriate conclusions or courses of action.
Admission to the Master of Science in Taxation Program
Candidates are admitted to the M.S.T. program based on criteria that have been shown to predict success. Applicants must submit official documentation of all previous college coursework, including a baccalaureate degree (or equivalent international credential). An undergraduate degree in accounting is not required, although those with limited undergraduate exposure to taxation are required to complete appropriate courses to provide a foundation for advanced study in taxation. Additionally, applicants must submit:
- GMAT score
- Personal Statement
- TOEFL score (if English is not the applicant's first language)
Admission requirements are provided in detail in the Seidman College of Business section of this catalog, including conditions that qualify applicants for a GMAT waiver.
Transfer Credit
A maximum of nine semester hours of transfer credit will be given for appropriate graduate courses completed with a grade of B or better from another AACSB-accredited college. These credits may be substituted for required courses or elective courses as determined by the program director. University policy on transfer of credit also governs such courses.
Academic Review
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher is required in all graduate-level courses. Additionally, a cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required in all 600-level courses that fulfill graduation requirements for the M.S.T A grade of "C" or better must be earned in all graduate courses that fulfill graduation requirements for the M.S.T.
Requirements for the M.S.T.
The M.S.T. program consists of 33 semester hours of 600-level coursework.
Core Courses
The following five core courses are required of all M.S.T. students. Each course is three credits:
- ACC 622 - Tax Research and Writing (3 credits)
- ACC 624 - Corporate Tax I (3 credits)
- ACC 627 - Estate, Gift, and Trust I (3 credits)
- ACC 629 - Partnership Taxation (3 credits)
- ACC 636 - Taxation Problems, Planning, and Current Issues (3 credits)
Elective Courses
In addition, all M.S.T. students must complete at least two of the following tax elective courses. Each course is three credits:
- ACC 625 - Corporate Tax II (3 credits)
- ACC 623 - Sales, Exchanges, and Other Property Dispositions (3 credits)
- ACC 628 - Fiduciary Income Tax (3 credits)
- ACC 630 - Multistate Taxation (3 credits)
- ACC 631 - Employee Benefit Plans and Deferred Compensation (3 credits)
- ACC 632 - Tax Accounting (3 credits)
- ACC 633 - International Tax Practice (3 credits)
- ACC 639 - Federal Tax Practice and Procedure (3 credits)
- ACC 640 - S Corp & Limited Liability Co Taxation Credits: 3
- ACC 641 - Advanced Estate and Gift Taxation (3 credits)
The remaining four electives may be selected from among Seidman M.S.T. courses or, with faculty advisor approval, other Seidman graduate offerings or graduate program offerings outside the Seidman College of Business.
Cognates
Certain cognates must be completed before graduation. They may be completed as part of the student's undergraduate program prior to admission to the M.S.T. program or completed anytime between admission and program completion. These cognates include accounting and economics and at least four of the following areas: business law, computer science and information systems, finance, marketing, and statistics.
| Cognate Area | Cognate Course | GVSU Undergraduate Course(s) |
|
Accounting |
ACC 511 Financial and Managerial Accounting Concepts (3 credits) |
ACC 212 and 213 (6 credits) |
|
Statistics and Finance |
FIN 520 Statistics and Mathematics of Finance (3 credits) |
STA 215 (3 credits) and FIN 320 (3 credits) |
|
Legal Environment |
BUS 531 Legal Environment of Business (2 credits) |
BUS 201 (3 credits) |
|
Economics |
ECO 542 Economic Reasoning (3 credits) |
ECO 210 and 211 (6 credits) |
Students who have completed GVSU undergraduate courses listed above with a grade of "B" or better or the equivalent at another college or university are not required to complete additional 500-level coursework in the respective areas. A background assessment showing the status of the student's cognate requirements is provided to each student at the time of admission.
Capstone
- ACC 636 - Taxation Problems, Planning, and Current Issues (3 credits) is a Capstone course and may not be taken until other core courses are complete.
The M.S.T. is a program designed for working professionals. Classes are offered in the evenings, and most students attend part-time. Students who have completed the cognate requirements and enroll for six credits each semester graduate in two years. The M.S.T. can be completed in four semesters of full-time study, including two fall semesters, if the student has completed all cognate requirements and attends full-time.
Students must complete a program plan with their faculty advisor prior to beginning coursework.