Graduate Overview
MPA (Master of Professional Accountancy)
Prepare for an advanced career in accounting
The MPA (Master of Professional Accountancy) from UW-Whitewater provides the specific knowledge and skills that employers value. During their careers, professionals with graduate degrees in accounting earn higher salaries and are promoted faster than those with undergraduate degrees. This full-time program can be completed in about one year; however, students may also take classes part-time if desired. While the program has been designed primarily for students with undergraduate accounting degrees, students with other undergraduate degrees can join the program by taking additional foundation courses.
Customized degree planning
UW-Whitewater offers more than 40 electives covering the breadth of contemporary accounting and other business-related issues. This allows students to tailor the MPA program to meet their interests and career goals. Electives fall under the categories of accounting, economics, finance and business law, information technology and supply chain, and management. In addition, students may earn a 12-credit graduate certificate in Accounting. The courses in the certificate — which are a subset of the MPA program — provide incremental coverage of CPA content and align with specific sections of the exam.
Meet CPA licensing requirements
The State of Wisconsin requires CPA candidates to have 120 credit hours and a bachelor’s degree to sit for the exam; however, they must have 150 credit hours to become a licensed CPA. The Master of Professional Accountancy program fulfills the additional credits required for CPA licensure, and our graduates' first-time exam pass rate consistently exceeds state and national averages. In addition to the CPA exam, you will be prepared for other professional certifications and examinations such as Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
To ensure a high quality graduate student group, all Master of Professional Accountancy students must have an undergraduate degree from a recognized institution and meet one of the admission criteria provided below. Many applicants will qualify for admission without GMAT/GRE scores.
Our interactive evaluation form can also help you review the admission requirements and the documentation needed for official admission review.
If you do not meet the admission requirements, please email or call us at (262) 472-1945 to see if you could be admitted on a conditional basis.
International students must meet additional criteria and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Contact us for information and assistance.
MPA admission criteria (effective Fall 2019)
Applicants must satisfy any one of the criteria from any of the following categories:
Military Service
- Qualified veteran or currently active military personnel
Education
- AACSB- or ABET-accredited degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher
- Regionally-accredited undergraduate degree with a 3.25 GPA or higher
- Graduate degree from a regionally-accredited or equivalent institution
- UW-Whitewater graduate business certificate
Work Experience
- Four or more years of professional work experience
- Two or more years of professional work experience with a 3.0 GPA
- Approved professional certification
GMAT Scores*
- A composite score of at least 1,100 based on the following formula
- (GMAT score) + [200 x (overall undergraduate GPA based on a 4-point scale)]
- A composite score of at least 1,150 based on the following formula
- (GMAT score) + [200 x (last half of undergraduate GPA based on a 4-point scale)]
- A composite score of 950 - 1,100 for consideration of conditional admission based on the following formula
- (GMAT score) + [200 x (overall undergraduate GPA based on a 4-point scale)]
*GRE scores are converted to comparable GMAT scores
The UW-Whitewater Master of Professional Accountancy has been updated to allow students to select more of the classes they take. With more than 40 electives to choose from, students can customize their degree plan to better match their career interests.
To earn the UW-Whitewater MPA, you must complete:
- Breadth (12 credits)
- Electives (18 credits)
Additional information, including course descriptions and program policies, can be found in the Graduate Catalog.
Because MPA graduates typically complete the program immediately following their bachelor's degree and do not yet have extensive work experience, the benefits of their master's are generally more appreciable with time. On average, accounting professionals with master's degrees earn $22,000 (32%) more per year than those with bachelor's degrees1 and are typically promoted faster. Information from surveyed UW-Whitewater MPA graduates is shared below, as well as industry-reported salary information that reflects more of a mid-career average.
MPA Placement Rate2
100%
Highlighted Employers3
Baker Tilly LLP, Deloitte & Touche LLP, EY, Grant Thornton LLP, KPMG, PwC, Smith & Gestland, Wegner CPAs, Wipfli LLP, Wisconsin Department of Revenue
Common Titles3
Assurance Associate, Auditor, Forensic Associate, Staff Accountant, Tax Accountant
Industry Salary (national average)
UW-Whitewater Salary Estimate (6 months or less after graduation)3
$52,049
1 Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce Analysis of U.S. Census Bureau, 2015
2 Based on 2017 - 2018 survey data
3 Self-reported data from survey respondents
4 Payscale.com national salary data (1 to 20+ years of professional experience)