School of Accounting & Taxation

Graduate-Master of Accounting
Graduate-Master of Taxation

Department Chair: James Hansen
Location: Wattis Business Building, Room 221
Telephone: 801-626-6072
Professors: Jefferson Davis, Yuhong Fan, James Hansen, David Malone, Ryan Pace, Eric Smith; Associate Professors: Andrea Gouldman, Jim Turner; Assistant Professors: Valerie Chambers, Darcie Costello, Weiwei Wang; Instructors: Lisa Hopkins, Loisanne Kattelman, Terrilyn Morgan

Accounting

The School of Accounting & Taxation creates a synergy between accounting, business, and economic theory and contemporary practice to prepare working professionals and full-time students for careers in a global, culturally diverse, information-driven economy. Three principles are central to our mission:

Education - The first, and foremost, is fostering learning through excellent teaching, individual attention, and scholarship, which develops, assesses, and disseminates good practice.
Research - The second is the application of theory to practice through applied research and scholarship, and the utilization of applied research to further learning in the classroom and through co-curricular activities.
Community - The third is advancing contemporary practice and creating learning opportunities by contributing to the accounting profession and to business and the community.

Accounting is defined as the process of gathering, classifying, interpreting, and presenting financial and non-financial information for decision-making purposes to diversified user groups. The field of accounting encompasses the well-recognized profession of public accounting including auditing, management advisory services, and tax services; professional careers in industry such as management accounting (controllership), cost accounting, and internal auditing; careers in various governmental agencies and other accounting and business-related fields.

Certification in public accounting in Utah requires 30 semester hours beyond a baccalaureate degree. Students should take advantage of opportunities to prepare themselves to sit for one of the professional examinations (such as Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, and/or Certified Internal Auditor) at the culmination of their accounting program.

Finance

After studying in the School’s core courses about the various functions in organizations, the student who concentrates in finance learns how to efficiently acquire, allocate, and control a firm’s financial resources.

A background in finance will prepare the student to: (1) conduct detailed financial analyses; (2) relate the financial environment of an organization to the policies that organization will need for optimum returns; and (3) select and analyze investment opportunities for both individuals and organizations.

Courses

Accounting & Taxation and Finance Course Descriptions

Also see:

Graduate-Master of Accounting

Graduate-Master of Taxation

Programs

Bachelor of Science

Minor