Program

The total number of Credit Hours required to complete the MPA program is thirty-six (36) hours, comprised of twelve units as follows:

Core	8 courses X 3 Credit Hours = 24 hours
Electives	4 courses X 3 Credit Hours = 12 hours

Students whose first degree is not accounting, or with limited or no background on accounting and/or Business will have to successfully complete foundation courses before they are formally admitted to the program.   However, those courses  will not count towards the final credit hours of the program.  For those students who have limited background in accounting (mainly business students), they will be asked to successfully complete two foundation courses, before they are admitted to the program.  As for students with no relevant degree (mainly non-business students), they will be asked to take four courses. In addition, each applicant with no business  background will be subject to an individual assessment on a case by case basis to make sure that the pool of students have the basic competencies and knowledge (mainly in economics and statistics) needed for the program.

Teaching will be through evening sessions. Each semester (Fall and Spring) will be divided into two quarters, two courses offered each quarter. This translates into students being able to do 8 courses every academic year, needing 3 semesters to complete the 12 courses required.  Each course is equivalent to 3 credit hours which are equivalent to 48 contact hours (inclusive of class hours, compulsory group work, and supervised field projects). 

The objectives of the MPA program include the following: 

1. Enable graduates to have a high level of functional and technical competence in accounting that surpasses market-offered competencies.
2. Cover much wider areas of accounting than any of the professional accounting certifications that tend to be narrowly specialized.
3. Develop personal and business competencies (technical and non-technical) of graduates and provide them with an excellent foundation for successful professional careers. These competences are knowledge and professional skills essential to career success, such as research skills, analysis skills, judgment skills, critical thinking skills, communication skills, and group interaction skills.
4. Enable graduates to apply best accounting theories to their own practices, which form the basis of a sound accounting profession in the region and internationally.
5. Enable graduates to meet one of the criteria for enrollment in DBA programs.
6. Enable accountants who are yet to obtain professional certifications to complete the required minimum credit hours of higher education study (for example the 150 credit hours required for the American CPA certification).