MSA Course Descriptions: Curriculum: Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) Program: Kelley School of Business: IUPUI Indianapolis

Master of Science in Accounting

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MSA Course Descriptions

A508 – Accounting for Nonprofit Organizations (3 cr.): Accounting concepts and methods peculiar to governmental units, universities, hospitals, and other nonprofit organizations
A510 – Financial Accounting Theory and Practice I (3 cr.): An intermediate financial accounting course emphasizing financial statement preparation and analysis. Includes intermediate theory and problems, asset valuation, and income measurement, preparation and analysis of financial statements. This course does not count toward the MSA degree as it is the graduate version of A311 Intermediate Accounting.
A511 – Financial Accounting Theory and Practice II (3 cr.): P: A510 or equivalent. Application of intermediate accounting theory to problems involving long-term liabilities, corporations, earnings per share, tax allocation, pensions, leases, and cash flows.
A512 – Financial Accounting Theory and Practice (1 - 4 cr.): Accelerated coverage of Financial Accounting Theory and Practice I and II. Examines a broad range of intermediate accounting topics, including issues related to income measurement and revenue recognition, accounting for current and non-current assets, liabilities, leases, pensions, income taxes, stockholders' equity, accounting changes, earnings per share and cash flows.
A514 – Auditing Theory and Practice. (3 cr.): P: A511 and A523. This course addresses the concepts and procedures related to the implementation of the external and internal audits for business organizations. Coverage includes issuance of the audit report, reviews of internal control, statistical sampling, EDP systems and the company's business cycles. Additional topics include forensic accounting, auditing for fraud and other assurance services. Many topics covered are included on the uniform CPA examination given twice yearly by the AICPA.
A515 – Federal Income Taxes (3 cr.): Co-requisite: A551 Tax Research: Introduction to federal income taxation. Focus is on the income taxation of individuals and tax planning for individuals. The goal of this course is to introduce students to the federal income tax law of the U.S. The course provides an overview of the following elements of the tax computation: gross income, deductions, credits, property transactions, alternative minimum tax, employment taxes, and an overview of the estate and gift tax. While the course primarily focuses on the income taxation of individuals, the basic treatment of other entities is considered, including the taxation of corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, trusts and estates. Moreover, it should be emphasized that many of the basic tax rules examined apply to all entities. In addition, a portion of the course is devoted to tax research, enabling students to appreciate the sources of tax law such as the Internal Revenue Code, Regulations, administrative pronouncements and case law.
A516 – Federal Estate and Gift Taxation (3 cr.): P: A515 or equivalent. Tax treatment of wealth transfers at death (the estate tax) and during lifetime (the gift tax), with emphasis on estate planning. Also includes an examination of the income taxation of estates and trusts.
A517 – Financial Statement Analysis (3 cr.): P: A510 or equivalent. Financial statement analysis is a problem solving, case course designed to teach and understand the techniques used to evaluate the financial dynamics of businesses. Topics covered are directly related to the accounting financial statements, including strategic analysis, ratio analysis, asset and liability analysis, and revenue and expense analysis. Also covered will be forecasting, financial distress models, asset valuation modeling, discount models and abnormal return models. Students will use the Compustat database to generate company and industry data to perform longitudinal studies and publicly traded securities.
A520 - Corporate Financial Reporting (3 cr.): P: A511 and A514. Recommended co-requisite with A562. This course will cover the theory and practice of corporate financial reporting. You will be responsible for conducting applied accounting research on a variety of corporate reporting issues that are designed not only to expand your knowledge of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles covered in undergraduate accounting courses but also to improve your analytical abilities and reasoning process. The research will involve cases based on actual financial statements and events involving real companies. Corporate financial reporting issues will also be covered through financial statement analysis as well as an introduction to special reporting issues. Another critical part of the course will be evaluating current developments in financial reporting, e.g., FASB’s proposals and exposure drafts.
A522 – Federal Taxation of Partnerships and Partners (3 cr.): P: A515 or equivalent. Tax aspects of the definition, formation, operation, liquidation, and termination of partnerships and limited liability companies.
A523 – Business Information Systems (3 cr.): An overview of accounting systems and their existence within businesses. The course includes discussions of system controls, transaction processing, business cycles and issues related to development and installation of automated accounting systems.
A524 – Managing Accounting Information Decision Making (3 cr.): P: A201. Provides a user-oriented understanding of how accounting information should be managed to ensure its availability on a timely and relevant basis for decision making. Focus is on cost-benefit analysis for evaluating potential value-added results from planning, organizing, and controlling a firm=s accounting information. Group participation and computer support is used extensively. For MBA students enrolled in Module II.
A528 – State and Local Taxation (1.5 - 3 cr.): P: A515 or equivalent. Examines the basic principles of state and local taxation. Taxes studied are income taxes, sales taxes, use taxes, inheritance taxes, estate taxes, personal property taxes, real property taxes, and excise taxes.
A529 – Internship in Accounting. (3 cr.): Learning in a professional environment. Internship with intensive seminars relating to business (e.g., leadership, team building, supervisory skills, time-management, oral communications, negotiating).
A539 – Advanced Taxation I: Entity Issues (3 cr.): P: A515 or equivalent. Introduction to the taxation of regular corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, and S corporations.
A544 – Federal Taxation of Corporations Filing Consolidated Returns (1.5 - 3 cr.): P: A515 or equivalent. The principal focus of this course is on the consolidation return regulations, including concepts and history; eligibility to file; computation of consolidated and separate taxable income; intercompany transactions; SRLY rules; consolidated basis adjustments, loss disallowance rules and procedures. Other tax issues raised by affiliated corporations include the multiple corporation limitations of Section 1561.
A551 – Tax Research (1.5 cr.): P: A515 or concurrent. Covers how to access the primary and secondary sources of tax law, including the Internal Revenue Code, regulations and other administrative pronouncements and judicial decisions. Explains the research process and the use of research tools to locate sources of tax law. Utilizes both paper products and electronic (internet) resources. Emphasizes how to read and interpret source materials. Tax research assignments stress writing skills and the need for effective communication of research findings.
A552 – Federal Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders (3 cr.): P: A515 or equivalent. Federal tax aspects of various corporate transactions including corporate formations, operations, distributions, redemptions, liquidations, mergers, acquisitions and divisions and the impact of these transactions on corporate shareholders.
A554 – Income Taxation of Trusts and Estates (1.5 cr): P: A515 or equivalent. Analyzes the income taxation of trusts and estates and their creators, beneficiaries and fiduciaries, including computation of fiduciary accounting income, distributable net income and taxable income, taxation of simple and complex trusts, computation of income in respect of a decedent, preparation of the decedent's final income tax return and the returns of trusts and estates from inception through termination.
A555 – Taxation of S Corporations (1.5 - 3 cr.): P: A515 or equivalent Examines tax treatment, tax problems and tax planning techniques involving S corporations; eligibility rules; election, revocation, termination; treatment of income, deductions and credits; determining the shareholder's taxable income; pass-through of corporate net operating loss; distributions of previously taxed income; special taxes applicable to S corporations.
A556 – Timing Issues in Taxation: Accounting Periods and Methods (1.5 - 3 cr.): P: A515 or equivalent. Examines timing issues related to the Federal income tax including adoption of and changes in accounting periods, cash and accrual methods of accounting, tax consequences of changing from one method of accounting to another, installment methods of accounting; time value of money issues (original issue discount); inventory accounting (LIFO), the Uniform Capitalization Rules, and accounting for long-term contracts.
A557 – International Taxation: P: A515 or equivalent (1.5 - 3 cr.) Examines federal tax issues related to foreign transactions, including issues affecting U.S. citizens and residents working, investing in or doing business overseas, and foreigners working, investing in or doing business in the U.S.
A558 – Taxation of Tax Exempt Organizations (1.5 cr.): P: A515 or equivalent. Examines the tax treatment of public and private charities exempt under I.R.C. Sec. 501(c)(3), as well as business leagues, social clubs, and other types of tax-exempt organizations Includes discussion of the requirements for exemption from federal income tax and the tax treatment of the unrelated business income tax and private foundation status and its repercussions.
A559 – Federal Taxation of Current and Deferred Compensation (1.5 - 3 cr.): P: A515 or equivalent. Introduces the taxation of current and deferred compensation. Current compensation coverage includes receipt of property, stock options, golden parachutes, etc. Deferred compensation topics addressed are qualified and nonqualified retirement plans including pension and profit-sharing plans, stock bonus plans, self-employed retirement plans and individual retirement; examines basic concepts of plans and trust, participation and vesting requirements, hours of service and break-in service rules, discrimination in benefits or contributions, deduction for employer contributions, limitations on benefits and contributions, taxability of distributions, fiduciary responsibility and reporting and disclosure requirements.
A560 – Information Technology Auditing (3 cr.): This course examines the security and control of information systems (IS) from the perspective of management, including the IS assurance process. The emphasis is on technical, professional, and regulatory best practices in information systems security and assurance. The course is designed to meet the IS security information needs of both managers and IS security assurance professionals. As such, the course is structured to cover most topics in the common body of knowledge (CBK) for professional examinations with an information security component, including the CPA, CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor) and CIA (Certified Internal Auditor) exams.
A562 – Advanced Financial Accounting (3 cr.): P: A511 or equivalent. Consideration of advanced financial accounting problems, including those related to consolidated financial statements, business combinations (mergers and acquisitions), branches, foreign operations and nonprofit organizations.
A565 – Advanced Accounting Information Systems (3 cr.): An investigation of current topics relative to accounting information systems. Previous and/or expected topics covered include electronic money, web based financial reporting, electronic imaging, e-commerce and recognized "hot" accounting technology topics. The course changes from semester to semester and is frequently adjusted to cover topics of interest to currently enrolled students.
A566 – Advanced Auditing (3 cr.): P: A514 or equivalent. Examines advance issues in auditing including in depth review of the following: forensic accounting and fraud examination; litigation support and expert witness services; the use of statistical sampling in auditing; internal auditing; assurance services and extending the attestation function. The course makes use of cases, articles and current pronouncements in the field. Prerequisite: basic auditing course (A514).
A575 – Internal Auditing and Corporate Governance (3 cr.): This course introduces basic concepts of internal auditing, emphasizing business process controls as well as entity-level controls. The course is taught from a corporate governance perspective, which stresses the role played by internal audit in assisting management and the board in evaluating and improving the effectiveness of risk management, internal controls, and the governance process. The course also includes an introduction to audit software.
A590 – Independent Study in Accounting. Variable credit: For advanced MBA or MSA students engaged in special study projects. Course admission and project supervision is arranged through the MBA/MSA office and the faculty's advisor.
L503 – Advanced Business Law (3 cr.): P: L203 or equivalent. Examines concepts of law as applied to the accounting profession, including contracts, agency, forms of organization, property, wills and trusts, securities regulation, consumer protection, and antitrust, secured transactions, negotiable instruments, commercial paper, payment systems, bankruptcy, and related subject areas.
L555 – Legal Procedures in Taxation and Tax Practice (1.5 - 3 cr.): P: A515 or equivalent. Examines federal tax procedure at the administrative level and in litigation; organization of the I.R.S.; legal and practical aspects of Treasury regulations; administrative rulings; closing and compromise agreements; deficiency and jeopardy assessments; waivers; refund claims; mitigation of statute of limitations; pretrial, trial and appellate processes; tax collections; civil penalties; and the rights and privileges of the taxpayer.
S504 – Information Technology for Managers (3 cr.): Overview of information systems management in business with an emphasis on end-user computing. Lectures focus on topics such as the strategic role of information technology, systems development and implementation, facilitation and control of end-user computing, and the diffusion of new technologies and management trends. Experimental learning by exposure to various decision-support tools for microcomputers.
S520 – Data Management (3 cr.): Examination of basic concepts of data management, database systems, and database applications in business. Goal is to provide adequate technical detail while emphasizing the organizational and implementation issues relevant to the management of data in an organizational environment. Topics include relational data modeling, logical database design, client/server systems, data warehousing, and data base administration.

S530 – Systems Analysis and Design. (3 cr.): S307 or equivalent. Analysis of an organization and the subsequent design of computer systems to meet business requirements are at the heart of the computer information systems (CIS) field. Course is the first in a two-course sequence with S410 that addresses the multiphased process for developing information systems. Courses follow the system's development life cycle, although alternative methodologies are also covered. This first course covers the phases from information systems planning through the specification of structured system requirements in functional form (i.e., logical system design) and concentrates on methods, techniques, and tools used to determine information requirements and to document these requirements in a thorough and unambiguous form. Also introduces computer-aided software engineering (CASE) technology. Students learn the discipline of systems analysis and logical design through a hypothetical case situation.
S555 – Information Technology for Managers (Part I) - 1.5 credit hours: Although the exact date of the beginning of an Information Age is a matter of opinion, there is wide agreement that some kind of information revolution is currently underway, and the fuel for this revolution is information technology (IT). The overall objective of the two required IT core courses is to enable you to become a more knowledgeable participant in this revolution. In S555 we will focus on IT applications and IT management issues. We will rely on real-world case studies–both successes and failures–to identify some key IT management principles and best practices. The goal is to increase your knowledge about the competencies needed for successful IT management in organizational settings. You will be expected to develop a working knowledge of alternative types of computer applications and methodologies for acquiring them, an appreciation of how to manage both the technical and social aspects of IT implementation, and an improved understanding of how It can enable new business strategies. In addition to weekly assignments and in-class discussions of the case studies, there will be one team project.