The Department of Accountancy programs continue to be ranked among the elite in the nation by Public Accounting Report (where both our graduate and undergraduate programs are ranked in the top 20).
Our new Leadership MAS (Master of Accounting Science) program begins in Fall 2009. The program integrates professional accounting knowledge with the specific leadership development skills and competencies needed to be successful in a variety of career paths.
The Leadership MAS program includes academic experiences in leadership (two courses developed by the Departments of Management and Accountancy) combined with a variety of assessment tools and coaching and mentoring experiences outside the classroom. These experiences will allow students to learn and apply the management theories, principles, and analytical methods needed to understand and execute effective business practices, as both an individual and a member of a team. In addition, students will gain the ability to lead a team and manage people and influence others' thinking and actions to achieve organizational goals.
These leadership experiences complement the balance of our 30 semester hour program which provides students with foundational accountancy knowledge that is not covered in an undergraduate program and essential business knowledge from the strategy, information technology, and financial management areas. Additionally, the program includes a research skills course and a capstone course in which accountancy and business knowledge is integrated and applied to business decision-making scenarios.
We believe the Leadership MAS program complements either an undergraduate accountancy degree or a strong non-accountancy major who desires to pursue an accounting career. The program is also an excellent way to meet the 150 semester hours of academic training needed to sit for the CPA exam.
Rowene Linden is the M.A.S. Graduate Program Advisor and can be reached via email at rlinden@niu.edu or at 1(815) 753-6200.