Rowene Linden is the MAS advisor. Her office is in BH 345. You may contact her via phone, 1(815) 753-6200; email, rlinden@niu.edu; or fax, 1(815) 753-8515. Please call 1(815) 753-1637 to make an appointment with her.
Criteria 1: The minimum criteria are a 2.75 cumulative GPA, 3.00 GPA in Accountancy courses including 206 and 207, 475 GMAT score, and appropriate leadership and communication skills as evidenced by letters of recommendation and goals statement.
Criteria 2: In addition students must have a composite score of 1100 or higher. The composite score is calculated by the following formula: (cumulative GPA x 200) + GMAT score = 1100 or higher.
Criteria 3: There are a limited number of students who can be admitted to the program. Admission to the program is competitive and limited to candidates who demonstrate high promise of success. Final admission decisions will be based on GPA (cumulative and Accountancy), GMAT score, composite score, and leadership and communications skills as documented in a goals statement and letters of recommendation.
You will not be admitted to the MAS program.
M.A.S. Deadline | All Documents to Grad School Deadline | International Students Deadline | |
| Summer | February 1st | June 1st | -------* |
| Fall | April 1st | July 15th | May 1st |
| Spring | September 15th | December 10th | October 1st |
* International students can not apply for summer term.
The Graduate School deadline for each term is the latest that you can apply. We begin to review applications once the Accountancy Department's recommended deadline has passed. You should apply by the accounting application deadline date to have the best chance of acceptance into the program.
After the Graduate School has received and processed all of your documents, it will send a decision sheet to Rowene Linden. The department's admission committee meets after the department deadline and considers all complete applications for admission. The decisions are sent back to the Graduate School, which then will send you a letter indicating the decision. The Department of Accountancy will also send you a letter of acceptance to the MAS program within 6 weeks of the department deadline.
Admission Term | Accountancy Department Admission Decision | Graduate School Admission Decision Sent to Student |
| Summer | Mid-February | Beginning of March |
| Fall | Mid-April | Beginning of May |
| Spring | Beginning of October | End of October |
Applications may be obtained online at www.grad.niu.edu/apply or via email (type "application request" in the subject line).
Office of Testing Services, 128 Adams Hall or see the Department of Accountancy in BH 345.
You may register for the GMAT by phone (1-866-706-0403), mail, or web site www.gmac.com. The GMAT is a computer-adaptive test that is available, year-round, at test centers throughout the United States. The fee is $250. It is possible to schedule your test within a few days of registering, but popular dates (weekends, especially) book quickly. Consider admission deadlines, then call early to increase your chances of getting your preferred test date at the center most convenient to you. Check the web site for specific locations.
Since the GMAT does not test you on your accounting and business knowledge, you should take the GMAT at least seven to twelve months before the start of Graduate School. By taking the exam early, you will have time to retake the exam if necessary. GMAT requires you to wait one month between test dates. If you take the test more than once, your highest score will be used. Note that a score of at least 475 does not guarantee admission into the M.A.S. program.
Whether to take a review course or not is up to you. You can purchase review manuals, such as Kaplan and Princeton. These manuals contain CDs that provide you with a simulated exam.
When an NIU undergraduate student has only one or two courses to complete for the B.S. degree, the student may also take graduate courses during the same semester if he or she has been admitted to the Graduate School. See Rowene Linden if you wish further details of how this would fit into your academic program.
The MAS program will be offered in DeKalb.
All Accountancy courses will be offered in DeKalb. It is possible that one or more of the three business electives may need to be taken at an off-campus location if courses in DeKalb are full. There is an additional off-campus fee added to tuition for off-campus courses.
Most classes are offered during the day, while a few are offered early evening.
Yes.
Yes, see Rowene Linden to discuss further.
Taking 15 hours in a fall or spring semester is not recommended. A normal course load for a fall or spring semester is 12 hours, and a normal course load for summer is 6 hours. You should consult with Rowene Linden if you plan to take more than a normal load.
A full-time master's program is very challenging and we recommend you do not work.
The MAS program at Northern Illinois University is a challenging program which prepares students for successful careers in professional accounting. Our graduate faculty are dedicated to insuring that your experience at NIU will help you to develop the technical and career skills to be successful in today's complex business environment. Success in this program requires a higher level of commitment than that needed to be successful in our undergraduate degree program.
You should definitely take ACCY 480, Governmental and Not-For-Profit Accounting if you plan to sit for the CPA exam. If you are interested in Internal Audit, you should take ACCY 462. If you are interested in Forensic Accounting/Fraud Examination, you should take ACCY 465. Otherwise, you should take ACCY 421, Advanced Cost Management. Students pursuing the MAS Taxation area of study may choose ACCY 433, Financial Reporting III.
If you take ACCY 433 (Financial Reporting III) as an undergraduate advanced Accountancy elective, then you will need to substitute another graduate course for ACCY 633. The department cannot guarantee that substitute courses will be offered each semester or when you will need them to complete your MAS degree in a timely fashion.
| Area of Study | Required | Elective Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Reporting and Assurance | A633 | |
| Managerial Accounting Systems | A633 (Not required) | A633 (Not a choice) |
| Taxation | A633 (Not required) | A633 |
Students can select from the financial reporting and assurance, managerial accounting systems or taxation areas of study. You should contact Rowene Linden if you need any assistance in selecting an area of study.
In the taxation area of study, four of the seven Accountancy classes will be tax classes.
The MST program will meet the 150-hour requirement. However, it will not provide you with some of the classes you will need for the CPA exam.
You can do either. If you do the tax area of study, nine hours of the tax classes can also count towards the MST degree.
Yes. However, the M.B.A. program is only offered at Hoffman, and Naperville sites, and all courses are in the evening. The M.B.A. program is not set-up to accommodate spring internships.
If a student with a NIU undergraduate Accountancy degree is admitted to the MAS program, you also meet the MAS internship criteria. For other students the completion of college and department Phase One requirements is needed. Questions about internships should be directed to Tamara Phelan (815-753-6208).
A graduate internship is not required for the MAS program. You may take 12 hours during the spring if you are not in an internship. Other Accountancy electives will be offered for students who do not have an internship. However, you should consider that many full-time job opportunities result from internships.
Internships are not guaranteed. Internship offers are made by the company/firm through the internship interview process.
Yes, see Tamara Phelan for details.
Yes, most public accounting firm internships will be during the spring term. Most corporate firms will continue to offer internships in the summer. You must be accepted by the Graduate School in order to enroll in the academic graduate internship, ACCY 673.
The internship interviewing process begins with a mandatory meeting in September. Please contact Tamara Phelan (815) 753-6208 or email tphelan@niu.edu) for more information.
In the fall, there will be separate required meetings; one for students who have not attended a previous internship informational meeting and one for those students who participated in the internship interview process previously.
No.
Yes.
Debra Hopkins is Director of the NIU CPA Review courses. She may be reached at 815-753-6207. Please visit the CPA Review website at www.cpareview.niu.edu/.
Yes.
No.
While the NIU Department of Accountancy has a national reputation for quality and excellence, the program is reasonably priced. The NIU tuition and fee schedule may be reviewed at www.niu.edu/bursar/tuition/graduate.shtml.
For 2008-2009 there is an additional $525 (per 3 hour course) MAS fee for all courses except Phase I business and accountancy core requirements. A general cost summary is provided below:
2008-20091 | DeKalb Campus (Totals Without Health Insurance) (In State) |
Phase One Cost
Tuition General Fees Technology Surcharge (7 hours or more) | $254.00 per hour $66.00 per hour $100.00 per semester |
Phase Two Course Cost
Tution General Fees M.A.S. Program Fee Technology Surcharge (7 hours or more) | $254.00 per hour $66.00 per hour $175.00 per hour $100.00 per semester |
Major medical insurance is an additional $350.00 per semester if you are enrolled in 9 or more credit hours.
1 All amounts are rounded. Tuition and fees are subject to change by the Board of Trustees at any time without notice. Program cost does not include textbook, ancillary expenses, and specific course fees.
Yes. We hope to increase the number in the future.
Please see Rowene Linden for further information. During FY2009, graduate assistants will be paid $804 per month plus a tuition waiver (fees must still be paid by the student). A Graduate Assistant must take at least 9 semester hours during the fall and spring terms. Summer graduate assistantships are rare. If you have a graduate assistantship in summer, you must take 6 semester hours in summer.
Depends on the firm, but generally by the end of your senior year.
No, you must meet the MAS admission criteria.
No, interviewing for graduate internships will be in the week following finals in December of your senior year.
The process is the same as for undergraduate students. Career Services brings many companies and firms to campus that are looking specifically for Accountancy majors. The initial interviews take place on campus and in the past few years, have been scheduled at the end of September. Companies/firms are looking to hire December, May and August (of the following year) graduates. You will want to have your resume ready because Career Services has a campus interviewing orientation meeting as soon as school begins in August. At this meeting, the Campus Recruiting Coordinator will inform you about the process that needs to be completed to register for and to participate in campus interviews. There is also a university-wide Job Fair in the spring. Log on to www.niu.edu/CareerServices for more information about campus interviews.
Yes, the Graduate School has definite deadlines to apply for graduation and to attend commencement ceremonies.
Graduation Date | Deadline to Apply | |
| May | November 1 | |
| August | April 1 | Summer grads who wish to attend the spring ceremony need to apply for graduation by November 1. |
| December | July 7 |
You must get a graduation application from Rowene Linden. The graduation application plus a $30 fee must be submitted to the Graduate School by the deadline. If you do not graduate the term you declared, you must submit a "Reactivation Application for a Degree" form with the Graduate School. See Rowene Linden for this form.