Curriculum | Master of Accountancy in Governmental Accounting

An introduction to financial statement analysis which builds on the fundamentals of accounting, including understanding the accounting equation and its application in building the balance sheet, the income statement, and the statement of cash flows. Basic accounting concepts, accounting principles, and the audit report are presented. Students work in teams to analyze corporate financial statements. The relationship of economic value to accounting measurement is explored together with factors influencing management choices among competing valuation principles. Theory is applied to the valuation of the asset, liability, and owners' equity accounts. Emphasizes the heavy reliance on estimates in constructing financial statements and how management can use such estimates to strategically manage its reporting responsibilities.

This course is waived for accounting majors. Students may also waive this course if they have already taken Principles of Accounting or an equivalent course at the undergraduate level. An approved elective can be substituted for this course.

This course provides in-depth coverage and discussion of currently relevant governmental accounting topics. It will allow students to further develop their analytical, decision-making, and written communication skills by learning about specific governmental accounting topics in detail and then doing a project or writing a research memorandum answering one or more questions about a topic.

This course is designed to provide a foundation in financial statement auditing. Class units cover the economic and social justifications for auditing; the connections between enterprise strategy, business processes, business risks, financial measures, and the audit; the role of internal control in auditing; the technical details of audit planning, testing, and reporting; and the social responsibility of the auditor. Investors, analysts, and the public face a significant problem in assessing the quality of the financial information that an enterprise reports as it goes about its activities. Arguably, these parties can make better decisions if they can trust the executives and management of the enterprise and if they are reasonably sure that the information they encounter is of high quality. One way to gain both that trust and that assurance is by examining the quality of the information through the process of financial statement auditing.

Examines the conceptual issues in cost and value of information, structures of information systems, and modern technologies in information processing. Not intended for information systems professionals, but for students who will come into contact with decisions related to identification of needs and production of information for managerial decisions.

The objective of this course is to expose students to a broad range of ethical issues that they can expect to encounter as government financial managers. Students will learn to recognize and handle with confidence the ethical aspects of public financial management. This course examines the ethical issues facing policymakers and public administrators, including deception and disclosure, the privacy of public officials, corruption, civil disobedience, whistle-blowing, and the ethics of policy analysis. The course also examines issues of distributive justice as they arise in budgeting for health and employment needs. Case studies are used extensively.

A framework within which to understand the budget concepts and processes used by American governments and their administrative units; provides skills in budgetary analysis and budget management in the public sector including nonprofits, considered through a variety of case studies.

The basic principles of fund accounting are covered, including the analysis of financial management systems applicable to local government units. This course also introduces students to major pronouncements of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board(GASB). An introduction to government auditing is also provided, including a review of Government Auditing Standards, promulgated by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO). The Single Audit requirements for state and local governments are also covered.

Prerequisite:Accounting for Managers(22:010:577) or equivalent

This course covers the theory and practice of state and local public finance in the United States. While the federal government plays a dominant role our federal system, the issues confronting states and local governments are often more varied and illuminating. The focus in this course will be on state-local spending decisions (including major areas of spending such as education, Medicaid, physical infrastructure, and employee retirement obligations), the analysis of state and local revenue sources (including property, income, sales, and business taxes, and non-tax revenues), and the impact of state and local finances on such important subjects as educational access and affordable housing.

This course will provide students with an in-depth understanding of the concepts associated with the types of audits found in a public sector environment. An objective of this course is to enable the student to understand and have a working knowledge of the theory of the audit process and its practical applications. It examines various government auditing standards promulgated by the Comptroller General of the United States. Auditing standards and procedures are studied for financial and compliance audits, as well as for economy and efficiency audits. The role of performance auditing in governmental and nonprofit organizations is also covered. Case studies are used extensively.

This course builds on its predecessor course: Design and Development of Information Systems. The goal of this course is to understand and evaluate some of the emerging and important technologies currently used in the business environment, and examine their applicability to the public sector. Evaluating and assessing complicated and changing technologies requires a thorough and in-depth understanding of such technologies. Emerging technologies, including but not limited to Big Data, XBRL, data analytics, visualization, and Blockchain, will be the main focus of this course. There will also be a hands-on component to familiarize the students with such topics. Finally, this course introduces some top of the line research in the Accounting Information Systems area as well as the potential applications to the government sector.

Prerequisite:Design and Development of Information Systems(22:010:604)

Public business administrators, treasurers, and other public financial officials; urban planning and public policy professionals, and others in the public, private, and non-profit sectors often confront subjects related to applied public finance. These range from doing or reviewing professional development impact reports (e.g., fiscal impact analyses and demographic projections related to new development) to considering/ effecting many policies to foster economic, housing, and community development that rely on public finance (e.g., creating a tax increment financing district or allowing a payment in lieu of taxes). This class overviews many of these applied public finance procedures and policies, with a focus on those related to the property tax. The class presents the history, impetus, current state of art, and potential future changes concerning about ten key public finance-related procedures and policies.

Federal Financial Management surveys the broad subject of federal financial management. It begins with the budget formulation and approval process and continues on with the elements of managing the financial resources so allocated. The elements include accounting on both budgetary and accrual bases, reporting performance and results, cost management, and auditing. The course includes a discussion of the significant federal financial management legislation.

Presents the most common accounting and control programs in nonprofit organizations. The course is heavily case oriented in order to get students to consider accounting and control problems in specific nonprofit organizations, including hospitals, governmental units, colleges and universities, and federal and state agencies.

This course provides a comprehensive background to the means, motives and opportunities that give rise to fraud. The ethical dimensions of the fraud examiner's role are presented. The course further covers recognition of the symptoms of fraud, means of fraud prevention, and methods of uncovering frauds by, and against, organizations. Frauds by and against organizations include financial statement fraud as well as consumer fraud. Bankruptcy and e-commerce frauds are also covered.

The purpose of this course is to examine the fundamentals of financial analysis of state or local governments, a key skill not just for municipal bond analysts and other financial report users, but also for government financial managers and auditors seeking to provide financial management support to their clients. The course includes both discussion of the conceptual underpinnings of financial analysis (why it is done, and why specific factors are considered) and practical instruction in the mechanics of obtaining information from an audited financial report and other sources, calculating ratios, and drawing conclusions about financial health or predicting fiscal stress. The course also explores emerging areas of analysis of governments, including service performance reporting and fiscal sustainability.

This is an independent study project done in conjunction with a faculty adviser. A final written term paper, along with an oral defense of the paper is required. Special permission is needed.