During the final semesters of your undergraduate program, students are allowed to enroll in graduate classes that count towards their undergraduate and graduate studies. After officially enrolling in the Accelerated program with the approval of your academic advisor and the MACC program, students can “double count” up to four classes for both undergraduate and graduate credit. “Double counting” these classes allows you to:

Save Time

• Potentially complete your combined undergraduate and MACC degrees in 4 years.
• Enjoy a reduced MACC schedule if you complete your combined degrees in 5 years.
• A quicker path to CPA licensure is available via reduced experience requirements in some states.
• Reduce CPA self-study time through in-class exposure to more topics covered on the exam.

Save Money

• Earn up to 12 credits (4 courses) of graduate coursework as an undergraduate student.
• Save up to $7,200 in MACC tuition.
• Use undergraduate scholarships to pay for up to 40 percent of your MACC.
• Additional scholarship/fellowship awards available for MACC

Receive Other Benefits from Completing Your MACC

• Improved critical thinking, communication, and technological skills.
• Achieve a high level of technical competence.
• Enhanced probability of passing the CPA Exam.
• Develop your professional network.
• Teach accounting in the future.
• Earn a graduate degree with less hassle than returning to school later in life while working.

You must meet the following general and accounting requirements to participate in Accelerated.

General Requirements

• Current USC-Columbia student
•  ≥ 90 total credit hours
• ≥ 3.40 cumulative GPA

Accounting Requirements

• ≥ 3 400-level+ ACCT courses completed
• ≥ 3.00 400-level+ ACCT GPA
• ≤ 2 grades below a B 400-level+ ACCT courses
• Admitted to and confirmed enrollment in the MACC program

The Accelerated Handbook details the steps to follow to participate in the Accelerated MACC program.

1. Map out your remaining undergraduate degree requirements by term. This requires you to meet with your UG advisor and identify your remaining courses to complete your undergraduate degree.
2. Identify potential Accelerated Courses. Accelerated courses must be at the 500, 600, or 700 level. The easiest courses to identify are your two accounting major electives, as we have many Accelerated options for you to take to meet this requirement. Additional Accelerated courses would be (a) other major or minor courses, or (b) additional courses taken that do not directly apply to an undergraduate degree requirement.
3. Meet with the MACC Accelerated Program Coordinator to discuss your Accelerated path. During this meeting, we will overlay the MACC program onto your remaining undergraduate degree path and guide you on how Accelerated best works for you. This is also a good time to discuss CPA license objectives and whether they need to be considered in your Accelerated plan.
4. Determine When. There is a lot of flexibility within the Accelerated MACC, which means there is not one standard deadline for when forms or applications are due. Please refer to the Handbook or meet with the MACC Accelerated Program Coordinator to determine when you will take Accelerated courses and when you need to apply to the MACC.
5. Complete the Required Accelerated Paperwork. You must complete the Accelerated paperwork each semester you take an Accelerated course. We have a very specific process that must be completed in the appropriate order for your Accelerated paperwork to be approved. Please note that some students must be admitted to the MACC program before their Accelerated paperwork is approved. Refer to the Accelerated Handbook for guidance.

Additional guidance is available in the Accelerated Handbook relating to registration overrides and applying to the MACC program.

Authorization to begin the Accelerated program is only given to students meeting the eligibility requirements who complete the necessary paperwork outlined above. This paperwork cannot be submitted retroactively, so it is vital to begin speaking with your undergraduate advisor and the MACC Accelerated Program Coordinator as soon as possible and adhere to all deadlines.

The next step is to complete the online MACC application during your final undergraduate year. When you need to apply will depend on (1) the Accelerated courses you plan on taking, (2) when you plan on taking Accelerated courses within your last year, and (3) when you plan on entering the MACC program after completing your undergraduate degree. Please refer to the Accelerated MACC Handbook or meet with the MACC Accelerated Program Coordinator for guidance on the appropriate deadline for completing your application.

You will first complete the online MACC GMAT Test Waiver form to request a waiver of the standardized testing requirement. Eligible Accelerated students automatically receive a waiver of this requirement.

You will complete the online MACC application and include the following documents:

• Current resume
• Statement of purpose (essay)
• Two letters of recommendation
• GMAT score (Please leave blank if you’ve completed the test waiver form. You may also choose to submit a score during the application process if you’d like)