GRADUATE ACCOUNTING PROGRAMS

FIND YOUR OWN TRUESUCCESSYou’re taking action to advance your career–and exploring new career opportunities. You’re in the right place.

The Graduate Accounting Programs at the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis not only give you advanced accounting and taxation skills, but we also help you discover your own true success.

At Kelley Indianapolis, you’ll learn to identify your interests, understand your strengths, and embrace your weaknesses. These are the insights that will give you a meaningful career.

We understand your expectations as an accounting professional extend beyond numbers analysis and balance sheets. You’re capable of so much more—as a communicator, problem solver, and decision maker.

That’s why our plans of study ensure you are well versed in the technical aspects of your chosen specialty—either accounting or tax—as well as the transformative skills that are needed to become an executive leader.

Designed to ensure you are prepared to excel on the CPA exam, both the Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) and the Master of Science in Taxation (MST) meet the needs of students with an array of backgrounds—those with bachelor’s degrees in accounting or business, as well as other undergraduate majors.

If you’re ready to advance your career, boost your earning potential, and find your own true success, your future is at the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis.

On the Cover Iris Huixian Wang, MSA’17, MBA’17

There are pivotal moments in life that define you.

MSA

MST

A RICH AND INNOVATIVECURRICULUMThere are a lot of schools that offer graduate accounting degrees, but they’re not all the same. Kelley Indianapolis graduates have a wider breadth of knowledge, and they understand how to communicate with different types of people, which is as important as the accounting itself. Kelley gives you balance.

The MSA and MST programs are ideal for any professional interested in accounting or tax—regardless of your previous experience in these fields. And they empower you to leverage your strengths and interests.

Many students take courses in the evenings as they build work experience. Such an arrangement allows you to immediately apply the concepts you learned in class to projects and tasks at work. Kelley Indianapolis faculty focus on real, everyday accounting and tax problems to enhance what you’re learning in the classroom and to help you make an impact right away.

Our flexible scheduling allows you to adjust your program to fit your lifestyle. We recognize the many responsibilities you face, and our programs are structured so you can pursue your graduate accounting degree without interrupting your work and personal priorities. In fact, you may earn academic credit for a supervised work experience while enrolled in the MSA or MST programs.

Intermediate Accounting IIBusiness Information Systems

Federal Income TaxesTax Research

Advanced TaxationElective

Federal Taxation of Partnerships & LLCsTaxation of Mergers & Acquisitions

Federal Income TaxesTax ResearchAccounting Ethics

Advanced TaxTiming Issues in Taxation

Electives

Taxation of S CorporationsElective

AuditingAdvanced Business Law

Electives

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BUILD KNOWLEDGE FOR THE CPA EXAMBecoming a CPA is challenging, but it’s worth it. A CPA certification opens doors that can fast-track your career.

As a CPA, you’ll be highly regarded and well-respected among employers because CPAs hold measurable education, advanced skills and experience, and high ethical standards. The bottom line for your career—it really matters if you’re a CPA.

The Graduate Accounting Programs at Kelley Indianapolis are specifically designed to deliver the knowledge you’ll need to successfully sit for the CPA exam.

With advanced classes in audit, tax, and ethics, you’ll move beyond introductory concepts and dive deep into case-based learning that cultivates and elevates your critical thinking, problem solving, and analytical abilities—all of which are higher-order thinking skills emphasized on the CPA exam.

Upon completing your coursework, you can opt to take the intensive, six-week Becker FastPass course, renowned and highly recommended among CPA exam review courses. In a matter of weeks, rather than months, you’ll be ready to take the CPA exam—confident in your ability to succeed and ready to leverage the competitive edge CPA certification affords.

Our MSA and MST graduates tell us all the time that their time at Kelley Indianapolis not only prepared them for the CPA exam, but also careers beyond it. They say our graduate degree programs reward creative thinkers, demand the very best, and enable them to stand out.

MSAThe Master of Science in Accounting curriculum positions you to pursue a comprehensive program of study in accounting or a specialization in a particular area—such as auditing and assurance, taxation, risk management, or financial reporting, to name just a few.

The 30-credit hour program requires you to complete 15 hours of coursework in accounting. With the remaining 15 hours, you can define your specialization or develop broader knowledge in accounting or another area of business.

You may tailor the program to meet your specific interests, drawing upon the program’s extensive catalog of electives. While most courses will be taken in the Kelley School, you may also take courses in the McKinney School of Law and the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

MSTGoing well beyond filing tax returns, tax professionals help corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies navigate the complexities of tax laws to understand how their taxes fit into the bigger financial picture.

The Master of Science in Taxation at Kelley Indianapolis is the only master’s degree of its kind in Indiana. With just one prerequisite, you can start your training as a tax strategist right away, without a previous business or accounting degree.

Our 30-credit hour program is ideal for professionals who desire a true tax specialization—because every course is related to tax and relevant to work in the field. Such expertise gives you a definitive advantage in the job market.

Auditing & Corporate

Governance

Financial Statement

Analysis

Accounting for NFP

Orgs/Gov Accounting

Periods & Methods

Taxation of Tax Exempt Orgs I & II

Taxation of S Corps

Taxation of Partnerships

Corporate Tax II

Estate & Gift Tax

State &Local

Taxation

Advanced Financial

Accounting

Advanced Auditing

Advanced Auditing

Auditing Information Technology

Auditing Information Technology

Audit Electives

Tax Electives

CPA Electives

Christopher Patterson, MST’16, MSA’17

ULTIMATE GOAL WITHIN REACHWhen Christopher Patterson moved from Tennessee to Indianapolis, he brought with him a bachelor’s degree in economics, finance, and psychology—and a passion for numbers.

Christopher relocated to the Circle City in 2011 after an internship with Defense Finance and Accounting Services (DFAS). Following his internship, and a final semester of undergraduate coursework at Tennessee State, DFAS offered him a full-time accounting position. At that time, Christopher, who had the “itch” for taxes, began looking into graduate schools.

His first call was to Kelley Indianapolis; he was sold right away.

“What makes the Kelley School of Business so unique is how the program infuses real-world and real-life experiences into the classroom,” says Christopher, who enrolled in the MST at Kelley Indianapolis. “I knew this program would put me on track to achieve my ultimate goal—owning my own tax firm.”

While Christopher says both accounting and tax are equally important, taxes intrigued him, and it was something he could apply immediately in his own life, helping clients through his volunteer efforts in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.

“I really appreciated professor James Motter’s courses,” says Christopher. “He really digs deep into the tax code and brings out information that you wouldn’t normally see on the surface. He taught me to ask the right questions for my clients and to have all the answers in case of an IRS audit.”

“It was those courses that developed and sharpened my analytical and decoding skills,” explains Christopher, mentioning how the definition of particular tax laws are not always straightforward and require advanced problem-solving skills.

“Each class I’ve taken at Kelley Indianapolis has molded me to become a more strategic man. That’s not only benefited me professionally, but it’s played a significant role in my personal relationships as well.”

Two years after enrolling in the MST Program, Christopher received a promotion at DFAS and a Kelley master’s degree, but that’s not all. He and his fiancé have both enrolled in the MSA Program, a move he explains will allow him to offer his clients more services.

He’s another day closer to owning his own business, offering what he calls “a trifecta of tax services.”

TAKE YOUR CAREER TOTHE NEXT LEVELYear after year, our graduates are named among the city’s top CFOs. They lead private and public companies, as well as government agencies and not-for-profit organizations. Not only do they oversee all financial actions, but they also plot strategy, build value, and maximize the performance of their organizations. For this, they are well-respected and well-compensated.

Accounting professionals who hold master’s degrees in accounting or tax realize a 24 percent boost in salary, compared to peers with bachelor’s degrees alone. In fact, the median salary for an MSA-credentialed professional with five years of experience is more than $71,000 per year.

CAREER COACHINGTo truly maximize your career potential, you need to know how to position yourself and leverage your degree. That’s why career development is an essential part of the Kelley experience.

Working one-on-one with our career coaches, you’ll develop a personalized career strategy and tactical plan. With self-assessments, negotiation training, and mock interviewing, you’ll better understand your skills and interests, as well as your strengths and weaknesses.

yy Learn how to be more successfulyy Identify how to get where you want to goyy Understand barriers and how to overcome obstacles

Your ability to engage others in the workplace—and how you are perceived—can either hold you back or propel you forward. That’s why we’ll help you prepare to interview with confidence, and we’ll give you tools to distinguish yourself. But that’s not all. We’ll also help you select the right accounting firm or company at on-campus and off-campus recruiting events.

At Kelley Indianapolis, a significant number of interviews translate into job offers for our students. Top firms and companies hire graduate accounting and taxation students because they know the value you’ll add with a specialized education from Kelley Indianapolis.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTINGEntry Level

Senior Accountant

Senior Manager

TAX SERVICESEntry Level

Senior Accountant

Senior Manager

TOP COMPANIES RECRUITING KELLEYS

Deloitte

KPMG

PwC

BKD

Eli Lilly and Company

Crowe Horwath

Cummins

Katz, Sapper & Miller

Somerset

EY

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SKYROCKET WITH MSA + CPA From the first time Christopher Lee stepped foot on the IUPUI campus for his freshman year of college, he knew he wanted a master’s degree. It was all part of his plan to become a CPA.

Being a CPA with a master’s degree would skyrocket his career.

The accounting industry is one of the fastest growing in the country. With more than 142,000 accounting jobs expected to be created through 2024, Christopher needed an edge that would separate him from the crowd.

“If you don’t get your CPA license, you’re going to miss promotions; you’re going to be stuck,” explains Christopher. “I didn’t want that to be me. I want to be a leader in my industry.”

At such a young age, and with his career just beginning, Christopher didn’t want to hit a ceiling early in his career. He knew in order to sit for the CPA exam, he needed to complete 150 credit hours, and the typical undergraduate degree only requires 120. He had two choices: Take 30 additional credit hours of electives, or enroll in Kelley Indianapolis’ 30-credit-hour MSA Program.

“In my opinion, taking electives to fill 150 credit hours is a waste of time. Not only is the MSA preparing you to take the CPA exam, it’s preparing you for life,” Christopher says, explaining why he chose a master’s degree while earning credit for the CPA exam.

Kelley Indianapolis offers a 4+1 program, designed specifically for students like Christopher who want to pursue their master’s in accounting immediately following their undergraduate degrees. The MSA Program provides much more in-depth practice on a variety of accounting topics, rather than giving a broad overview of the topic—which pays off once it’s time to take the CPA exam.

“After completing my MSA at Kelley Indianapolis, I was beyond ready for the CPA exam,” says Christopher, who had one of the highest scores in the state. “In fact, compared to the classes in the MSA Program, some of the problems on the CPA exam seemed much broader in scope. I went into the exam with a huge advantage.”

Today, Christopher is a CPA and an experienced tax associate at BKD, one of the largest accounting firms in the U.S. Having completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Kelley Indianapolis, he can focus on his top priority—moving up within his company.

Christopher Lee, BS’14, MSA’15

LEARN FROM FACULTY WHO HAVE A PERSONAL STAKE INYOUR SUCCESSWe believe the Graduate Accounting Programs at Kelley Indianapolis are a professional training ground. With us, you’ll learn the technical and leadership skills you need to achieve your career goals. And you’ll have the support of faculty coaches and mentors—who will help you define your goals as they evolve.

Kelley faculty members bring a deep passion for sharing their knowledge with students and inspiring you in pursuit of your dreams. They possess a keen business acumen, offering a fresh approach and sharp perspective on contemporary accounting issues.

Prolific producers of groundbreaking research in accounting and taxation, Kelley professors are world-renowned for their thought leadership and are sought as consultants, often influencing the way companies do business. Their scholarly activity and international experience offers students a broader perspective of accounting’s role in U.S. businesses and in economies abroad.

As a Kelley Indianapolis graduate accounting student, you’ll benefit from the practical experience our professors have gained in their careers, and you’ll see immediately the real-world applications in your studies.

Furthermore, Kelley professors enrich your learning experience by bringing industry leaders into the classroom. You’ll have face time with experts from major corporations and accounting firms who will share valuable learnings from their experiences. As they impart best practices, you’ll discover solutions to challenges that are directly applicable to your own organization.

Because they have a personal stake in your success, our faculty will help you learn at your own pace. Even if years have passed since you last sat in a classroom, Kelley professors will ensure you aren’t left behind—but are progressing toward your personal and professional aspirations.

Our unique culture of direct, open, and respectful dialogue helps you build confidence, personally develop, and emerge as a true leader.

Lisa Haller, MSA’17 Diane SturekLecturer in Accounting

DISCOVERING NEW PASSIONSIt takes a certain kind of person to leave a resounding impact on a student, motivating and inspiring her in a way that changes the trajectory of a career.

Lisa Haller, a payroll manager at Eli Lilly and Company, was lucky enough to find that person during her time in the MSA Program at Kelley Indianapolis.

“While I enjoyed all of my classes and professors, Diane Sturek’s classes are the most memorable,” Lisa says of the Kelley Indianapolis lecturer in accounting and a recipient of teaching and “favorite professor” awards.

It was one class, in particular, that triggered a new-found interest for Lisa—internal auditing. Prior to her auditing course with Diane, Lisa didn’t have much exposure to or experience with the accounting specialty. In fact, she recalls feeling nervous before signing up for the accelerated summer course. But once she began studying the subject, and witnessed Diane’s burning passion for auditing, she was hooked.

“Many professors just lecture with slides, but Diane integrates real-life scenarios and cases, confirming our understanding of the concepts,” Lisa explains. “But what affirmed my own passion for internal auditing was a team project through which we analyzed a real company.”

That project was a game-changer for Lisa, for it exemplified the detail and discipline you must have when completing auditing projects.

Students in Diane’s class analyzed financial ratios, performed in-depth research, and presented their work to company executives. Lisa says that class highlighted the superlative teaching practices at Kelley Indianapolis, going far beyond a lecture and delving deep into a priceless experience.

Following Lisa’s enlightening journey through the Kelley Indianapolis MSA Program, she’s found new friends, a new mentor, and a new passion.

“I’m now considering a career in internal auditing. With an advanced auditing course, the MSA, and CPA to my name, I’m fully qualified for the job, and I believe the sky is the limit.”

A CULTURE OF COLLABORATION AND SUPPORT Our students tell us all the time: They chose Kelley because they have big goals and ambitions. And this is where students come to fulfill their dreams.

A degree from the Kelley School of Business carries a lot of weight, and it helps you get where you want to go. We are well-respected and known across the globe as a quality, top-tier business school. Employers, decision makers, and leading business professionals know Kelley.

Our reputation is built on a firm foundation of tradition and excellence. We teach an innovative and rigorous curriculum built on personal development, teamwork, and experiential learning. We teach you how to turn moments of opportunity into positive chain reactions.

The Kelley method produces leaders others want to follow. But it’s not for everyone.

We demand the best of our students. And when you come to Kelley Indianapolis, you’re expected to work hard, focusing attention on areas for improvement. To do so, you’ll get honest feedback from supportive coaches and mentors who tell you like it is. At Kelley, we turn talented, tenacious students into the finest accounting and tax professionals.

When you become part of the Kelley School of Business, you join our family of more than 100,000 alumni—a powerful global network of connections who share your business school tradition and will look out for your future. You also link arms with other talented students with whom you’ll build meaningful, lasting friendships.

It’s our culture of collaboration and support that makes Kelley special. With Kelley, you don’t just have contacts. You have dedicated professors, alumni, and peers who are as passionate as you are and who are invested in helping you achieve your greatest potential. We believe succeeding together is a greater achievement than going it alone.

We’re confident the Master of Science in Accounting or the Master of Science in Taxation at Kelley Indianapolis is the next step to fulfilling your dreams. Now is the time to build lasting momentum.

At Kelley, you get the ability and confidence to turn

moments into momentum.

DREAMS DO COME TRUE In an office overlooking the Indiana War Memorial in downtown Indianapolis, Nanette Schulze recalls the phone call that changed her life forever.

“I was working late and sitting at my desk, frustrated with my job and co-workers,” she remembers. “I was about to finally leave work, and then I received a text.”

It was a friend she’d met while enrolled in the MSA Program at Kelley Indianapolis.

“When I called Brian back, I remember him asking, ‘So, what’s going on?’”

Feeling defeated, Nan replied, “Well, I hope you’re calling me with a better job that pays more money and doesn’t require as many late nights.”

To her surprise, Brian was calling about such a job.

“I remember that moment like it was yesterday,” Nan says with a beaming smile.

Just days after Brian’s impromptu call, Nan interviewed at La Rosa & Co., LLC—a tax and accounting firm. She was promptly hired as a staff accountant, which she says is her dream job.

While Nan has earned everything she’s received, she admits the relationships she developed at Kelley Indianapolis have been a game-changer for her career.

“The reason I’m currently working my dream job, at a wonderful company, is because of my networking at Kelley Indianapolis,” Nan says. “Fifteen years ago, I never would have dreamt I’d be working this job. Honestly, it’s more ambitious than I could have ever hoped for.”

Nan says the Kelley Indianapolis MSA offers ample opportunities to meet professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds. While students have many chances to work alongside distinguished alumni and faculty, Nan says she gained some of her most valuable networking opportunities—and lifelong friendships with classmates—through the Graduate Accounting Student Board.

Today, Nan is a senior accountant at her company, and her latest aspiration is to become a partner.

“I think I’m proof there’s no limit on what you can do if you just suit up and show up.”

Nanette Schulze, MSA’10

TAKE ACTION TO ADVANCE YOUR CAREERToday’s accounting and tax professionals are financial architects—key players in helping organizations and individuals understand business implications before they make decisions, not after. They are strategists, problem solvers, and leaders. If that sounds like you, we invite you to apply to the Graduate Accounting Programs at Kelley Indianapolis.

Admissions CriteriaThe ideal Master of Science in Accounting or Master of Science in Taxation candidate is a serious, committed student who enriches the classroom learning experience with interesting viewpoints and diverse perspectives. Students who have completed a four-year undergraduate degree are eligible to apply. Previous experience in accounting or taxation is not required.

How to ApplyApplications are accepted on a rolling basis. Application deadlines are: April 15 for summer start, August 1 for fall start, and December 1 for spring start. A completed application includes:

yy Online application for IU Graduate SchoolyÌ Personal InformationyÌ Education HistoryyÌ Test ScoresyÌ Work Experience

yy Non-refundable Application Feeyy GMAT Scoreyy Résuméyy Official Transcriptsyy Two Letters of Recommendation

G O F R O M M O M E N T TO M O M E N T U M

Apply Todaykelley.iupui.edu/gap-apply

When you apply to the MSA or MST programs at the Kelley School of Business Indianapolis, you’ll experience a highly personalized admissions process. Your first step can be a discussion with our program director, who will reveal how our programs can help meet your professional and personal goals.

(317) 274-3451ksbigap@iupui.edukelley.iupui.edu/gap

G O F R O M M O M E N T TO M O M E N T U M