Accounting Scholars Program

Apply to Program

Honors Program in Accounting with Option for Combined B.B.A./M.AC. Degree

The School of Accounting offers a program that gives students the options of earning undergraduate-degree honors and participating in a combined undergraduate and graduate program allowing a student to count six credits towards both degrees, saving both time and money. Students in the honors program are not required to participate in the graduate program but for those who chose to pursue the graduate degree, this option offers a significant benefit.

The Honors Program:

Students are encouraged to apply for the honors program as early as possible before taking any upper division accounting classes.  For students who have not taken any upper division accounting courses, a minimum overall GPA of 3.3 is required. However, students who have completed between three and nine upper-division accounting credits may participate in the honors program if they have achieved a minimum overall GPA of 3.3 and have earned a minimum of a "B" in all upper-division accounting coursework. Appeals to admission requirements can be made to the Director of the School of Accounting.

To be eligible to graduate with undergraduate honors, students must achieve an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and an accounting GPA (upper-division ACG and TAX courses) of at least 3.0, and successfully complete the capstone experience. All program requirements must be completed within four semesters (excluding summer semesters) after beginning the program.  Students must also complete four honors compacts, a requirement of the university Honors in the Major program.  These compacts and the capstone experience involve assignments that develop skills that will help students transition into leadership and professional skills as a Certified Public Accountant.

Students receive special mentoring through interaction with the Coordinator of the School of Accounting Honors Program.  The coordinator offers significant career and educational guidance throughout the honors program. Students also receive training on soft skills; adequate soft skills are necessary to be successful as a financial services professional. Workshops, in which this training is conducted, are held exclusively for honors students. Students must attend professional networking events with professionals in the South Florida community to help them better understand the local job market.

Other benefits of the program include cohort classes that enable students to build relationships with other high achieving accounting students.  Also, proceeds of some departmental fund-raising events are ear marked for accounting honors students.

Students complete a capstone experience when they are within 12 months of completing the undergraduate degree requirements. The capstone experience usually consists of a case analysis and presentation. To participate in the capstone experience, students must have successfully completed the honors sections of ACG3141, ACG4401, and TAX4001. In addition, they must have either completed or be currently enrolled in the honors section of ACG4651.

Students admitted to the honors program must maintain high academic and ethical standards. Students may be dismissed from the program for earning two grades lower than "B" in upper-level undergraduate accounting or tax courses, one grade lower than a “B” in graduate-level accounting or tax courses or earning any grade lower than "C” or violating the Code of Academic Integrity.

Combined B.B.A./M.AC. Degree Option:

The combined program allows the student to count six credits of graduate accounting or tax courses towards both the undergraduate and graduate degrees.  The student is eligible for a bachelor’s degree upon completion of 120 credits.   At this point, the student is then granted graduate standing and must complete a total of 30 graduate credits to meet the requirements for the master’s program. Six of these accounting or tax credits (ACG6475 and TAX6025 or 5000 or 6000 Accounting or Tax courses approved by the School of Accounting Director) for the graduate degree are taken as a part of the undergraduate program. The undergraduate electives credits that can be substituted with the above-mentioned graduate credits are ACG4501, BUL4422, and/or TAX4011.  In total, the student completes a total of 150 credits but six of these credits will be counted in both the undergraduate and graduate programs. Students in the honors program who wish to pursue a master’s degree apply for the master’s program in their junior year.  

Contact Us