Candidates are required to satisfy the equivalent of five prerequisite courses prior to starting the Master of Accounting program.​

Mandatory Prerequisite Courses:

Principles of Financial Accounting   

Principles of Managerial Accounting

Intermediate Financial Accounting*

Microeconomics

Statistics or Business Statistics

*Intermediate Financial Accounting may require two separate courses at some institutions. The full sequence is required to meet the prerequisite requirement.

Within the application, you must outline a plan for completion of our five mandatory prerequisite courses. This is a standard page of the application and not an independent submission. 

Upon submission, all courses will be reviewed to determine their equivalency to Ross offerings. If all courses are not complete at the time of application, your application may be held until grades in these courses are reported, or you may receive admission conditional upon proof that the courses have been completed prior to starting the MAcc program.

For a course to meet our prerequisite requirements: 

• It must be taken in a classroom setting (not online) 
• You must earn a grade of “C” or better
• Intermediate-level courses must be completed at a four-year degree granting institution
• Finance courses may not be used to waive an accounting prerequisite course  

Advisory Prerequisite Course:

Intermediate Cost Accounting is an advisory prerequisite for the program. If you are admitted and have not completed this prior to beginning the MAcc program, you will be required to enroll in ACC 640 - Managing Strategy Execution: People and ACC 650 - Managing Strategy Execution: Resources during the second semester of enrollment.

Prerequisite Assessment Form:

We understand that course titles vary by institution, so if you are unsure whether you meet our prerequisite requirements, you are welcome to complete and submit a Prerequisite Assessment Form prior to application. The MAcc Program Office will review your coursework and respond via email.

Transcripts must be submitted from every undergraduate or postgraduate institution you’ve attended. Unofficial transcripts may be uploaded to your application and are sufficient for evaluation. If you are admitted to the program, final official transcripts will be required from every institution attended prior to starting the program.

Applicants who have earned or will earn their undergraduate degree from a non-U.S. institution are required to submit a Course-by-Course WES Evaluation Report. Please be sure to secure your completed WES Evaluation Report in advance of submitting your program application. Please select and send your WES Evaluation Report to the University of Michigan Ross School of Business - One-Year Master's Programs. We also ask that your personal copy of the WES Evaluation Report is scanned and uploaded into the program application.

A GMAT or GRE score is accepted as a measure of intellectual ability and must be submitted for your application to be evaluated. Most MAcc applicants choose to submit a GMAT score, but preference is not given to either exam.

• GMAT and GRE scores are valid for five years from your test date.
• Ross’ GMAT reporting code is SN1-J6-34; our GRE reporting code is 1839. Reporting codes are valid for several Ross graduate programs.
• There is no minimum score requirement. The average GMAT score of admitted students can be found on our Class Profile page.
• If your official score report is not available when you submit your application, unofficial GMAT score reports will be considered. Your official score report must be available prior to starting the program.

We believe that affording the GMAT should not be a barrier to applying to graduate school. For students demonstrating a financial need, a GMAT fee waiver may be awarded. Please complete a GMAT Fee Waiver Request Form to be considered for a waiver. Once submitted, the One-Year Master's Program Office will review your request form and respond via email.

Your resume plays an integral role in the MAcc application. In addition to your professional endeavors, be sure to detail your leadership, extracurricular, and volunteer experience.

We recommend that your resume be no longer than one page.

MAcc applicants are required to submit responses to four (4) short-essay prompts. If there is anything about your application you think the Admissions Committee may question, use the “optional essay” to explain the situation. To differentiate yourself, tell personal stories and let your personality shine through in your writing.

1. What has led you to pursue a graduate degree in business? (200-word maximum) 
2. ​How will the Master of Accounting program support you in achieving your short- and long-term career goals? (200-word maximum)
3. Michigan Ross deeply values student engagement beyond the classroom. Please describe two or three ways in which you plan to be involved as a contributing member of the Michigan Ross community. (200-word maximum)
4. Choose one (1) short-answer prompt from the list below. (200-word maximum)

An academic challenge I faced as a college student is/was . . .

My best friend would describe me as . . .

My client at work would describe me as . . .​

I am most proud of . . .

My mentor is . . . because . . .

A time that I went above and beyond expectations was . . .

My greatest responsibility is/has been . . .

If I could have lunch with anyone, it would be . . . because . . .

Optional Essay:

If there is any other information that you believe is important to our assessment of your candidacy, feel free to add it to your application.

You must have two (2) recommendation forms on file to be considered for admission. Forms are generated through the online application system and are the only type of recommendation accepted. Choose individuals who know you well and can speak specifically about your potential for success in graduate school.

• We prefer one recommendation from an intermediate-level or higher accounting professor; the second recommendation may be from any professional or academic acquaintance.
• When you submit your recommenders’ contact information within your application, you initiate distribution of their recommendation forms via email. This can be done before submitting your entire application, giving your recommenders time to complete your form while you complete other components of the application.
• Applications will not be considered complete until both recommender forms are on file.

Interviews are conducted by invitation only. If the Admissions Committee invites you to interview, you will receive the invitation and scheduling information via email. 

Interviews may be held in person or via live video conference, based on your geographical location; candidates interviewing in person are not evaluated differently than candidates interviewed via live video conference.

Interviews are expected to last up to 30 minutes. The interview provides the Admissions Committee with more information about you and is not an indication of the outcome of your application.

The application fee is $75 USD for domestic applicants and $100 USD for international applicants.

The application fee is waived if:

• You are a current or former member of the U.S. military.
• You have served in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, or Teach for America within three years of the application deadline.

We do not waive application fees for any other reason. Please email rossadmissions@umich.edu to request an application fee waiver prior to submitting your application.

Undergraduate Degrees and Transcripts

International applicants are required to submit copies of both an academic record and diploma (or other document indicating the date and conferral of your degree). Copies of documents are acceptable at the time of application; official documents will be requested if you are admitted to the program. If you will earn or have earned your undergraduate degree from a non-U.S. institution, you are required to submit a WES Evaluation Report.

We accept most three-year bachelor’s degrees as long as they are equivalent to a four-year U.S. degree.

If the original language of the academic record and diploma is not English, a certified English translation must accompany the original document. The translation should be literal rather than interpretive. If a certified copy of the original transcript is submitted, it must be certified by the institution from which the degree was received. Documents notarized by a notary public are not acceptable.

Credentials must include:

Years of attendance at the academic institution
Courses taken
Grades received
Dated degree, diploma, or certificate

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)

If your native language is not English, you must demonstrate competence in English by taking the TOEFL and earning a minimum score of 100. Scores below 100 will not be considered. IELTS scores are note accepted in place of the TOEFL. 

 The TOEFL must be taken no more than two years prior to the application deadline date.

 For the TOEFL, we require the internet-based test (iBT) version of the exam. Ross’ TOEFL score reporting code is 1839.

 To have scores sent electronically to Ross, select “University of Michigan – Ann Arbor” as the recipient. A copy of your score report much be uploaded at the time of submission.

Exemptions: International applicants who studied for four years or more at an accredited institution where English was the sole language of instruction are exempt from the TOEFL requirement. If you studied in this environment for less than four years you are not exempt from the TOEFL, even if a degree was earned.

To be eligible for consideration, applicants must hold an undergraduate degree and complete all prerequisites.

The Admissions Committee will grant an admission deferral request only in cases of medical emergency or U.S. military assignment that preclude starting the program in the original term of admission. If a deferral is granted, students must pay their enrollment deposit to secure a seat in the following year's class; deferrals are for a maximum of one year and can only be given once per student.

Welcome back! If it’s been less than a year since you originally applied, you can submit an abridged application as follows:

• Complete an application form and pay the application fee.
• Submit an updated resume.
• Submit one recommendation letter. You may choose your original recommender, but the recommender must complete a new recommendation that reflects your performance and achievements since your original application was submitted.
• Submit a letter to update us on your achievements and goals since your original application. Upload the letter with your updated resume.
• If you retook the GMAT, GRE, or TOEFL, send or upload an updated score report. You do not need to submit new score reports unless your scores expired.
• You do not need to send transcripts that were submitted with your last application. We still have these on file.
• OPTIONAL: You may choose to answer one or more of our current essay questions.
• If it has been more than one year from your original application, you need to submit a completely new application.