M.P.Ac. in Professional Accountancy
The Master of Professional Accountancy provides relevant accounting education for those with an undergraduate major in accounting who plan to take the C.P.A. examination and be licensed in Rhode Island, or any state requiring five years of education for the C.P.A. license.
The M.P.Ac. program also prepares individuals for careers in personal financial planning and can be custom designed to meet a variety of career and professional goals.
Our graduates are well grounded in all aspects of personal financial planning, including income tax and estate planning, retirement planning, investment allocation, and risk management.
Our program is a CFP Board-Registered Program - 
http://www.cfp.net.
For information contact M.P.Ac. Program Director
 | Lisa Church Associate Professor Alger Hall 204 (401) 456-9593 (401) 456-8036 lchurch@ric.edu |
Learning Objectives
- Graduates will be well grounded in all aspects of personal financial planning, including income tax and estate planning, retirement planning, investment allocation and risk management
- Graduates will have the ability to perform basic research on tax planning issues.
- Graduates will have the ability to prepare a comprehensive personal financial plan for an individual.
Admission Requirements
- Completed application form accompanied by a fifty-dollar nonrefundable application fee.
- A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
- Two courses in principles of accounting or equivalent.
- Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate records.
- Completion of the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), unless the applicant is a CPA or has passed a state bar examination. Applicants will also be exempt from the GMAT if they have earned a B.S. degree in accounting from Rhode Island College or the University of Rhode Island, with a 3.00 grade point average in the major.
Students must complete 18 credit hours (six courses) in foundations and 12 credit hours (four courses) of graduate electives. Only 9 credit hours may be at the 400-level. Accounting 661 is a requirement for all students.
Course Requirements for M.P.Ac. in Personal Financial Planning
| Course No. | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
Foundations Component | ||
| ACCT 661 | Financial Planning Capstone Course | 3 |
| Five courses from | ||
| ACCT 553 | Topics in Assurance: Electronic Commerce | 1.5 |
| ACCT 543 | Personal Income Tax Planning | 3 |
| ACCT 554 | Estate Planning | 3 |
| ACCT 555 | Retirement Planning and Employee Benefits | 3 |
| FIN 432 | Theory of Investment | 3 |
| FIN 559 | Insurance Planning and Risk Management | 3 |
Electives | ||
| Six credit hours of courses at the graduate level in accounting appropriate to career plans | 6 | |
| Six credit hours of courses at the graduate level appropriate to course of study | 6 | |
Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. owns the trademarks CFP®, Certified Financial Planner™ and 
certification marks in the U.S., which it awards to individual who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements.
Rhode Island College does not certify individuals to use the CFP®, Certified Financial Planner™ and 
certification marks. CFP® certification is granted solely by Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. to individuals who, in addition to completing an educational requirement such as this CFP Board-Registered Program, have met ethics, experience and examination requirements.