MBA With Accounting Track Program Overview
Our AACSB-accredited online Master of Business Administration with accounting emphasis is designed for students looking to strengthen their strategic thinking, decision-making, and business acumen while mastering traditional and contemporary accounting practices.
This 33- to 42-credit online program can be completed in as little as four semesters and will equip you with the specialized skills and knowledge you need to take on competitive leadership roles in accounting. Each online course is taught by the same PhD business professionals who teach on campus.
Designed with flexibility and customization in mind, the program offers two tracks: a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) track and a non-CPA track that allows you to customize your degree and focus on your unique areas of interest.
Track Options
Narrow your accounting focus by selecting electives based on your career goals.
CPA Track
The CPA track is only applicable to students who have already completed upper-level accounting coursework or, preferably, hold an accounting degree. The following electives should be selected if your focus is CPA certification:
- ACCT 6305: Topics in Financial Accounting
- ACCT 6315: Topics in Federal Income Tax
- ACCT 6316: Topics in Auditing
Non-CPA Track
The following electives should be selected if your focus is a broad study of accounting:
- ACCT 6311: Information Systems Management
- ACCT 6313: Professional Ethics
- ACCT 6320: Fraud Examination and Forensic Accounting
Alumni Pathways
As a graduate of our online MBA in accounting program, be prepared to hit the ground running with a skill set highly sought after in a variety of industries, whether or not you select our CPA track. Your knowledge of account analysis, financial accounting, and federal income tax means you could join our alumni at companies in need of the support and expertise an accountant brings.
Our MBA alumni thrive at companies like:
- Amazon
- Dell Technologies
- JPMorgan Chase
- Edward Jones
- Charles Schwab
- Chevron
- USAA
Careers for MBA in Accounting Graduates
An MBA in accounting can provide students with opportunities in a diverse range of careers, including:
Upon admission (regular and conditional), students will be evaluated for statistical literacy. Students who need additional skills in this area are referred to BUSI 2342 (Statistical Literacy) until literacy requirement is fulfilled. Statistical literacy (BUSI 2342) must be remedied in the first semester in which the student is accepted into the MBA program and must be taken before the student enrolls in FINA 6320, FINA 6321, BUSI 6302, MNGT 6366, MRKT 6302 or electives in accounting, finance, management, or marketing.
12 Credit Hours
21 Credit Hours
The CPA track is only applicable to students who have already completed upper-level accounting coursework or, preferably, hold an accounting degree. If selecting the CPA Route, 9 credit hours required. Internship cannot be used. Please consult with your faculty advisor regarding courses.
If selecting the non-CPA Route, 9 credit hours required. Internship cannot be used. Please consult with your faculty advisor regarding courses.
Admission Requirements
Regular Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
- GPA of 3.00 or better in the last 60 credit hours
Conditional Admission
- Official transcripts certifying a bachelor’s degree awarded by an accredited college or university
- GPA between 2.99 and 2.5 in the last 60 credit hours of coursework leading to the baccalaureate degree
- 2 letters of recommendation or professional email references
- Allowed to take up to 12 credit hours of graduate work as advised, one course at a time, and must earn a B or better
- If student earns below a B, GMAT is required for readmission
- No elective course may be taken by a student in conditional status
Conditional Admission With Dean’s Approval
- Official transcripts certifying a bachelor’s degree awarded by an accredited college or university
- GPA between 2.49 and 2.25 in the last 60 credit hours of coursework leading to the baccalaureate degree
- GMAT with minimum score of 500 (based on GPA)
- Essay expressing interest may be requested
- 2 letters of recommendation or professional email references
- Allowed to take up to 12 credit hours of graduate work as advised, one course at a time, and must earn a B or better
- No elective course may be taken by a student in conditional status
Students granted conditional status will be changed to regular status upon successful completion of a minimum of 12 semester credit hours of MBA coursework with a grade of B or better in each course taken.
Official Transcripts
Copies of official transcripts must come directly from the school in a sealed envelope and can be mailed to:
UT Permian Basin
Graduate Studies Office
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762
Official transcripts in electronic format can be sent to gradstudies@utpb.edu.
Supporting Documents
All supporting documents related to a graduate program, such as letters of recommendation, essays, statements of interest, resumes, professional work experience, and awards should be sent to the Graduate Studies Office:
UT Permian Basin
Graduate Studies
4901 E. University Blvd.
Odessa, TX 79762-0001
Electronic versions of supporting documents may be emailed to gradstudies@utpb.edu.
Waiver Policy
If you have an undergraduate degree in business, you may be able to complete the program with as few as 33 credit hours. If your undergraduate degree is not in business, you will have to complete all 42 credit hours.
Application Fee
The application fee is $40.
Veterans and Active Duty Military: Your application fee is waived for this program. Get details now.
Associate Dean
Associate Professor of Accounting
counts_r@utpb.edu
Roy Wayne Counts, PhD, is an associate professor of accountancy and associate dean within the College of Business at The University of Texas Permian Basin. Graduating from Texas Tech University with his PhD in 2005, he joined UTPB from 2004-2010 and rejoined in Spring 2015. Prior to this, Dr. Counts served as faculty and taught at Oklahoma City University and Youngstown State University between 2010 and 2015. His research interests focus around income wages, social security, and factors affecting finance. His work has been published in the Journal of the Academy of Business and Economics, International Journal of Business Research, and the Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance. Dr. Counts currently teaches the following courses within the accounting undergraduate program and the MPA program: Intermediate Accounting I, Federal Income Tax, and Energy Accounting.
“My interest in financial planning is what inspired me to specialize in tax accounting. Helping students to see how they can provide value-added services to clients is very rewarding. My passion is helping students get prepared for taking and passing the CPA exam.”
Assistant Professor of Accounting
nie_d@utpb.edu
Dongfang Nie, PhD, is an assistant professor of accountancy at the University of Texas Permian Basin. He started in the role of assistant professor at the College of Business in 2019 after having served as a research assistant and teaching fellow at the University of North Texas. His educational background includes a Master of Accountancy, Master of Arts in economics, Master of Science in financial engineering, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in finance, all earned from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His research interests include voluntary disclosures: non-GAAP reporting, management earnings forecasts, and auditing (fraud, bankruptcy, and audit committees). He has presented a conference paper at the American Accounting Association and has publications in Oil, Gas & Energy Quarterly.
“My interest in accounting comes from my business education. Accounting information, as a byproduct of business, plays an important role in business evaluation. Accounting information is the only public channel outsiders learn about a business. When I teach accounting, I always like to highlight the above important roles of accounting information and how students can make decisions based on accounting information.”
Assistant Professor of Accounting
xu_c@utpb.edu
Chunhao (Howard) Xu, PhD, is an assistant professor of accounting at The University of Texas Permian Basin. He started in the role of adjunct of the College of Business in 2020 after serving as a professor at Texas Tech University in 2019. His research interests include accounting information systems, auditing and data analysis; earnings management; financial statement disclosure; corporate governance; and tax archival. His research includes publications in the Journal of Information Systems, the Journal of Marketing for Higher Education, Cold Regions Science and Technology, and the Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences. He has presented at conferences including the Society for Marketing Advances’ annual conference. He has served as a financial advisor, international audit manager, and senior associate for an analytic forensic technology team.
Director of Graduate Programs
Professor of Marketing
UT Permian Basin College of Business
saran_a@utpb.edu
Anshu Saran, PhD, is a professor of marketing within the College of Business at The University of Texas Permian Basin. Graduating with his PhD from The University of Texas – Pan American, he joined UTPB in the fall of 2006. Prior to this, he served as faculty and taught at the APS University Rewa, Amity Business School Noida, and The University of Texas – Pan American. His research includes competing in the global marketplace, marketing strategies, social media ad marketing, and cultural differences in international business and marketing. His work has been published in the International Journal of Business Research, Journal of International Business Research, and Journal of Global Marketing. Accumulating work experience for 12 years in different parts of the world, he served as chief operating officer for Tata International Ltd. along with other accolades in India. Dr. Saran currently teaches the following classes within the MBA program: International Business (on-campus and online) and Marketing Strategy.
“My research interests and experience in international business and marketing have supported my academic endeavors and helped me incorporate industry examples in the curriculum, creating value for students and supporting their job and career progression.”
Assistant Professor
College of Business
PhD, Louisiana State University
Wanying Jiang, PhD, is an assistant professor of accounting at The University of Texas Permian Basin. She earned her PhD in Accounting from Louisiana State University in 2023. She is experienced in teaching financial accounting, cost accounting, and taxation. Her research interests encompass accounting information systems, auditing, and firm information disclosure. Dr. Jiang is dedicated to integrating data analytics, including machine learning and natural language processing, into research. Her research has been published in the Journal of Information Systems and the Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance, and she is a regular presenter at national and international academic conferences.
Assistant Professor
College of Business
PhD, Washington State University
Gurdeep Singh Raina (GS) is an assistant professor of management at The University of Texas Permian Basin. He received his PhD in Management from Washington State University. He also has an MBA in International Business, along with a bachelor’s in production engineering. His research focusses specifically on diversity in organizational leadership and how it impacts the performance. Besides strategic management, he has interest in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
GS brings over 14 years of experience in international marketing and strategy consulting in India, China, and Hong Kong to his classes. He believes that the combination of a real-world experience and in-class teaching is the best for knowledge building and skill development. He has varied interests outside of academia as well e.g., he serves on the board for two non-profit organizations, keeps close ties with the real business world to learn and share, and is involved with the community, while working on his first patent. GS also loves to travel and appreciate different regions, cultures, and cuisines.
We’re pleased to offer program admission on a rolling basis.
Rolling admission refers to our process of accepting and evaluating applications as we receive them and moving any applications that miss the deadline to the next semester. However, if you want to enroll in courses for a specific semester, you will need to make note of the application deadlines found below. If you don’t complete your application and submit the required materials by the deadline, your application will be rolled over to the next semester.
