Joint and Dual Degrees
Twice the Interest, Twice the Impact
Recognizing that business students need a larger set of skills to compete in today’s financial services marketplace, the BBA/MPA program is designed to enable students enrolled in the BBA Program at the Goizueta Business School to complete master’s level coursework while simultaneously fulfilling the requirements to sit for the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) examination. This is a joint degree program, and graduates are awarded both degrees at the same time upon completion of all requirements.
Though education models vary by state, nearly all states require the completion of 150 semester hours of post-secondary education, including a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. The educational program must include an accounting concentration or its equivalent, as determined by the applicable state Board of Accountancy. These requirements do not mandate a master’s degree, but earning 150 hours will likely require a fifth year of formal education, best offered in conjunction with a master’s degree.
A unique feature of the BBA/MPA joint degree program is that students gain valuable on-the-job accounting, auditing, tax, forensics, or advisory services experience by completing a required full-time internship, as outlined in the curriculum. Students are responsible for securing their own internship opportunities, with the assistance of the accounting faculty. Internships may be with Goizueta’s global, national, regional, or local accounting firm partners, the numerous corporations with which the School has established strong recruiting relationships, nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurial start-up organizations, or with faculty at academic institutions working on research projects. MPA students are expected to uphold the highest ethical standards of the accounting profession and to become future leaders for the public accounting profession and other accounting careers.
Beginning Fall 2023, the joint BBA/MPA program will be undergoing a revision. Please email Interim MPA Director Professor Jeff Byrne for details.