Accounting students present as part of an AICPA competition

Getting admitted to the MAcc program

Anyone who has a bachelor's degree or is in the process of completing a bachelor's degree is eligible to apply to the full-time MAcc program. Admission is competitive.

Apply now

Application steps

Admission is based on several criteria including:

  • GPA
  • Recommendation letters
  • Internship or other relevant work experience
  • Activities
  • Involvement
  • Leadership roles
  • Application essays

Students must apply to our program through KU Graduate Admissions. Please read the application instructions below before completing your online application.

The following items are among those required for application submission: two letters of recommendation, official transcripts, three essays, a current resume and a $65 application fee.

Applicants from schools other than the University of Kansas can contact the MAcc office to verify whether they are required to submit GMAT scores.

Note that you will be able to begin the application, save it and return to complete it later. You will also be able to check your application online to see if all of your materials have been received. Alternatively, feel free to contact an advisor to check the status of your application.

  • Create an application account with KU Graduate Studies at gradapply.ku.edu. On the "Applying to the University of Kansas" page, click "Start New Application."
  • Input your personal information on the first four pages.
  • On the Graduation Program Information page, make the following selections:
    • "Are you applying to an online program?" Select "No."
    • "At which location do you intend to take the majority of your coursework?" Select "Lawrence (Main Campus)."
    • "Academic Intention" Select "Degree-Seeking."
    • "Academic Area of Interest" Select "Business."
    • "Academic Program" Select "Accounting (M.Acc)."
  • Under Entry Term, select the term you intend to begin graduate coursework.
  • Complete the three required essays. The essays should speak to your commitment and motivation for completing the Master of Accounting program.
  • You may paste the text from a word processing program.
  • Pledge your support to the Honor Code of the School of Business.
  • KU Student Applicants only:
    • Please upload a copy of your KU Degree Progress Report (DPR) checklist available from the “My Progress” section of the myKU portal at my.ku.edu to your application.

Enter the information for every post-secondary institution you have attended. Transcript information is below. If you are required to submit official transcripts based on your degree history, please upload unofficial transcripts to your application while we wait for your official transcripts to arrive.

  • KU Students and Alumni Applicants
    • You do not need to provide an official transcript. Instead, please upload a copy of your KU Advising Report available from My Academic Progress at my.ku.edu to your application. Do not upload your KU Degree Progress Report (DPR) to this section.
    • If you are a KU graduate and do not have access to the KU Advising Report or have difficulty finding it, please email kuaccounting@ku.edu and ask that we upload your KU Advising Report to your submitted application.
    • An official transcript is required from any educational institution outside of KU from which you have earned a four-year degree. If you transferred credit from another institution to KU, we do not require an official transcript from that institution. Official transcripts can be sent to kuaccounting@ku.edu.
  • Non-KU Alumni Applicants
    • Official transcripts are required for your application.
    • If your institution offers official electronic transcripts, please order one and have it sent to kuaccounting@ku.edu. 
    • If your institution does not offer official electronic transcripts, please have an official sealed transcript sent to us at the following address: KU School of Business, Attn: Haley Carpenter, 1654 Naismith Drive, Lawrence, KS 66045
    • Please do not open your official transcript or it will no longer be considered “official.”
  • Enter names and email addresses of two recommenders on page 6.
  • Select “I waive my right to access this report” to waive the right to review the recommendation.
  • The two recommenders listed will receive an email from KU Graduate Studies asking them to complete a recommendation online as soon as you submit their contact information.
  • Recommenders should complete both the survey and upload a supplemental letter with their online recommendation. KU faculty are not required to upload a supplemental letter.
  • If your recommenders have any difficulty attaching their supplemental letter to their online recommendation, they can email their letter to kuaccounting@ku.edu.
  • Do not wait until you are notified that your recommendations have been completed to submit your application. You should submit your application once you have completed all of the application steps that you are responsible for.

Upload your resume on page 8, and submit your signature on page 9.

  • The GMAT is not required for applicants who earned an undergraduate accounting degree from KU.
  • If you are required to submit a GMAT score, please note that they must be sent directly from the testing agency to KU to be considered official.
  • Submit your application and enter payment information for the $65 application fee.

When to apply

  • Students planning to begin earning MAcc credit in the spring semester should apply by October 1 of the previous year.

  • Students planning to begin earning MAcc credit in the summer or fall semester should apply by March 1 of the same year.

GMAT

  • The GMAT is not required for applicants who earned an undergraduate accounting degree from KU.

Honor code