Introduction:

Over the last two decades, accounting topics has been progressed and changed rapidly. On the other hand, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has experienced significant developments and changes at the macroeconomic level. The most important development is the encouragement of the private sector to grow and participate effectively in the comprehensive economic growth.

The 5-year strategic plan of the college of Business Administration is geared towards the effective participation in this growth by providing the community of business administration with specialists and expertise in the different business and economic areas. Accordingly, the master program of accounting had to be reviewed in order to cope with this development and to enable it to produce the qualifications required for the development strategy.

The present Master program of accounting has started at the beginning of the academic year 1405-1406 h., thus, needs to be revised to incorporate new developments in accounting courses and to fulfill needs of labor markets in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The specific reasons for adjusting the program are as , the need to be convergent with accredited accounting programs, recent and  rapid economic developments in the kingdom, providing scientific oriented courses instead of professional courses and, providing a scientific accounting program qualifying for admission to doctoral program in accounting.  

                                    

Program Objectives:

The master of accounting program aims at effective participation in economic development in the Kingdom through the following:

1. Providing academic institutions with qualified persons in the different areas of specialization in accounting and auditing
2. Providing the public and private sectors with qualified persons in solving practical problems using scientific methodology.
3. Developing the accounting professional skills of candidates by emphasizing the theoretical and practical foundations in the fields of accounting and auditing.

 

Degree Name:

Master of  Scince in Accounting

 

Admission:

In addition to requirements provided in higher education legislation , admission to program requires the following.

1. The applicants must possess a bachelor degree in accounting or similar degree.
2. The submission of a score of at least 500 in the TOEFL or at least 5.5 of IELTS.
3. Passing  General Aptitude Test.
4. The passing of an oral exam. conducted by a Department Committee, with preferences given to those with work experience.

 

Degree Requirements:

Coursework consists of 42 semester hours:

• 30 mandated units (10 courses).
• 12 optional units (5 courses).

 

Program Course

CR Hours (Total)	CR Hours	Course		no
Accounting course: 21 unit (6 courses)
21	3 3 3 3 3 6	Advanced studies in financial reporting Accounting studies in capital markets Cost Management Strategies Studies in Zakat and Tax                    Studies in auditing and professional services Research project in Accounting	ACCT 510 ACCT 521 ACCT 522 ACCT 525 ACCT 540 ACCT 599	1 2 3 4 5 6
Non- Accounting course: 9 units (3 courses)
9	3 3 3	Business Statistics Managerial Economics Financial Management	QUA 502 ECO 503 BA 521	1 2 3
Accounting electives: 6 units(3 courses)
6	2 2 2 2 2 2 2	Accounting information and risk management Accounting in global business environment Financial reporting for non-profit organization Accounting information and business valuation Internal auditing and corporate governance Accounting information technology Advanced studies in managerial accounting	ACCT 504     ACCT 542 ACCT 535 ACCT 545 ACCT 556 ACCT 557 ACCT 524	1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Non Accounting electives: 6 units (2 courses)
6	3 3 3 3 3	Corporate Finance Organizational Behavior International Business Management Management Information Systems Strategic management	FIN 501 BA 511 BA 551 BA 561 BA 597	1 2 3 4 5
42	Total Hours

 

Study Plan

First Semester

Credits	Course	Code
3	Business Statistics	QUA 502
3	Advanced studies in financial reporting	ACCT 510
3	Financial Management	BA 521
9	Total Units

 

 

 

Second Semester

 

Credits	Course	Code
3	Managerial Economics	ECON 503
3	Accounting studies in capital markets	ACCT 521
3	Non Accounting Elective (D)
2	Accounting Elective (c)
11	Total Units

 

Third Semester

Credits	Course	Code
3	Cost Management Strategies	ACCT 522
3	Studies in Zakat and Tax	ACCT 525
2	Accounting Elective (c)
3	Non Accounting Elective (D)
11	Total Units

 

Fourth Semester

Credits	Course	Code
3	Studies in auditing and professional services	ACCT 540
2	Accounting Elective (C)	ACCT
6	Research project in Accounting	ACCT 599
11	Total Units

 

Courses Description

 

QUA  502-Business Statistics  3(3 +0)

The course starts with a very brief review of the bases such as descriptive statistics, probability and random variables. The main part of the course is devoted to sampling, estimation, hypothesis testing, linear correlation, simple regression, multiple regression, and analysis of variance. The presentation relies upon computer software for most of the needed calculations.

 

ACCT 510 -Advanced studies in financial reporting  3(3+0)

The course encompasses basic accounting studies bearing on the factors affecting the process of financial reporting , in addition to some accounting issues such as earning management, off-balance-sheet financing. The course also includes accounting studies concerning earning quality, comprehensive income, and earning volatility.   

 

BA 521-Financial Management  3(+0)

Introduction to tools of financial management in modern corporation. Topics include financial statement analysis and tools of planning and control, valuation, risk-return tradeoff, capital investment analysis, working capital management, long-term financing, dividends, and additional topics in financial management. The course will also involve the use of case problems.

 

ECON 503-Managerial Economics  3(3 +0)

The course covers the following topics: an introduction to economic relations, optimization techniques, demand theory and elasticities, estimation of demand functions, production functions and their estimation, cost functions for the short and long run and their estimation, linear programming, pricing practices, investment decisions, risk analysis, the role of government in business decisions, and some macroeconomic relations relevant to business decisions. (Pre-requisite, Econ 221 or equivalent)

 

ACCT 521 -Accounting studies in capital markets   3(3+0)

The course objective is to study the relationship between accounting information and share prices through the basic accounting studies in capital markets. The most important topics that are studied in the course are price-earning association, information content of accounting numbers, and earning response coefficient.

 

ACCT 522 -Strategies of cost management  3(3+0)

This course is designed for state-of-the-art thinking on all of the advanced topics in cost and managerial accounting. It aims at helping to understand how to use cost management tools for influencing the cost data to adopt with the requirements of different strategies used by different organizations. These strategies are cost leadership strategy, product differention strategy, and operational strategy. It is also useful to understand how to use the output of cost management tools in the area of strategic performance management.

 

ACCT 525 -Studies in Zakat and Tax  3(3+0)

The course concentrates on the principles of Zakat and Tax accounting for business enterprises, and the rationale for differences between accounting income and Zakat and tax income.

 

ACCT 540 -Studies in auditing and professional services  3(3+0)

This course covers some studies on auditing theory, practice, and procedure as they are applied to the problems of typical financial audits, special investigations, and assurance services.

 

ACCT 561 -Research project in Accounting  6(6+0)

Project is to be prepared by the student on one of the recent accounting research topics covering the basic accounting research elements. During the course, the student studies basics of accounting research and decides on the approach to be used for preparing the project under supervision of one the department faculty.

 

ACCT 504- Accounting In Global Business Environment   2(2 +0)

The purpose of this course is to study accounting issues related to foreign currency transactions, foreign business combination, consolidated financial statements of domestic parents and foreign subsidiaries. The course deals also with domestic and foreign joint venture.

 

ACCT 524 -Advances Studies in Managerial Accounting  2(2 +0)

The course represents advances studies in managerial accounting and its strategic orientations. The course focuses on topics and cases related to organizations' management needs of quantitative and qualitative information aiming in planning, control, and decision making. The course provides topics such as advanced analysis for variances, performance evaluation, managerial control systems, transfer pricing, investment decisions, and value chains.  

 

ACCT 535 -Financial Reporting for Not for Profit Organizations 2(2 +0)

The course provides the definition of fund and concepts of accounting and financial reporting for not-for-profit organizations. The course also provides financial aspects of those organizations and differences between reporting standards for not-for-profit organization and those for private sector. In addition, the course deals with accounting issue regarding audit control in those organizations, concentrating on Saudi government accounting and standards.

 

ACCT 542-  Accounting Information and Risk Management 2(2 +0)

The purpose of this course is to build students' knowledge and skills to produce accounting information supporting the process of risk appraisal and management and reporting on risks in annual reporting. During the course, students deal with risk managements devices in accounting and auditing.

 

ACCT 545 -Accounting Information and Business Valuation  2(2 +0)

The provides studying of approaches and techniques for determining fair value of business units, equities, debts, financial and non-financial assets, and investments. The course focuses on the role of accounting information in business valuation context.

 

ACCT 556 -Internal Auditing and Corporate Governance 2(2 +0)

   The purpose of this course is to study internal auditing from international and national perspectives, the role of internal auditor including adding value and enhancing internal control, and the role within corporate governance context especially the process of reporting to outsiders and insiders regarding performance, control, and compliance.

 

ACCT 557 -Accounting Information Technology   2(2 +0)

The course purposes to learn how to strategically plan to information technology, how to computerize  accounting information system,  and providing learning concerning positive and negative effects of accounting information systems technology.

 

FIN 501 -Corporate Finance  3(3+0)

This course serves as an Introduction to the basic concepts of corporate finance. The topics covered by this course include financial markets and instruments, time value of money, risk and return, financial statements and their analysis, security valuation. Other topics that will be introduced to students in this course include project analysis, capital budgeting, capital structure, and dividend policy.

 

BA 511 -Organizational Behavior  3(3 +0)

The purpose of this course is to introduce the students to advanced behavioral concepts and theories, and to develop their analytical skills in diagnosing, analyzing and solving behavioral problems in work situations.  The course consists of three main parts: at the individual level the course focuses on the individual motivation, attitude, satisfaction, abilities and individual differences; at the group level the course focuses on such issues as group dynamics, leadership, conflict and communication; at the organizational level, the course focuses on organizational structure, organizational environment, organizational change and organizational development.  In addition to presenting concepts and theories, experiential learning is emphasized through the use of exercise and analysis of cases. 

 

BA 551 -International Business Management  3(3 +0)

This course is divided into two parts.  The first part provides the students with an intensive study of changing economic, political, and cultural environment in which the business conducts its affairs internationally. The second part of the course encompasses the specific problems with which international businessman must deal, such as marketing, community relationships, organization, financial management, operating policies, and the ways in which these problems may be approached.

 

BA  561 - Management Information Systems  3(3 +0)

This course focuses on how to use and manage a variety of information technologies to revitalize business processes, improve managerial decision making, and gain competitive advantage. Thus this course demonstrates how the information technologies can give a business strategic technology platform that supports electronic commerce and enterprise collaboration among the internetworked enterprises in today’s global business environment. Topics include organizational and technical foundations of information systems, information support systems, developing information systems, and managing information systems.

 

BA  597- Strategic Management  3(3 +0)

The primary objective of this course is to help students to develop a perspective of the top manager's functions and responsibilities from a conceptual as well as an operating standpoint.  The focus of the course is on strategy formulation and implementation in business firms.  The case method is the predominant mode of instruction.  Cases are drawn from firms of various sizes and industries (Prerequisit BA 541).