Academics and Curriculum

The UC Davis STEM-designated MPAc program equips you with accounting knowledge and skills relevant to virtually any industry, in both the public and private sectors—opening unlimited career possibilities.

Connect with globally-ranked faculty and like-minded peers.

Our small, cohort-based model ensures personalized attention, allowing everyone to know you by name and providing a student-centric experience. You'll engage with faculty and peers both in and outside the classroom, gaining technical expertise and professional development to meet your educational and career goals.

9-Month Lock-Step Program

MPAc is a lock-step program offered as an accelerated degree program completed in nine months.

Our lock-step program allows students the certainty that they will be able to complete their program in less than a year. Benefit from our classes that are exclusively offered for MPAc students, allowing you to engage in a collaborative learning environment with a strong emphasis on team-based engagements and collaboration. All students will complete 48 units of coursework. Students are required to have access to a PC with Windows OS.

 

100% In-Person at UC Davis

 

 

Fall Quarter Start

 

Technology Enabled

Prerequisite Coursework

Eligible candidates must have completed the following coursework prior to beginning the MPAc program:

  • Introduction to Financial Accounting
  • Introduction to Managerial Accounting
  • Business Law
  • Statistics

Curriculum for 2025-26

Students will take 16 units per quarter. Our MPAc degree is ideal for highly motivated students who want to earn their degree in less than a year and launch their career. It is not suggested to combine this track with work obligations.

Fall Quarter

Winter Quarter

Spring Quarter
  • ACC 271 Accounting Ethics (waivable*) (4 units)
  • ACC 251 Managerial Accounting & Controls (4 units)
  • ACC 211 Tax Reporting & Analysis (4 units)
  • ACC 201 Financial Reporting (waivable*) (4 units)

*If a course is waived in the fall quarter, required elective: MGT 469 Machine Learning with Python (4 units)
  • ACC 490 Governmental & Nonprofit Accounting (4 units)
  • ACC 253 Accounting Information & Control Systems (4 units)
  • ACC 213 Intermediate Tax Reporting & Analysis (4 units)
  • ACC 203 Intermediate Financial Reporting (waivable*) (4 units)

*If a course is waived in the fall quarter, required elective:  ACC 215 Advanced Tax Reporting & Analysis (4 units)
  • ACC 231 Analysis & Use of Accounting Reports (4 units)
  • ACC 455 Audit Data Analytics (4 units)
  • ACC 243 Auditing & Attestation Services (4 units)
  • ACC 205 Advanced Financial Reporting (4 units)

As part of the degree requirements, all students must pass a comprehensive examination, pass all coursework with a C- or better and maintain a 3.0 GPA.

*Waivable with approval of MPAc Graduate Advisor. Students must have completed comparable course with minimum grade of B- or higher.

CPA Eligibility

Notice regarding professional licensure and certification:

The UC Davis MPAc curriculum supports the educational requirements for CPA licensure in the state of California by fulfilling the 24 semester units in "Accounting Subjects", the 20 semester units in “Accounting Study” and, the 10 semester units in “Ethics Study”. Depending upon your undergraduate coursework, you may need to take additional courses outside of the MPAc to fulfill the 24 semester units in "Business-Related Subjects". Students with undergraduate degrees in business, economics, mathematics, computer science, or related areas will most likely have met the "Business-Related Subjects" requirement. To determine how your completed and projected coursework corresponds with the California CPA requirements, please consult the California State Board of Accountancy. 

We are unable to determine if the curriculum meets the educational requirements for any of the remaining U.S. states and jurisdictions. Individuals are recommended to consult the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy to determine examination procedure and licensure requirements outside of California.  

Please note that admission into programs for professions that require licensure and certification does not guarantee that students will obtain a license or certificate. Licensure and certification requirements are set by agencies that are not controlled by or affiliated with the University of California and licensure and certification requirements can change at any time. 

STEM-Designated

UC Davis' STEM-designated degrees reflect our university's nationally recognized leadership in the STEM fields. Our rigorous curriculum emphasizes quantitative analysis and data-driven decision making, which will prepare you for leadership roles in STEM fields.

Class Schedule

MPAc classes are completed Monday-Thursday on campus at UC Davis. Students typically have one class a day, either starting in the morning or afternoon. Classes are typically four hours in length.

Class schedule change each quarter with the start of new courses. An example weekly class schedule may look like:

  • Monday 1:10-5 pm
  • Tuesday 9:10-1 pm
  • Wednesday 1:10-5 pm
  • Thursday 1:10-5 pm

We regularly offer class visits for anyone who is interested in sitting in for a session!