Bachelor's and Master's Accounting Degree Combined

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The 5-year Combined B.S. in Accounting -to- M.S in Accounting and Taxation Program prepares you for success even faster.

This combined program provides academically talented students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in less time than would normally be required. A student enrolled in the combined program will earn the bachelor’s degree upon completion of the undergraduate program and the master’s degree upon completion of the graduate program.

5-year Combined Program Requirements
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5-year Combined Program Requirements:

In addition to the Accounting undergraduate program and graduation requirements, the minimum requirements for the 5-year combined program are:
- Junior standing or an upper-division honors student
- Has a grade point average of 3.2 or better in the following courses (MAC 1105, MAC 2233, STA 2023 and ACG 3103)
- Has earned a B or better in ACG 3103
- Has completed 75 semester hours and earned a minimum 3.2 FGCU GPA .
- Transfer students must have completed a minimum of one semester (15 hours) at FGCU and earned a 3.2 FGCU GPA.
- Has completed at least 5O% of required service learning hours
- Carries a course load of no more than 15 semester hours when enrolled in a graduate course, and
- A minimum grade of B is required for each graduate course taken while enrolled in the BS Accounting program.
- The student will take 12 graduate credits from the following list of approved courses: QMB 6303 Business Analytics, ISM 6404 Bl and Visualization, ISM 6136 Big Data Analytics & Data Mining, ACG 6257, Global Reporting (IFRS) & Audit, TAX 6525 International Tax Issues, BUL 6831 Law & Business II, TAX 6045 Tax Research Planning, and TAX 6205 Flow Through Entities (with prior approval of LCOB Graduate Programs Coordinator).
Individual Program Requirements of the bachelor’s degree and master’s degree:

Full program requirements for each specific program included in the combined program are found at the links below:
- Bachelor of Science in Accounting (B.S.)
- Master of Science in Accounting and Taxation (M.S.)
Degree Maps
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Application Process
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Candidates for the combined program will apply during their junior year to the Lutgert College Business (LCOB) Graduate Programs Coordinator. A committee of accounting graduate faculty will review combined program applications. Students accepted into the combined program will meet with the LCOB Graduate Programs Coordinator to plan course schedules. The LCOB Graduate Programs Coordinator arranges for the student to be registered in the approved graduate courses. Students will remain classified as Undergraduates until the bachelor's degree is awarded. Graduate courses taken while enrolled in the 5-Year program can be applied to the undergraduate degree requirements.

Each student is responsible for completing application materials for the MS Accounting & Taxation within one semester of graduation from the BS program to ensure continuous enrollment under the current catalog. Students who do not successfully complete the application to the MS program within one semester of graduation from the BS program will be dropped from the combined BS/MS program. Students will be accepted into the MS program if they have fulfilled all of the requirements for admission. Upon acceptance into the graduate program, students will be classified as Graduate. Students will complete an additional 18 graduate credits to satisfy the MS Accounting & Taxation as outlined in the catalog. Graduate credits taken while an Undergraduate will be counted to reach the 30 required credits for the MS Accounting & Taxation.

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CPA License Information
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CPA License Information

The references below cover important information for pursuing your CPA License both here in Florida or other states.
**Always check with the state or jurisdiction's board of accountancy for the most current information**

State Board Websites
Contact Information
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Graduate Program Coordinators

Gamble-Francis, Jeannine
Graduate Student Program Advisor and Coordinator II
LH 1304
239-590-7309
jgamble-francis@fgcu.edu
Stelzer, Bobby
Graduate Programs Coordinator
LH 1303
239-745-4646
rstelzer@fgcu.edu

Department Chair

Benford, Tanya
Chair/Professor
LH 3339
239-590-7342
tbenford@fgcu.edu

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Accounting (B.S.)

The Bachelor of Science in Accounting (B.S.) prepares students for careers in government, industry, public accounting, and service organizations. The faculty are committed to preparing graduates who are not only technically competent, but who possess the full range of business professional skills. Students are required to use a variety of technology tools in class assignments. Courses include projects designed to enhance critical thinking, oral and written communications, and teamwork skills and foster awareness of diversity, ethical, and global issues.

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Accounting and Taxation (M.S.)

The Master of Science in Accounting and Taxation (M.S.) program prepares students for careers in accounting and taxation. This program offers a balanced approach to accounting and taxation. Many jobs that will exist 5 to 10 years from now do not exist today. Thus, the focus is not just on advanced technical competence in accounting and/or taxation, the effective use of technology in research and practice, effective communications with colleagues, clients and other stakeholders of diverse backgrounds, and ethical responsibilities but also on the development of life-long learning skills to maintain professional competence.

Lutgert News | AccountingSee All

Lutgert Researchers Use Brainwave Technology to Rethink How Students Learn Accounting

February 20, 2026 / Lutgert News / Tags: Accounting, Research, neuroscience

Dr. Kalana Malimage and Dr. Shawn Granitto from the Department of Accounting, along with Graduate Assistant Tabata Del-Fondo, are conducting a groundbreaking research project that integrates cognitive neuroscience with accounting education. Using a neuro-headset to collect real-time brain activity data, their study examines which teaching modality (text-based learning, video-based learning, or AI-assisted learning) is the most efficient and effective for student learning. This research initiative traces back to Dr. Malimage’s and Dr. Granitto’s involvement in neuroscience and biometric research projects during their PhD programs at Mississippi State University and the University of South Florida. After joining Florida Gulf Coast University, both Dr. Malimage and Dr. Granitto sought to expand neuro-based research within the accounting discipline. With support from the Lutgert College of Business (LCOB), two EMOTIV EPOC+ headsets were acquired. The EMOTIV EPOC+ headset is a wireless, multi-channel EEG device widely used in academic research. It captures real-time brain activity across key frequency bands—delta, theta, alpha, beta, and limited gamma—enabling researchers to examine cognitive load, attention, engagement, and learning processes. With 14 EEG channels, portability, and access to raw EEG data, the device is well-suited for both laboratory and classroom-based behavioral neuroscience research.

Lutgert College of Business Seniors Score in 90th Percentiles Nationwide

June 17, 2024 / Lutgert News / Tags: Accounting, Analysis, Assesment, Economics, Finance, Marketing, Resort & Hospitality, Testing, Undergraduate

As part of our ongoing efforts toward continuous improvement of student learning, the Lutgert College of Business has long required our graduating seniors to complete the ETS Business Major Field Test (MFT), and our students often score quite highly relative to a large national sample—particularly when it comes to knowledge assessed in their own discipline. Perhaps the most useful measure is not only a direct one (% of answers correct) but also the indirect benchmarking compared to 35,472 U.S. students (at 325 institutions) who completed the ETS Business MFT between Sept. 2021-June 2023. That yields a percentile score for our business majors relative to that national benchmark.

Accounting Department hosted 70 students from Immokalee High School for Future Accounting Scholars by Moorings Park

February 16, 2024 / Lutgert News / Tags: Accounting, Beta Alpha Psi, High School, Scholarships

the Department of Accounting hosted 70 students from Immokalee High School for Future Accounting Scholars by Moorings Park. The students were greeted by Dr. Tanya Benford, Dr. Patrick Wheeler, and Dr. Adrian Valencia, who shared what to expect in accounting as a career as well as what professional pathways can be forged with an Accounting degree. Michelle Gonzalez and Justine Padrone stopped by and made sure that all financial aid and application questions were answered. After their introduction to FGCU and accounting, the students were provided with an opportunity to try it for themselves! Jacqueline Conrecode stepped in to teach the basics of Accounting for a game of Monopoly on day two. At the end of day two, scholarships were awarded to students who were the most successful in their game of Monopoly (and passing an audit by Dr. Adrian Valencia!). Special thank you to the student volunteers from Beta Alpha Psi: Johana Brito-Mieses, Cazimy Coulanges, Erick Ontiveros, and Diana Ramirez.

Master's
Degree in Accounting & Taxation

Accounting BS/MS

Make Your Time Count for Even More

Accounting (B.S.)

Accounting and Taxation (M.S.)

Lutgert News | AccountingSee All

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