Graduate Certificate in Taxation

About the Program

This program is not admitting applicants at this time, please continue to check this page for updates.

The Graduate Certificate in Taxation answers a call for professionals who understand not only current tax law but the larger forces that drive regulation. The Certificate Program includes a thorough grounding of the principles of tax research, corporate taxation, and flow-through entities. In addition, our course offerings address issues in both tax compliance and tax planning. Students are able to build their area of tax expertise, so that they may adequately prepare themselves for careers requiring a high degree of specialized tax knowledge in public accounting, private industry, and government. The program trains competent tax specialists to serve the needs of the accounting and business communities and provides you with:

• a solid knowledge base in federal tax law, including an understanding of tax policies and principles
• skills to understand and analyze complex tax statutes, tax regulations and related cases and rulings
• techniques for analyzing and resolving issues involving federal tax law, including identifying problems, researching and locating relevant law, and applying the legal rules to facts to arrive at conclusions
• the ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and verbally, your tax research and analysis to clients, co-workers and the wider community of tax professionals.

Admission Requirements

Students may gain admission to the Certificate in Taxation program in three ways. First, Master of Accounting program students may apply for admission to the degree program and the certificate program simultaneously to earn the Certificate as an extension of their MAcc program of study. A degree seeking application and an application to the Certificate program must be submitted. As part of the MAcc application process, the admissions committee reviews applications on an individual basis looking at both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the applicant’s academic background and professional experience (if applicable). The committee seeks to assess each applicant’s potential for academic success and future professional growth based on the following:

• Statement of Purpose Essay: This essay is an optional component which allows the faculty to consider the applicant’s motivation as well as written communication skills.
• Past Academic Performance: While there is no minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) requirement, the admissions committee views past grades as an important indicator of the applicant’s future academic performance. The committee may also consider the ranking and reputation of the applicant’s undergraduate institution.
• Extracurricular Activities: Public, community, or military service; travel experiences; extracurricular activities, hobbies and special aptitudes; and any honors or recognitions received are all important indicators of the applicant’s motivation and character.
• Letters of Recommendation: Letters are optional but may boost candidates’ chances for admission. References should speak to the applicant’s personal qualities, career potential, and potential to succeed in the classroom.

*International transcripts must be evaluated by a NACES accredited evaluation service and must be a course by course evaluation and include a GPA. (www.naces.org)

Participation in the Certificate Program is open to any qualified, degree-seeking graduate student at Georgia Southern University. Students currently enrolled in a degree program must first apply and be admitted to the Certificate program. As permitted by their degree program, students may apply coursework to both the certificate program and their degree. It is not required that the certificate and degree be completed simultaneously, however, students must be enrolled to take classes and the seven-year limitation on the application of prior coursework to either the degree or the certificate must be satisfied. Upon recommendation of the Graduate Program Director and approval from the College of Graduate Studies, credit earned in a certificate program may be applied to a graduate degree program.

Deadlines

*The application and all ​​required documents listed on the “admissions requirements” tab​ for the program must be received by the deadline.  If all required documents are not received by the deadline your application will not be considered for admission.

Program Contact Information

Stephanie Hairston, PhD, CPA
macc@georgiasouthern.edu
912-478-5767

Last updated: 4/13/2022