Press Releases

April 29, 1999
B.S.-M.S. in Accounting Debuts as New Graduate Program at Southampton College

Students Can Earn a Combined Undergraduate/Graduate Degree in Five Years

Contact:
Jane Finalborgo
Joe Dionisio
(516) 287 8313
Fax: (516) 283 4081

Southampton, NY -- "Four-Plus-One Bachelor/Master Degree in Accounting," a new five-year program that debuts with the fall 1999 semester, is one of several new graduate programs that Southampton College of Long Island University has introduced in recent years.

Students enrolling as freshmen can earn a combined B.S.-M.S. degree in Accounting in just 150 semester hours/five years. Those who transfer into the program with the proper prerequisites can complete the degree as quickly as two years.

The B.S.-M.S. in Accounting will be offered in both the traditional day format as well as with courses offered in the evening and on Saturdays to accommodate part-time students.

The flexible schedule reflects Southampton College's new and expanded Evening Degree program which allows a growing number of non-traditional students from Long Island to pursue their dream of a higher education. The new schedule came to fruition because of community demand, the College's expanding graduate/undergraduate offerings, and "Chancellors Hall," an impressive $10 million academic center that opened in 1998.

Other graduate programs introduced in recent years include an MFA in English and Writing, and an MFA in Fine Arts.

"Our research has indicated a need in our region for a graduate-level program of this type," said Dr. Herbert Sherman, Director of the Business Division at the College. "It is a logical extension of our current B.S. program in Accounting."

Graduate accounting courses will include: Organizational Behavior; Business, Government & Society; Accounting Information Systems; Advanced Corporate Finance; Advanced Federal Taxation; Accounting for Not-for-Profits; Investment Analysis; and Money & Banking.

Legislation in 32 states requires 150 credit hours of education to sit for the Certified Public Accountant exam (New York has adopted this requirement for the freshman class of 2004). The B.S.-M.S. in Accounting allows the new CPA to complete 150 credit hours so that he or she can compete for jobs with other accountants from states that have adopted the legislation.

Further, it may be important for licensure reciprocity from state to state. This issue arises if a New York CPA wishes to practice in another state as a result of a personal move or business expansion.

Over 20 students are expected to enroll this fall in the first term of the M.S.-B.S. in Accounting.

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