The MBT program offers rigorous study in taxation and provides a perspective on the strategic contribution that taxation makes to the business entity. By requiring a variety of general and taxation courses and allowing students to seek more specialized information through electives, the program blends technical tax issues with strategic business knowledge. In addition to completing 30 credits – 16 credits of required courses and 14 elective credits – students must submit papers of thesis quality to satisfy the Graduate School's Plan B writing requirement.

Prerequisite courses

Before enrolling in MBT courses, all students must take ACCT 2050 Introduction to Financial Reporting and ACCT 5135 Fundamentals of Federal Income Tax (or their equivalents).

Common body of knowledge

To participate in the program, students need to possess a common body of knowledge in business. Students can meet this requirement by completing introductory coursework at the undergraduate level in each of the following areas:

• Accounting (financial & managerial)
• Business law
• Economics (micro & macro)
• Finance
• Information & decision science
• Management
• Marketing
• Operations & management sciences
• Business statistics 

Although not prerequisites for admission to the MBT program, students must complete these courses to earn a degree. If necessary, students can take courses concurrently with MBT program courses. Most students who enter the program with a business degree will have already completed this coursework.

Common body of knowledge checklist (Word)

Plan B requirement

Rather than completing a master's thesis, MBT students must instead submit papers and reports from the following required courses:

MBT 5200 Tax Accounting Methods & Periods
MBT 5220 Tax Research, Communication & Practice
MBT 5500 Business, Government & Economic Tax Policy