Taxation, MS (Not Accepting Students)

Program Delivery
University Admissions Requirements
Advancement to Candidacy
Program of Study Requirements
Master’s Requirements (30 units)
Program Learning Outcomes

The Master of Science in Taxation (MST) Program is a 30-unit program designed to provide individuals with the conceptual understanding and sound technical knowledge necessary to compete successfully in the ever-changing tax world. It is appropriate for individuals already working in public accounting, a corporate tax department, a law practice or government service. College graduates with an accounting degree who wish to pursue a career in taxation and/or meet the 150 unit requirement to become a CPA will also benefit from the program. (State fee schedule does not apply.)

Additional information is available in the Lucas Graduate School of Business catalog page and on the department website: sjsu.edu/lucasgsb/prospective-students/mst.

Program Delivery

On-Campus Program

Online (Special Session)

Special Session Program Information

Academic Programs offered through Special Session are operated by Professional & Global Engagement. Registration and enrollment in a Special Session course or program will follow the special session fees and course schedules. Note that regular session students seeking to enroll simultaneously in a special session course or the program will trigger a separate and additional set of fees. This may require an additional enrollment appointment from the Registrar and it may have implications for financial aid status or requirements.

University Admissions Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete graduate application by applying through the CSU Cal State Apply system and meet all the university admission requirements . Applicants apply separately to the department to obtain admission into the MST program.

Applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must achieve a minimum English-language proficiency test score as indicated on the Graduate Program Test Requirements webpage at GAPE.

Prerequisites

Completed the following undergraduate courses (or equivalent) prior to admission.

These requirements may be fulfilled at any U.S. university or community college. If your undergraduate degree is in Accounting from a U.S. university, you have satisfied the course prerequisites.

Admission to Graduate Standing - Classified

A four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in the United States or from a recognized institution if the degree was earned outside of the United States.
A GPA of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale) in your last 60 semester units or 90 quarter units of course work (Professional Development and Certificate Program course work cannot be included in this calculation).
Unless one of several GMAT waivers is met (see list below), a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) exam. Scores at the 50th percentile in both the quantitative and verbal sections of the exam are considered competitive. The GMAT/GRE requirement may be waived if the applicant meets one of the following criteria:

SJSU student or alumni.
Accounting degree (or equivalent) from any California State University (CSU) or University of California (UC).
Passed all parts of the CPA exam (in the United States).
Passed the Enrolled Agent exam administered by the IRS.
Scored 145 or higher in the LSAT exam.
Has a GPA of at least 3.2 from an accredited U.S. university AND completed at least three years of full-time work experience in taxation. An interview with the MST Director and/or a letter from the supervisor attesting to type of work responsibilities may be required.
Has a GPA of at least 3.75 from an accredited U.S. university. An interview with the MST Director may be required.
Earned a Master’s degree or Ph.D. from an accredited institution in the U.S.

Advancement to Candidacy

The university requirements for advancement to candidacy for the master’s degree are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures section. Students should seek advancement to candidacy as soon as possible for their given program and on the advice of their graduate program coordinator. Graduate students may submit a Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form to the Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations (GAPE) office after satisfying the following: achieved classified status; completed a minimum of nine letter-graded units with all grades “C” or higher; fulfilled the Campus Graduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (CGGWAR) requirement; achieved a minimum cumulative and program 3.0 GPA, and, graduate within the seven-year time limit for degree completion. Graduate students must submit their petition no later than one semester prior to graduating. Courses that satisfy the CGGWAR are listed in the course requirements for the program.

Program of Study Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures . Students must comply with all other graduate requirements contained in this catalog.

Core Taxation Courses

Six core taxation courses (18 units) are required of all students. Of the core courses, two must be selected from a list of designated topic areas (business entities and multijurisdictional taxation); see below for details.

Elective Courses

Students complete a minimum of 12 units of taxation elective courses.

Culminating Experience: Plan B (Project)

The culminating experience is a comprehensive individual written project incorporated into the capstone course, BUS 223H - Tax Policy Capstone . An oral examination may be included.

Maintenance of 3.0 GPA

Students must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or better on all graduate-level course work. Students who receive grades of “C-“, “D”, “F”, or “U” in any business graduate course must repeat that course to achieve a grade of “C” or better.

Transfer Credit

Subject to the approval of the MST Program Director, students may transfer a maximum of nine semester units of business graduate course work from another accredited institution to be applied to advanced level course work requirements. Grades in the transfer courses must be “B” or better. MST courses taken via “Open University” are treated as transferred into the MST Program (and thus count toward the maximum of nine semester units of transferable course work).

Master’s Requirements (30 units)

Required Core (15 units)

BUS 223A - Tax Research and Decision Making 3 unit(s) (CGGWAR)
BUS 223F - Tax Accounting Methods/Periods 3 unit(s)
BUS 223G - Taxation of Business Entities 3 unit(s)

Business Entities Elective (3 units)

Choose one of the following courses in consultation with graduate advisor:

BUS 223B - Taxation of Partnerships 3 unit(s)
BUS 225B - Taxation of Corporate Reorganizations 3 unit(s)
BUS 225G - Taxation of S Corporations 3 unit(s)
BUS 225S - Consolidated Returns 3 unit(s)

Multijurisdictional Taxation Elective (3 units)

Choose one of the following courses in consultation with graduate advisor:

BUS 225C - International Tax - US Corporations with Foreign Activities 3 unit(s)
BUS 225F - State Taxation Fundamentals 3 unit(s)
BUS 225U - Fundamentals of Transfer Pricing 3 unit(s)
BUS 225W - Introduction to International Taxation 3 unit(s)

Electives (12 units)

Complete 12 units from:

BUS 223B - Taxation of Partnerships 3 unit(s)
BUS 225A - Taxation of Estates and Trusts 3 unit(s)
BUS 225B - Taxation of Corporate Reorganizations 3 unit(s)
BUS 225C - International Tax - US Corporations with Foreign Activities 3 unit(s)
BUS 225E - Data Analytics and Security 3 unit(s)
BUS 225F - State Taxation Fundamentals 3 unit(s)
BUS 225G - Taxation of S Corporations 3 unit(s)
BUS 225H - Taxation of Property Transactions 3 unit(s)
BUS 225I - Tax Practices, Penalties and Procedures 3 unit(s)
BUS 225K - Advanced Individual Taxes 3 unit(s)
BUS 225L - Accounting for Income Taxes 3 unit(s)
BUS 225Q - Tax Practicum 3 unit(s)
BUS 225S - Consolidated Returns 3 unit(s)
BUS 225U - Fundamentals of Transfer Pricing 3 unit(s)
BUS 225V - Tax Considerations for High Tech Companies 3 unit(s)
BUS 225W - Introduction to International Taxation 3 unit(s)
BUS 227A - Individual Tax Compliance 1 unit(s)
BUS 227B - Ethics for Tax Practitioners 1 unit(s) (Note: Course counts towards the required ethics courses to become a CPA in California)
BUS 227C - Tax Symposium 1 unit(s) (Note: Topic changes each time offered; may be taken more than once.)
BUS 227D - Employment Taxation and the Modern Workforce 1 unit(s)
BUS 227E - Foundation for Understanding Taxation 1 unit(s)
BUS 280IS - Independent Study 1-6 unit(s)

Culminating Experience (3 units)

Plan B (Project)

BUS 223H - Tax Policy Capstone 3 unit(s)

Total Units Required (30 units)

Elective courses must be planned in consultation with the graduate advisor.

Upon completion of the degree requirements, the student must have achieved minimum candidacy and SJSU cumulative grade point averages of 3.0 in order to graduate.