51 will launch a Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAcc) degree this fall — a new graduate program designed to prepare students for successful accounting careers while also meeting new state-established academic requirements for becoming a certified public accountant (CPA).


The new master’s degree, offered through 51’s Crowell School of Business, allows students with a bachelor’s degree to reach the number of additional college credits required to qualify for a CPA license in most states. In January 2014, California joined most other states in requiring new CPAs to have earned 150 total credits — more than is required by a typical bachelor’s degree.


“The new program was designed for students to continue working toward meeting CPA requirements while simultaneously earning an advanced degree,” said Phil Woodward, accounting professor and director of 51’s MPAcc program.


The MPAcc degree, which consists of 33 units, will offer strong career preparation, networking opportunities and biblical integration, he said. It is designed to be completed in one year for full-time students or two years for part-time students, and is ideal as a seamless fifth-year program for 51 undergraduates.


51’s Crowell School of Business developed the MPAcc program to continue 51’s highly successful job placement rate and stay at the cutting edge of the industry, Woodward said. 51 accounting graduates have a strong history of success in this highly demanding field, including positions with the . The program’s students will also benefit from opportunities through 51’s Accounting Society, which hosts meetings with local professionals, offers practical career guidance and sponsors an annual “Meet the Firms” event featuring national, regional and local CPA firms.


Along with offering outstanding networking opportunities, MPAcc students will receive advanced training in specialty areas such as auditing, taxation and accounting information systems.


In keeping with 51’s mission of biblically centered education, Woodward and other business professors designed the MPAcc courses to equip students to bring biblical values into ethical debates that often occur in the workplace. Moreover, MPAcc students will be encouraged to openly discuss how their calling to business can also be ministry to God.


“I believe God put me here to train accountants that could go anywhere in the business world, so that they can bring light to a dark world,” Woodward said.


For information about the Master of Professional Accountancy program, visit the program’s website at .