Build a strong foundation for success by taking prerequisite courses for the 3/2 MBA

The 3/2 MBA is designed for current Kelley School of Business undergraduate students interested in careers in accounting or finance-influenced accounting opportunities, such as deal advisory and valuation.

Applicants can be considered as early as their sophomore year. The 3/2 MBA prerequisites must be completed before students enter the 3/2 MBA Program.

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Introductory and Core coursework

Students entering the 3/2 Program must complete the following requirements for all Kelley School undergraduate students as part of their 3/2 prerequisites:

IUB General Education requirements
I-Core prerequisites
I-Core

For more details about these requirements, students should consult the Kelley academic bulletin for the year in which they matriculated to IU Bloomington.

Upper-division accounting and finance courses

The following undergraduate accounting courses are required before starting the 3/2 Program:

BUS-A 311 (3 cr.) Intermediate Financial Reporting and Analysis I
BUS-A 314 (1.5 cr.) Communicating Accounting Analytics
BUS-A 325 (3 cr.) Cost and Performance Measurement for Decision-Making
BUS-A 329 (3 cr.) Taxes and Decision-Making

Note: GAP recommends students begin their upper-division accounting courses as soon as they complete their accounting I-Core prerequisites, ideally as early as the second semester of their second year.

The following undergraduate finance courses are required before starting the 3/2 Program:

BUS-F 303 (3 cr.) Intermediate Investments
BUS-F 305 (3 cr.) Intermediate Corporate Finance

Note: A grade of C+ or higher is required in the finance component of I-Core (BUS-F370) to enroll in finance major courses and the 3/2 MBA Program.

Recommended career-focused courses

Students planning to enter the 3/2 Program are highly encouraged to take the following specialized career courses, if their degree plan permits:

BUS-A 313 (1.5 cr.) Introduction to Careers in Accounting (pre-I-Core course)
BUS-A 319 (3 cr.) Financial and Transactional Consulting (admission or application to 3/2 Program required)

Exempt undergraduate coursework

3/2 MBA students are exempt from taking the following undergraduate courses, as these will be completed as part of the 3/2 graduate-level curriculum:

BUS-A 312 Intermediate Financial Reporting and Analysis II
Accounting major electives
BUS-A 424 Foundations of Auditing
ECON-B 252 Fundamentals of Economics for Business II
BUS-J 375 Strategic Management
BUS-L 375 Business Ethics and Equity in Diverse Organizations
BUS-T 375 Compass III

General education

IU prerequisites

Intro-level courses

A100 (1cr.): Basic Accounting Skills
A304 (3 cr.) Financial Reporting and Analysis
A306 (3 cr.) Management Accounting and Analysis

Upper-level courses

A311 (3 cr.): Intermediate Accounting I
A314 (1.5 cr.): Communicating Accounting Analytics
A325 (3 cr.): Cost Accounting
A329 (3 cr.): Taxes and Decision Making

I-Core

C+ or higher required in the Finance Component to enroll in the 3/2 MBA program

Post I-Core coursework

F303 (3 cr.) Intermediate Investments
F305 (3 cr.) Intermediate Corporate Finance

Exempt Undergraduate Coursework

3/2 MBA students do not need to enroll in the following courses while an undergraduate
- A312: Intermediate Accounting II
- A337: Accounting Information Systems
- A424: Auditing and Assurance Services
- E202/B252: Fundamentals of Economics for Business II
- J375: Strategic Management
- L375: Business Ethics and Equity in Diverse Organizations

See your Kelley School Undergraduate Programs advisor or contact the Graduate Accounting Programs office at acctgrad@iu.edu for more information.

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Application deadlines

The 3/2 MBA program is open to Kelley undergraduates in accounting and finance. Please apply by December 1 of your junior year.

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By earning your BS and MBA degrees in five years, you’ll spend one less year in school than you would in a traditional MBA program, saving both time and money.

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