Overview – AO Masters at a glance

Overview – AO Masters at a glance

Mission

The study program’s main mission is to stimulate students’ passion for research while offering intensive training meant to facilitate their pursuit of a career in academia or business.

We aim to extend knowledge from the national towards the regional (European Union) and international perspective (considering the similitude with US study programs).

The AO Masters Program offers two years of coursework and research training in business and economics taught by top local scholars and invited internationally renowned academics.

The Masters Program corresponds to 120 ECTS credits.

The Program's Curriculum

The program’s curriculum includes core courses as well as elective courses enabling students to tailor their training in accordance to their career objectives. Therefore students can choose between different tracks that allow them to get the best training for a career in academia or business.

The academia oriented tracks prepare students for their PhD dissertation research, being integrated with three years PhD Programs which are common in Europe as part of five years Graduate Programs. Planed activities are meant to expose students to research methodology courses which will develop their research skills, as well as courses offering them deep knowledge in the field of accounting, finance and statistics.

The business-oriented track prepares students to undertake top positions in multinational corporations, auditing firms, consulting firms and financial institutions. Planed activities are meant to enable students to better understand the business environment while also getting in touch with business research and most frequently used empirical and analytical tools.

International Perspectives

  • Developing an advanced level of knowledge in the area of financial reporting, financial analysis and fiscal systems which will facilitate students’ access to the status of certified accountant in accordance to CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accounting) and ACCA (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants).
  • Developing the program’s curriculum was done with advice from professors associated with the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US, London Business School, UK and ESSEC Business School Paris, France.

  • Students can benefit of a one semester mobility at the Kenan-Flagler Business School, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill!

This master's program delivers what it promises. So far it has met all of my expectations and I dare to say that it is the best pick you could take in the accounting/ financial field in Cluj. I chose it because the courses are taught in English (they really are!) and that sets you ready for an academic/ international job. The jargon may be daunting, but not if you're used to it. And that gets me to the subjects and the books used. Firstly, the subjects are carefully picked from a wide range of fields (accounting, finance, statistics, economics) and the accompanying books are from prestigious universities. I personally loved studying from them. The books are really applied, with representative study cases which ease your understanding, but there are more abstract and philosophical ones too. Either way, these books and subjects are challenging and they will broaden your perspectives, as well as build your vocabulary. Everything mentioned above wouldn't be complete without the professors. They are all well prepared in their teaching field, they know the jargon properly and are always making sure that you understand and get involved. Mainly why most of the courses are interactive. All in all, if you want a new perspective in accounting/ finance/ even economics, if you want to improve your jargon in the field or just your English skills, this master's program is your best bet. (I didn't even mention all of the perks because I want you to discover them by yourself.)

Roxana Crișan - MSc Accounting and Organizations, Class of 2018

The Accounting and Organizations Masters Program is much more than an academic program, the challenging and exciting environment stimulates the best out of you. The program provides you complex set of skills and techniques to help you not only in your professional life, but in your personal life as well. The unique theoretical aspects together with the intensive practical issues examined, qualified me a place as a financial analyst with just 2 semesters in my baggage at that time. The courses I have taken have all been challenging and forced me to push myself to improve my knowledge and understanding. This program had opened golden opportunities for me, thus I would truly recommend it to anyone who wants to follow a business track or would rather choose to develop further through doctoral studies.

Renata Vaida - MSc Accounting and Organizations, Class of 2017

I have had the chance to review the academic curriculum that is being put forward by the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration and believe that it meets the rigorous requirements of such a Masters Program, on par with similar offerings of U.K. Universities. The Program’s curriculum is well developed and caters to the needs of students wanting to develop the knowledge, abilities and skills that are necessary to pursue a career in academia and auditing companies that are present in Romania. I think that the Masters Program is extremely timely. It certainly has the potential to add significant value to the academic environment in Romania.

Florin P. Vasvari - Professor of Accounting, London Business School, United Kingdom

As my graduation from the Accounting and Organizations Masters Program is approaching, I feel thankful and proud to be part of the first generation of this ambitious project. The Masters Program is a great opportunity for everyone who wishes to fulfill his/her economic knowledge and broaden his/her perspectives. It challenged me to look beyond traditional accounting, it provided incentives to explore both the world of business modeling and the great diversity of academic perspectives. I strongly recommend the Accounting and Organizations Masters Program for all the students who are interested in the academic environment or in a career in a multinational company. In my opinion, graduating such a Master Program not only opens doors for you, but it also gives you another perspective about your career path.

Antonia Pușcaș - MSc Accounting and Organizations, Class of 2017

I strongly recommend this Masters Program to hard working students determined to excel in this complex economic world. You’ll find an analytical based curricula transmitted by talented and dedicated professors. In addition, students benefit from useful courses taught by professors from abroad. At the same time, I find it very interesting that courses taught at AO are correlated with courses from top universities around the word.

Roland Nagy - MSc Accounting and Organizations, Class of 2018

The Masters program plays a key role in cementing Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj Napoca as a center for accounting education and scholarly activity in Central and Eastern Europe. A key purpose of the program is to provide a rigorous economics-based training for Masters students so that they can be prepared either to continue onto a doctoral degree in accounting or to enter professional accounting practice beyond the entry level.

Wayne R. Landsman - KPMG Distinguished Professor of Accounting, The Kenan-Flagler Business School, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States

I hereby express my support for the Accounting and Organizations Masters Program [...]. I consider it to be an inspired and timely project responding to the needs of students in Central and Eastern European Countries. Considering the curricula planned for the Program, I am confident that it has the potential to prepare students who will further be able to successfully pursue a high quality PhD Program in accounting or positions in wellknown companies such as the Big4.

Andrei Filip - Associate Professor of Accounting, ESSEC Business School, France
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The Admission Process

The admission process follows the foresights of the admission regulation for Masters Programs within the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.

The actual admission process is based on two components (with equal weight in the admission grade) as follows: presenting a research project and the average grade for the bachelor exam.

The research project requires students to develop a research proposal having in mind a potential research question (idea) in the area of business and economics. The research proposal is meant to document the following:

  • the candidate’s ability to identify and formulate a research question, be it theoretical or applied;
  • the candidate’s ability to develop a research plan meant to pursue the previously mentioned research question;
  • the candidate’s abilities, competences and knowledge in coordinating a research project.
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