Master of Science in Accounting

Program Overview

Return to the School of Business and Management Homepage

The Master of Science (M.S.) degree in Accounting is an online program designed to prepare students aspiring to become certified public accountants (CPA). The program’s graduates can fill accounting and taxation roles in industry, private enterprise and federal, state, and local government. The degree is a 30-credit program aligned with the sections of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)’s Uniform CPA Examinations Blueprints with provides a framework for the CPA Exam.

The need for certified public accountants remains significant. Influenced by national and international business and market trends including the advancement of globalization, shifts in accounting and taxation legislation and industry and government financial issues continue to transform the nation’s economic view of and practices associated with the accounting field. The influence of these conditions reinforces the relevance of higher business education in accounting and taxation in preparing certified public accountant professional for various roles in the workplace.

• Prerequisite-24 credit hours in undergraduate accounting. 
• Total of 6 graduate-level credits may be transferred to the M.S. degree in Accounting with the evaluation and approval by the dean, School of Business and Management.
• Students must be complete the program within five years of admission into the program.

Download the Degree Program Profile Sheet for an overview of our M.S. in Accounting Program.

Credit Distribution

I. Core Courses (21 Credits)

ACC-6040	Fundamentals of Accounting I	3
ACC-6050	Fundamentals of Accounting II	3
ACC-6060	Federal Taxation	3
ACC-6070	Accounting and Information Systems Design and Implementation	3
IBF-5040	Corporate and Managerial Finance	3
ACC-5010	Principles of Forensic Accounting	3
ACC-7010	Auditing and Accounting Information Systems	3

II. Electives (Complete 9 Credits)

IBF-5030	U.S. and International Accounting	3
ACC-5070	Government and Not-for-Profit Organization Accounting	3
ETM-7500	Ethics for Managers	3

Total Credit Hours: 30

ACC-7010 and ETM-7500 are offered at the MBA tuition rate.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Master of Science in Accounting degree program will be able to:

• apply accounting standards within the current regulatory environment to address taxation, financial reporting, and resolution strategies;
• compare global tax legislation and accounting regulations associated with tax planning and regulatory compliance;
• evaluate legal issues associated with entity taxation, risk assessment, and risk management;
• recognize risk associated with the use of informational technology in tax preparation;
• examine forensic accounting strategies within complex accounting-related environments;
• construct analytical and quantitative techniques in financial statement analysis to resolve complex business issues;
• communicate accounting and taxation concepts orally and in writing; and
• examine ethical, cultural, and diversity influences associated with accounting and business practices.