Master of Accounting School Rankings

Our rankings for the best schools with a Master of Accounting degree are based on the survey conducted annually by US News and World Report.  However their survey covers business schools with accounting programs which includes MBA degrees with an accounting specialty.  We have culled that list for the top programs that offer a Master of Accounting degree that stands separate from any other program.  Most of these are one year master’s programs and several are offered to students who hold a bachelor’s degree in another field.  Traditionally the Master of Accounting is designed to get students through the academic requirements for taking the CPA exam.  These programs accomplish that goal for students who have completed an undergraduate program in accounting and for those who completed a bachelor’s degree in another discipline as well. See Online Masters in Accounting Degree Programs.

1.      University of Texas McCombs School of Business has a Master of Professional Accounting degree available for students who have completed an undergraduate degree in accounting or any other bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, science, or business.  The educational prerequisites for the Texas MPA include courses in microeconomics, macroeconomics, an introduction to statistics, and introduction to financial accounting.  Thereafter the MPA is a 36 – 42 credit hour program with four specialization tracks: Managerial Accounting & Control, Financial Reporting & Assurance, Taxation, and a Generalist track.  Graduates will be eligible for the CPA exam in most states.

2.      University of Illinois offers a one year Master of Accounting Science degree for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in accounting.  The program covers many facets of accountancy including both public and non-public practices. The Illinois Master of Accounting degree addresses graduate level complexities in accounting as well as the ancillary issues such as finance, tax management, and information systems.  Areas of concentration include Corporate Governance & International Business, Finance, Information Technology, and Taxation.

3.      University of Michigan has a Master of Accounting (MAcc) program offered through the Ross School of Business.  The curriculum includes some of the courses more commonly found in a MBA program that may prove helpful to an accounting graduate who lands in the financial services industry.  Core courses include Accounting Information System Design, Financial Instruments, Corporate Financial Reporting, and Auditing & Assurance.  Electives include Applied Financial Analytics & Portfolio Management, clearly a MBA oriented course.  Other options are Financial Statement Analysis, Business Forecasting, and Federal Taxation.

4.      University of Southern California offers the Master of Accounting degree as one of two accounting options available separate from the MBA program.  The other is Master of Business Taxation, a specialization option that is an excellent opportunity for detailed study for a student who is sure about the career track.  The MAcc is offered for both accounting majors and non-accounting majors, but is taught as two separate programs, in separate classes.  The Master of Business Taxation is offered in both full and part time formats, one for students coming out of an undergraduate program and the other for working professionals who wish to continue working while going back to school.

5.      University of Indiana Kelley School of Business has a Master of Science in Accounting degree offered as an intensive one year program for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree, not necessarily in accounting.  At the end of the program there is an optional six week review course for the CPA exam.  There are several academic prerequisites including Financial Accounting, Managerial Accounting, Auditing, Tax, Finance, Business Law, and Business Information Systems.  Thereafter the program is a thirty credit hour curriculum with concentrations in Assurance/Risk Management, or Taxation.