Top Five Masters in Accounting Schools

The Master of Accounting degree (MAcc) is offered in most universities as a primary method of meeting the academic requirements for qualification to sit for the CPA exam.  Every state requires 150 credit hours of classes for CPA licensure – about 30 more credits than are required for a bachelor’s degree.  So the MAcc degree provides those additional hours and prepares students for the exam along with teaching advanced accounting skills.  The other prevalent masters program in the field is the MBA with accounting specialization, but that option does not provide near the level of advanced study associated with a Master of Accounting degree.

1.      University of Phoenix offers the Master of Science in Accountancy as an online option and at many of its campuses.  The curriculum consists of twelve courses, two of which are prerequisites: Financial Accounting and Communications for Accountants.  The balance of the curriculum is devoted to graduate level courses which include IT oriented classes in Accounting Information Systems, Forensic Accounting, Internal Control Systems, and Financial Reporting.  Other areas of study are Accounting Theory & Research, Managerial Accounting and Legal Aspects of Business, Auditing, Taxation, and Forensic Accounting.

2.      Golden Gate University offers the Master of Accountancy and the Master of Accountancy with a Forensic Concentration on the San Francisco campus.  The degree should qualify students with an undergraduate degree in the field for the opportunity to take the CPA exam.  The MAcc is also an option for students who have a bachelor’s degree and are new to the accounting field.  Golden Gate offers both degrees online and has a series of CPA exam preparation classes available for students who would like to review material prior to the exam.  The forensics specialization includes courses in fraud auditing, financial statement investigations, discovery & data management, bankruptcy & insolvency, economic damages, and valuation & lost profits.

3.      Strayer University has several four Master of Science in Accounting areas of concentration, offered at many of the one hundred-plus campuses the University operates in eighteen states and the District of Columbia.  The degrees are also available online in most states.  The four areas of concentration for the MSAcc are Accounting Information Systems, Controllership, Taxation, and Public Accounting. There are several career tracks offered here: the public accounting option is for anyone who wants to work in an accounting firm, perhaps as a CPA; the taxation choice is also a public accounting profession; controllership is for those who want to work their way up a business ladder to a senior position; and the information systems choice is for students with technology skills who would like to apply them to finance and financial analysis.

4.      Grand Canyon University offers the Master of Accounting degree on the Arizona campus and as on online degree option.  Students who complete the program will be prepared to take the CPA exam; the program also offers advanced accounting skills to working accountants.  There is a strong business orientation, as reflected in these classes: Business Law & Ethics for Accounting, Advanced Accounting & Mergers & Acquisitions, Tax Planning & Business Strategy, Compliance in Financial Reporting, and Managerial Finance.  There are also course in Forensic Accounting & Fraud Examination, and Internal Auditing.

5. Southern New Hampshire University offers the Master of Science in Accounting and the Master of Science in Accounting & Finance at its primary New Hampshire campus and the five learning centers in New Hampshire and adjoining states.  Both degrees are also online options.  The program is designed to qualify students for the CPA exam and bring them up to the 150 credit hours of college study needed for CPA status in most states.  The MAcc requires between twelve and seventeen classes, depending on the student’s undergraduate credits and business experience.  The degree in Accounting & Finance is a fourteen course program, not counting prerequisites, that is evenly divided between accounting and finance courses.