You’ve completed your undergraduate degree in accounting. You may have even begun your career as a professional accountant. And you know that you have the potential to do even more as a certified public accountant (CPA).
The Master of Science in Accounting from our King Graduate Schoolcan help you fulfill that potential. It’s designed for people like you: people ready to advance their professional accounting careers.
Our MS in Accounting program will do more than arm you with the specialized technical knowledge you’ll need to take the Uniform CPA Examination. It will prepare you to thrive in whichever career path you choose. Whether your goal is to work in private industry, government, the nonprofit sector, or even one of the Big Fouraccounting firms, you’ll have both the confidence and the credentials to succeed.
King Graduate School has shown me how to do an in-depth analysis of my company's financials.
Jennifer Morales
MS Accounting, 2017, BBA Accounting, 2011, Staff Accountant, Asphalt Green
Why a Major in Accounting?
Becoming a CPA greatly expands your career opportunities. While non-licensed accountants can have fulfilling, stable careers, they don’t have the authority to perform all of a CPA’s duties. Only CPAs can audit a company’s books, for example, or represent clients before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Most states, including New York, also have a 150-hour education requirement for licensure as a CPA. That’s 30 more credit hours than you’ll get with a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
Accountants need to be as ethical as they are competent. Our Master’s in Accounting program will arm you with everything you need to be both. As an MS in Accounting candidate, you’ll take a challenging mix of classes in:
Taxation
Data analytics
Accounting information systems
Research methods and critical analysis
International accounting
Advanced auditing and financial reporting
Investment management
Managerial economics
Management in the global business environment
You’ll learn it all from an expert faculty who are themselves leaders in the field of accounting. Under their guidance, you’ll develop the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills you’ll need for mid- to senior-level positions in public, private, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Master’s Degree in Accounting?
We designed the MS in Accounting as a four (4)-semester program. On Monroe’s three (3)-semester academic calendar, that means you could finish your master’s degree in less than a year and a half.
Requirements for the Master’s in Accounting
36 total credits consisting of 12 professional core courses*
Students might also be required to take one (1) credit of Graduate Professional Experience.**
For students seeking the flexibility of remote learning, we also offer the MS in Accounting program in both online and hybrid formats.
*Depending on their prior education, some MS students might be required to take a foundation course in Statistics Foundations., Management & Marketing Foundations, Economics Foundations, and/or Finance Foundations.
** Graduate professional experience courses do not count toward the credit requirements for completion of the degree program.
Globalization has changed the way we do business in the 21st century — and it’s created new avenues of opportunity for those with international accounting skills. Accountants for multinational corporations need to keep track of finances and tax codes in several countries at once. In this course, MS in Accounting candidates will learn the skills needed in this rapidly expanding field, including international financial reporting, harmonization, standardization, and consolidation of multinational financial statements.
As an aspiring CPA, you’re no doubt already performing a financial analysis of your own: figuring out how to afford the cost of a master’s degree. That’s why at Monroe, we’re committed to making education affordable.
We’re proud of the fact that U.S. News & World Report has named Monroe one of the Best Value Schools in Regional Universities North for years. After all, your degree is an investment in your future; getting the best return on your investment means making sure you’re getting the best value, too.
We provide competitive tuition and fees, manageable payment plans, and a financial aid office that’s as devoted to fiscal responsibility as you are. From the moment you’re accepted into our MS in Accounting program, we’ll work with you to find every grant, scholarship, and loan for which you qualify.
Once you earn your Accounting Master’s Degree, you’ll have already fulfilled one of the most important requirements for CPA licensure. And once you pass the Uniform CPA Exam and fulfill your professional experience requirements, you’ll be ready to take on all the duties of a certified public accountant, including:
Examining financial records to create budget reports, conduct audits, and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws
Calculating tax returns for both businesses and individuals
Preparing financial documents including quarterly earnings reports and expense reports
Conducting forensic accounting examinations to uncover fraud and investigate contract disputes
Advising clients’ financial decisions, such as making recommendations to improve business operations, manage risk, or lower tax liabilities
Your skills as a CPA will be highly portable, too. They’re in demand in every industry and in every sector, including federal, state, and local governments; publicly-traded corporations, privately-owned firms, and nonprofit organizations. You’ll be qualified to take on a range of managerial positions that include:
MS in Accounting students have opportunities to build their professional networks even as they earn their degree. Monroe sponsors chapters of several organizations dedicated to supporting business and accounting students:
You’re ready to move your professional accounting career forward. All you need now is the right training: training you’ll find in our Master’s in Accounting program.
