MS in Accounting

Kogod’s online MS in accounting prepares you for a rewarding career in all facets of the field, from nonprofit to forensic accounting. Our program can satisfy the 150-hour CPA licensure requirement and qualify you to sit for the CPA exam. Plus, you’ll be eligible for up to 6 exemptions from the ACCA’s 14 exams.

Why get an MS in Accounting at Kogod?

Ideal Location for Accounting Professionals

Our campus is located in Washington, DC, one of the most exciting job markets for accounting professionals. Companies like Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC are right outside our door. In addition, governmental agencies, nonprofits, and other organizations are ready for your expertise.

Résumé-Building Credentials

Our graduate accounting and tax courses are designed to get you ready for CPA licensure. In addition, we are one of the few universities to have a partnership with the ACCA. Our affiliation exempts you from six of their global certification exams.

Practitioners as Faculty

Our faculty are not only excellent educators, but they continue to be actively engaged with their profession. They use hands-on methods to teach students accounting skills through experiential exercises and collaborative projects. Plus, accounting experts from the Big Four and boutique firms like Cohn Reznik and Baker Tilly are regular guest speakers.

Professional Certificates

Gain an edge in this competitive job market by completing one of our professional graduate certificates. Enhance your degree with a certificate in forensic accounting, taxation, analytics, or business fundamentals.

Our STEM-designated accounting program is available to graduate accounting students who are accepted into the accounting analytics specialization and complete four courses that are specific to the STEM designation.

Our flexible curriculum means you can tailor your plan of study to suit your goals.

Comprehensive Core

• You'll have the opportunity to take foundational courses, which will give you an overview of fundamental concepts in accounting, finance, economics, and statistics. This will be determined by the program director based on prior coursework.
• You will also complete core accounting courses, covering everything from tax planning for individuals to business law and audit services and everything in between.

Flexible Experience

Under the guidance of the program director, you will prepare an individualized plan of study with your professional goals in mind. You can choose to focus on financial reporting and assurance, forensic accounting, or taxation. Alternatively, you can select from either graduate accounting or related business courses to develop expertise in a related field.

Accounting (15 credit hours)

Complete 15 credit hours in graduate accounting coursework:

Accounting Core

Complete 12 credit hours from the following or other approved Accounting courses:

• ACCT-604 Tax Planning for Individuals (3)
• ACCT-611 Cost Accounting for Strategic Management (3)
• ACCT-623 Business Law (3)
• ACCT-641 Corporate Financial Reporting: Operations (3)
• ACCT-642 Corporate Financial Reporting: Financial Transactions (3)
• ACCT-649 Contemporary Assurance and Audit Services (3)

Capstone

• ACCT-780 Seminar in Accounting Theory (3)

Electives and Specialization (9-15 credit hours)

• 9-15 credit hours in graduate ACCT and related business courses. Students may complete the Accounting Analytics Specialization as part of elective courses.
• Elective courses can be selected to develop expertise in a related field or to develop specialized expertise in financial reporting and assurance, forensic accounting, or taxation. Any course taught outside of the Kogod School of Business must be reviewed and approved by the program director to determine applicability toward Accounting (MS) requirements

Accounting Analytics Specialization (9 credit hours)

Note: This specialization is only available to students who completed an undergraduate degree in business.

Required

Note: ITEC-610 must be taken as a Foundation course before ITEC-620 Business Insights through Analytics (3), which must be taken before ACCT-681 Data Analytics for Accounting (3).

• ACCT-681 Data Analytics for Accounting (3)
• ITEC-620 Business Insights through Analytics (3)

Elective

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

• ITEC-600 Programming Tools for Analytics: Python (3)
• ITEC-621 Predictive Analytics (3)
• ITEC-670 Database and Big Data (3)

Accounting Credit Hour Check

Complete a minimum of 27 credit hours in ACCT coursework across the combined bachelor’s and Accounting (MS) degrees from the following or equivalent undergraduate versions:Note: All students must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours in graduate accounting courses.

Required (21 credit hours)

• ACCT-604 Tax Planning for Individuals (3)
• ACCT-611 Cost Accounting for Strategic Management (3)
• ACCT-623 Business Law (3)
• ACCT-641 Corporate Financial Reporting: Operations (3)
• ACCT-642 Corporate Financial Reporting: Financial Transactions (3)
• ACCT-649 Contemporary Assurance and Audit Services (3)
• ACCT-780 Seminar in Accounting Theory (3)

Additional (6 credit hours)

• 6 credit hours of approved ACCT coursework, which may include no more than 3 credit hours from ACCT-607 and ACCT-609

Ranked no. 16 by US News & World Report for Best Online Graduate Programs in 2021, our online degrees are packed with hands-on learning experiences that can easily transfer to a career in accounting.

• Functional Competencies—competency in the functional areas of accounting in the global business environment (audit, financial, managerial, and tax).
• Analytical Problem Solving—competency in applying quantitative information, technologies, and professional judgment in solving business problems.
• Research—proficiency in the use of research databases to provide insights on current accounting and tax issues.
• Professionalism—the ability to understand the role of the accounting profession and the important professional, legal, and ethical obligations of accounting professionals.

Graduates of the program can work as:

• Auditing manager
• Chief financial officer
• Corporate controller
• Internal auditor
• Tax accountant
• Treasurer