Master of Science in Accounting

Earn Your MSA 100% Online in as little as 16 months – No GMAT Required

Program Benefits & Overview

Prior Accounting Degree

Prior Non-Accounting Business Degree

Prior Non-Business Degree

Faculty Experts

Three Easy Ways to Earn Your MSA

If you already have an accounting undergraduate background, this 32-credit curriculum is for you. With this option, you can focus on higher-level accounting courses, complemented by specialized electives in:

  • Business Analytics
  • Fraud and Forensics
  • Taxation

These areas of concentration are considered critical in the Accounting industry, making you more marketable in the profession in the long term. The degree can be completed in as little as 16 months and meets the additional credit requirements for CPA licensure.

Note: Our program meets the CPA licensing requirements in Massachusetts. All states have different licensing requirements and additional courses might need to be integrated into the curriculum based on the state board you are trying to license with. For specific CPA requirements by state, visit the NASBA website at www.nasba.org.

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If you hold an undergraduate business degree in a discipline other than accounting and want to develop expertise in competencies related to accounting, this 32-credit path is for you. This degree option integrates all of the core accounting courses required to gain a strong foundational background in accounting and prepares you for CPA licensure. No prerequisites are required.

Depending on your current and future career goals, you have the option to integrate electives toward a concentration in:

  • Business Analytics
  • Fraud and Forensics
  • Taxation

These areas are considered essential in the accounting industry and will make your newly acquired skill sets more marketable in the future. If completing a concentration is one of your goals, additional elective courses may need to be added to your overall curriculum. This degree option can be completed in as little as 16 months.

Note: Our program meets the CPA licensing requirements in Massachusetts. All states have different licensing requirements and additional courses might need to be integrated into the curriculum based on the state board you are trying to license with. For specific CPA requirements by state, visit the NASBA website at www.nasba.org.

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That’s OK! Merrimack offers you an efficient and simple path to MSA and CPA without having to take any additional prerequisite courses. This flexible, 38-credit curriculum integrates all of the foundational accounting and business courses you need to sit for the CPA examination and qualify for licensure. This degree option can be completed in less than 24 months.

Note: Our program meets the CPA licensing requirements in Massachusetts. All states have different licensing requirements and additional courses might need to be integrated into the curriculum based on the state board you are trying to license with. For specific CPA requirements by state, visit the NASBA website at www.nasba.org.

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Earn Your MSA for less than $22,000

MS in Accounting Tuition Levels*

Undergraduate Degree Credits Required Tuition Rate
ACCOUNTING 32 $20,896
BUSINESS (Non-Accounting) 32 $20,896
NON-BUSINESS 38 $24,814

*Our program is open to those with an accounting, business or non-business/non-accounting undergraduate degree, and can be pursued by anyone seeking CPA licensure in any state. However, it is important to note that any deviations from a 32- or 38-credit curriculum will result in tuition adjustments. If you are planning to license in a state outside of Massachusetts, it is important that you review the CPA requirements of your state at NASBA.org. If students wish to deviate from the standard number of credits and add additional courses, the extra credits will be priced at the standard tuition rates in effect at that time. Estimated costs do not include fees. Current tuition includes a $100 scholarship.

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Competitive Tuition!

Earn your MS in Accounting for under 22k.

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Connect with Assistant Dean, Annarita Meeker

Schedule a 1:1 virtual information session with Assistant Dean, Annarita Meeker, to find out if the program is a fit for you and get any questions you have answered.

Schedule a Virtual Meeting

LEARN MORE – EARN MORE

Accounting job growth is robust and professionals with a Master’s degree and advanced skill-sets are in high demand, earning significantly more than those with a Bachelor’s degree alone.

Potential Career Paths and Earnings for Graduates of the MS in Accounting include:

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Sr. Tax Accountant
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Sr. Forensic Accountant
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Corporate Controller

Average Annual Salary Source: PayScale.com, Obtained October 2020

Achieve Success in Your Accounting Career

With An Employer-Aligned Degree

To ensure that our graduates will stand out among peers when seeking promotions or new positions, we consulted industry leaders in designing an MS in Accounting that incorporates a powerful combination of accounting, analytical, and strategic planning skills, including:

TOOLS & EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

Advanced skills in a range of current software applications to manage, interpret and present data and business concepts

ACCOUNTING DATA INTERPRETATION

Deep understanding of relevant accounting data and knowing how to interpret and use the data to tell an effective story

STRATEGIC PLANNING SKILLS

Ability to use analysis to identify innovative approaches to drive business performance

FINANCIAL BUDGETING & MODELING

Building financial knowledge and understanding to drive strategy across an organization

LEARNING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

  • Communication – The ability to articulate and deliver financial information and recommendations in both written and oral presentation format.
  • Tools – The ability to create, use, understand, and interpret the results of computerized databases and spreadsheet analyses (and tax software, for tax courses).

  • Ethics – The ability to recognize an ethical issue and analyze the potential outcomes for the relevant constituencies and make a reasoned judgment.
  • Law – The ability to understand statutory provisions governing business processes and to understand laws governing auditor conduct.
  • Client – The ability to understand varying client environments and identify inherent risks, appropriate controls, and control risks including risks from industry, regulatory, and environmental sources.

  • Problem Definition – The ability to identify a key problem in an accounting context (or tax context, for tax courses; or accounting and tax context, for ethics courses).
  • Analysis – The ability to interpret accounting standards (or tax laws, for tax courses) and analyze information to draw reasoned, ethical conclusions.
  • Decision-Making – The ability to make ethical choices among one or more alternatives with the intention of moving toward some desired state of affairs in an accounting context (or tax context, for tax courses).

EARN YOUR ADVANCED DEGREE IN AS LITTLE AS 16 MONTHS

It’s Easier than You Think to Change the Trajectory of Your Professional Career

  • 100% online – easy to fit into your busy weekly schedule
  • Complete the degree in 16 – 24 months based on undergraduate background
  • There are 6 entry points – start the program during the part of the year that works best for you
  • Total program 32 – 38 credits based on undergraduate background

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RECEIVE PERSONALIZED SUPPORT

From Your Academic & Program Advisor

Merrimack College’s highly personalized approach starts with a one-on-one discussion between you and your academic and program advisor. Your advisor will:

  • Develop the most appropriate curriculum plan for you given your background and preferences
  • Help ensure you achieve adequate progress toward degree completion
  • Counsel you on when and how to prepare for the CPA Exam should you be pursuing CPA licensure
  • Offer career planning assistance and advice
  • In collaboration with faculty, help you achieve the skills and knowledge you need to succeed

Your advisor will be an integral part of your academic journey from initial inquiry to graduation with a vested interest in your success!

MERRIMACK COLLEGE ACCOLADES

At Merrimack College, we’re proud of our long history of providing quality degrees to students entering the job market. Our faculty are more than just teachers. We are committed to helping you grow — academically, personally and spiritually — so that you may graduate as a confident, well-prepared citizen of the world.

  • #10 Top 50 Best Value Online Big Data Programs 2020 by ValueColleges.com
  • U.S. News & World Report 2022 #34 Best Regional Universities North
  • U.S. News & World Report 2022 #41 Best Value Schools
  • U.S. News & World Report 2022 #3 Most Innovative Schools
  • Money Magazine’s Best Colleges 2020
  • The Princeton Review 2021 Best Northeastern Regional College
  • Apple Inc., Apple Distinguished School
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