The best master’s degrees in accounting

The iMSA from the University of Illinois is a fully online master’s program with interactive courses, a curriculum designed to prepare you for CPA exam, and great overall stats.

Tuition cost

Estimated tuition is $27,200, with a cost of $850 per credit hour.

Applicants must:

• Hold a bachelor’s degree in any academic discipline earned from an accredited institution in the U.S. or the international equivalent
• Have a minimum academic background in business, such as a completed course in business management and a 1 or 2 course sequence in principles of accounting
• Pass the online Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test if they are non-native English speakers.

Graduation information
To graduate from iMSA, students must complete 32 semester hours of graduate course work, comprised of least 20 hours are in accountancy courses and at least 4 hours are in a non-accountancy course. Completion time is generally between 18 months to 36 months.

Open to students from all educational and professional backgrounds and accredited by AACSB, the online master of accounting from the University of North Carolina ranks high on our list.

Tuition cost
The program, which is usually completed within 36-48 credit hours (1-2 years), has the following costs: 

• North Carolina residents – $21,061 for the fall semester, $20,731 for the spring semester, and $3,680 for the summer session.
• Non-North Carolina residents – $29,847 for the fall semester, $29,517 for the spring semester, and $7,080 for the summer session.

Tuition for the online format is $1446.36 per credit hour for the 2020/2021 academic year.

Financial Support

Admission information

• Applications must include:
• 
  Unofficial transcripts
• Two letters of recommendation
• Statement of purpose
• A resume or a link to the candidate’s LinkedIn profile
  

With specializations, such as assurance or tax services, and courses that prepare you for the CPA exam, Notre Dame’s master of science in accountancy is a 30 credit hour program that can be completed within one year.

Tuition cost

Tuition for the 2021-2022 MSA program is $ 44,900 (pending board approval)

Financial aid information

Admissions
Applications must include:

• Undergraduate degree from an accredited U.S. college or university prior to enrollment. Applicants from colleges and universities outside the U.S. and unaccredited colleges are required to submit a valid GMAT score.
• Official academic transcripts from all previous forms of education
• Two recommendations
• Official TOEFL or IELTS score report in the case of international students
• Resume
• Slide presentation (up to 4 slides)
• Essay on a provided topic

Graduation information
To receive a degree, students must complete one academic year (10 calendar months) divided into 2 semesters and totaling 30 credit hours.

Ohio State University’s 31 credit hour MAcc program assigns each student a personal career consultant who helps them find the best career opportunities available. 

Tuition cost

• Ohio Resident Tuition and Fees – $32,883
• Non-Resident and International Student Tuition and Fees – $57,599

Financial Aid at OSU

Admission information
Applications must include:

• A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent;
• Official transcripts from each previous education institution;
• Resume;
• Essay;
• Recommendations.

Accreditation  
Accounting programs are accredited by AACSB.

Designed to lead to professional licensure and certification, Western Carolina’s Dixon Hughes Goodman’s 30 credit hour master of accountancy program is both versatile and recognized.

Tuition Cost

• In-state $5015.40
• Out-of-state $10218.90

Admission Information

Applications should include:

• Online application form and fee
• Resume
• 3 letters of recommendation
• Copies of transcripts
• Official test scores – GMAT / GRE
• Personal interviews may be requested

Accreditation

Western Carolina University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Fully online and fully accredited, the Ohio University master of accountancy provides each student with their own student support advisor throughout the entire program.

To graduate, students must complete 10 courses totaling 30 semester hours, spread over 5 semesters

Tuition cost

Cost per semester credit:

• $950 for Ohio residents
• $969 for non-Ohio residents

Total tuition

• $28,500 for Ohio residents
• $29,070 for non-Ohio residents

Applications should include:

• Complete Ohio University’s Online Graduate Admissions Application
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Resume
• Personal statement
• 2 letters of recommendation
• Online application with $50 application fee

In addition to the above, international applicants must also submit:

• TOEFL iBT score of 150 or IELTS of 7.5
• General academic credentials evaluation (ECE or WES report)

Accreditation OHIO’s College of Business holds the additional AACSB Accounting Standards.

University of Massuchusetts Amherst is one of only 5 universities in New England granted a separate AACSB accreditation for accounting. Their Masters of Science in Accounting is granted after 30-45 credit hours, depending upon a entering student’s experience and credit.

Tuition cost

$800 per credit 

UMass Financial Aid

Admission information

• Applications must include:
• Online application
• Application fee
• 2 essays
• 2 letters of recommendation
• Professional resume
• Copy of official transcript(s)
• Official GMAT or GRE test scores
• International applicants should also submit official TOEFL or IELTS test scores

Graduation information

The program has a high degree of flexibility and it is up to the students to decide how long they need to complete the semester hours and graduate.

According to a survey done by the University of Austin, Texas, 97% of students in the Texas McCombs University master in professional accounting program consider it a good investment.

The 30-credit-hour online or hybrid program costs $800 per credit, and may be completed in as little as one year, and provides students flexibility to determine length of studies.

Admission information

Applications must include:

• Application form and $80 application fee
• Personal statement
• Resume
• Official transcripts
• Letters of recommendation
• GMAT/GRE test score
• Non-native English speakers also require English Language Proficiency Scores

93.5% of Wharton MBA accounting students find full-time employment after graduating the 19-credit-hour program, which may be completed in as little as 20 months.

Tuition cost

The estimated total program cost for tuition and fees is $160,864

Financial Aid

Admission information

Applications must include:

• Background information
• Application fee
• 2 essays
• Transcripts
• 2 letters of recommendation
• GMAT or GRE test scores
• English language test score
• List of all academic degrees earned
• Professional experience
• Prior conviction information

Graduation information

Students can choose from 18 different majors – accounting included – and can graduate after completing 20 months.