master of accounting massachusetts

The accredited accounting degree programs in Massachusetts reflect the state’s commitment to a tradition of quality education. Massachusetts has a number of colleges and universities offering comprehensive degree programs in the arts and sciences. These schools help to develop the leaders who work in some of the state’s key industries like:

  • renewable energy
  • information technology
  • manufacturing
  • finance

Massachusetts has a rich history as one of the original 13 colonies. Its famous shore lines and numerous cultural venues also make it an attractive region for academic pursuits. Here are some colleges and universities that offer quality accounting degree programs across Massachusetts.

Babson College

F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business

The F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College offers numerous business related degree programs through its associated academic departments. For example, students attending Babson’s graduate business school can earn traditional business related advanced degrees in:

  • economics
  • finance
  • accounting
  • general management
  • marketing

Other concentration areas provided through the school include:

  • statistics
  • quantitative analysis
  • entrepreneurship
  • operations research
  • production management.

Ethics, collaboration and innovation are the school’s core values. The school places an emphasis on developing competent business leaders and entrepreneurs who problem solve from a global perspective.

Master of Science in Accounting

Business students who want to pursue careers as public accountants in Massachusetts consider Babson College’s Master of Science in Accounting program (MSA). This advanced accounting degree program is for students who have undergraduate degrees in accounting or business related disciplines. The accountancy board in Massachusetts has classified the school’s program as Level One. This means that MSA graduates automatically meet the educational requirements to sit for the certified public accounting (CPA) exam.

The popular program has an estimated enrollment of about 29 students. The high level of classroom diversity helps to ensure that problem solving is conducted from many perspectives. The 30 credit hour MSA program offers courses that are divided between core and elective classes. For example, some core course topics covered in the program include:

  • advance financial statement analysis
  • international accounting
  • strategic tax planning

Entrepreneurial course topics are also popular in the MSA program.

Accreditations

  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

Contact
231 Forest Street
Babson Park, MA 02457
(800) 488-4512
gradadmissions@babson.edu
http://www.babson.edu/admission/graduate/Pages/default.aspx

Bentley University

Graduate School of Business

Bentley University’s graduate business school was founded in 1973. It offers three Master of Business Administration (MBA) and eight Master of Science (MS) degree programs. Bentley University’s faculty and staff believe that the ways to truly prepare students for leadership positions in the global business environment are showing them:

  • how to foster innovation
  • create and measure value
  • understand business environments
  • develop their own personal leadership styles

Master of Science in Accounting

Bentley University’s business school has its roots in accounting. It continues to train business professionals in foundational accounting principles as well as promote research to uncover the latest industry best practices. The Bentley University MSA features a curriculum that fulfills the academic requirements to sit for the CPA exam in Massachusetts and most other states.

Students also benefit from an online course format that makes pursuing an advanced degree in accounting feasible for working adults. The MSA also provides business professionals with the tools and credentials that they need to find jobs with the top accounting organizations in the nation. Because of the intensity of the program, the school requires students to complete some pre-program courses on topics like managerial statistics and financial statement analysis. These are designed to prepare students for the MSA’s primary curriculum. Other course topics in the Bentley University MSA program are:

  • financial accounting
  • cost accounting
  • income taxation

Accreditations

  • AACSB

Contact
175 Forest Street
Waltham, MA 02452
(781) 891-2108
GA_bentleygraduateconnections@bentley.edu
http://www.bentley.edu/graduate

Boston College

Carroll School of Management

Boston College’s Carroll School of Management has a mission to prepare students for entrance into management positions and to expand the skills of existing managers through advanced training in the subject. These goals are met through the school’s undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree program offerings.

Undergraduate students can choose among several concentration areas that include:

  • accounting
  • finance
  • economics
  • accounting information systems
  • general management
  • information systems
  • management and leadership
  • marketing

These students can also broaden their skills by participating in study abroad programs and school sponsored business consulting initiatives. The Carroll School of Management offers students MBA, MS in Finance (MSF) and MSA graduate degree programs. The school has challenging curricula and talented faculty. It also has thoughtfully forged ties with industry. These provide students with valuable networking opportunities and relevant work experience.

Master of Science in Accounting

Boston College’s MSA program is rigorous enough to prepare graduates for:

  • the CPA exam
  • careers in top accounting firms
  • entrepreneurial initiatives that lead to their own accounting businesses

There’s a distinct difference between this program and many others.  Students who do not initially have a strong accounting background can still take the program if they are willing to invest extra time and effort. For example, the school’s MSA program usually begins in the Fall semester. However, students who need an additional academic boost can join the MSA Summer Program before regular classes start. The summer program covers the foundational principles of:

  • accounting
  • finance
  • business

Students need these to be successful in the more advanced accounting topics taught during the regular MSA program. The MSA program at Boston College has been recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top 20 accounting programs in the country in 2014. The CPA pass rates of Boston College’s graduates confirm the program’s efficacy.

Accreditations

  • Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE) of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)
  • AACSB

Contact
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
(617) 552-8420
carrollschool.dean@bc.edu
http://www.bc.edu/schools/csom/graduate/msa.html

Clark University

Graduate School of Management

There are plenty of options at Clark University’s Graduate School of Management. Conventional options are available in MBA, MSA and MSF degree programs. Students can also combine programs to double major in business administration and finance or accounting . They can do this through the MBA/MSF and MBA/MSA dual degree programs.

Relatively unconventional graduate level business degree programs include those with concentration areas like:

  • community planning and development
  • environmental science and planning

The school’s graduate degree programs were recently ranked among the best in the nation by a U.S. News and World Report survey.

MBA with a Concentration in Accounting

Traditionally, industry has valued the broad based, business principles taught in top business school MBA programs. Industry leaders’ contributions have even helped to shape MBA curricula over the years. However, specific career paths require training in relevant concentration areas that many regular MBA programs do not offer.

Clark University’s MBA in Accounting is for aspiring accountants who also want the latest business leadership and management training from a global market perspective. This degree program consists of about 51 credit hours. They’re are divided among core, foundational and concentration elective courses. The MBA with a concentration in Accounting helps to prepare students for numerous careers related to the discipline.

However, aspiring CPAs should enroll in the expanded concentration degree option. This includes more elective courses to meet the academic hourly requirement to sit for the CPA exam.

Accreditations

  • AACSB-International

Contact
950 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01610
(508) 793-7543
gradadmissions@clarku.edu
http://www.clarku.edu/gsom/graduate/fulltime/concentrations.cfm

Master of Science in Accounting

The 10 unit, 30 credit hour MSA degree at Clark University can be taken on a full or part time basis.  A primary theme of the MSA program is CPA exam preparation. However, many aspects of the curriculum are based on trends in the discipline and changes in national and global policies.

The regular MSA curriculum is taken by students with an undergraduate accounting background. Students who did not major in accounting as undergraduates can take additional electives like:

  • management economics
  • statistical methods
  • introductory accounting principles

These will help them master advanced accounting topics in the classroom and on the CPA exam. Some core and elective courses in Clark University’s MSA degree program include:

  • financial reporting
  • auditing
  • accounting for non-profit organizations
  • business valuation

The MSA curriculum also offers an optional internship opportunity.

Accreditations

  • AACSB-International

Contact
950 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01610
(508) 793-7543
gradadmissions@clarku.edu
http://www.clarku.edu/gsom/graduate/accounting/index.cfm

Northeastern University

D’Amore-McKim School of Business

Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs that position students for exciting business careers in the global marketplace. Undergraduate degree programs include:

  • a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Business Administration
  • a BS in International Business
  • numerous combined major options for students who want to study a specialized topic in a broad business context

Graduate students can choose from numerous MBA, MS, dual degree and professional development certificate programs. The school’s comprehensive degree programs have been consistently ranked by several educational publications. They are made distinctive by the school’s commitment to experiential learning. The faculty and staff at D’Amore-McKim School of Business help to attract the brightest young minds in the nation. They do this through their innovative, results oriented research projects that overflow into classroom discussions.

Master of Science in Accounting

Northeastern University offers a competitive MSA degree program that is approved by the state’s accountancy board. It helps to prepare students to take the CPA exam. Only students who have an undergraduate accounting degree are eligible to participate in the intensive, full time MSA degree program.

The course curriculum includes 24 credit hours of required core courses and six elective classes. Students can complete the program in as few as six months through an accelerated program. The usual completion time is one year. The unique MSA program can be started by undergraduate students in their junior year. These students can earn their graduate degrees quickly and gain the necessary 150 hours to sit for the CPA exam. Students in the MSA program at Northeastern University can take courses on topics like:

  • financial reporting for governments
  • international accounting
  • emerging issues in financial reporting

Accreditations

  • AACSB-International

Contact
324 Huntington Avenue
Boston, MA 02115
(617) 373-2000
j.alton@neu.edu
http://www.damore-mckim.northeastern.edu/academic-programs/graduate-programs/ms/accounting/

Suffolk University

Sawyer Business School

Suffolk University’s Sawyer Business School has been helping students craft successful career strategies since 1937. The school offers undergraduate and graduate business degree programs. They emphasize real world, results oriented business skill development over theory alone.

The Sawyer Business School keeps the learning environment fresh. There are with hands on projects that involve participation with local businesses and the surrounding Boston community. The school’s downtown location allows its students to easily draw upon the area’s professional resources for their student led organizations or official classroom lectures. Leaders at the Sawyer Business School emphasize:

  • business ethics
  • cross functional business training
  • intellectual curiosity

All these lead to life long learning.

Master of Science in Accounting

Suffolk University’s MSA holds a Level One certification with the state’s accountancy board. This means that program graduates can automatically sit for the CPA exam. The comprehensive nature of the program helps to ensure that even students who do not have undergraduate degrees in accounting are prepared to sit for the CPA exam upon graduation.

The MSA degree program appeals to students who can attend school full time as well as working professionals who must attend part time. Students must complete between 31 and 55 credit hours to graduate with their MSA from Suffolk University. The exact credit hour requirement depends upon the students’ academic backgrounds. Some of the course topics covered in the program are:

  • managerial accounting
  • financial accounting
  • auditing
  • fraud examination

The program also offers students valuable internship and business consulting opportunities with local businesses.

Accreditations

  • AACSB-International

Contact
73 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 573-8641
klewis@suffolk.edu
http://www.suffolk.edu/business/graduate/12772.php

Master of Business Administration in Accounting

Suffolk University offers an MBA with a concentration in accounting. The accounting concentration area presents students with:

  • the conventional theoretical principles of accounting
  • emerging issues in the discipline
  • changing national and international regulations

Students take course topics like:

  • fraud examination
  • financial accounting
  • accounting information systems
  • international accounting

This degree program gives working professionals a broader range of skills in the language of business. Additionally, students enrolled in the MBA in Accounting program benefit from relatively small, multiculturally diverse classes.

Accreditations

  • AACSB-International

Contact
73 Tremont Street
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 573-8641
klewis@suffolk.edu
http://www.suffolk.edu/business/graduate/12927.php

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Isenberg School of Management

The Isenberg School of Management features award winning business degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate school levels. The school’s emphasizes:

  • academic rigor
  • leadership
  • the development of out of the box problem solving skills

Graduates are prominent members of industry’s most prestigious companies. The competitive school offers students a variety of undergraduate academic majors in nearly every business functional area. Its graduate degree programs are comprehensive and available in flexible formats to fit a variety of schedules. The Isenberg School of Management seeks the most talented students without regard to financial circumstances. Subsequently, it has a fellowship available which pays full tuition, stipend and health care for students who are accepted into the school’s full time MBA program.

Master of Science in Accounting

The Isenberg School of Management’s MSA is in the rare category of graduate accounting degree programs that have earned separate AACSB accreditation. The 30 credit hour MSA program has the reputation for quality that appeals to industry employers. It has the comprehensive curriculum needed to help students pass the CPA exam. Isenberg students can take their MSA in either a fully online or hybrid format. The Isenberg MSA is ranked as a Level One program that automatically allows students to meet the academic requirements of 150 credit hours to sit for the CPA exam. The program earned this distinction in part because its curriculum was developed with guidance from the Accounting Advisory Council. Some MSA course topics include:

  • taxation
  • advanced auditing
  • financial statement analysis
  • business decisions
  • accounting information systems

Most students complete the MSA program within two years.

Accreditations

  • AACSB-International

Contact
121 Presidents Drive
Amherst, MA 01003
(413) 545-5662
msa@isenberg.umass.edu
https://www.isenberg.umass.edu/programs/masters/ms/accounting

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Charlton College of Business

The Charlton College of Business prepares students for challenging business careers with:

  • comprehensive course offerings
  • experienced and engaging faculty
  • experiential learning opportunities

Students can choose from among undergraduate majors that include:

  • marketing
  • management
  • information systems
  • operations management
  • finance
  • accounting
  • business administration

Graduate students have four degree options available to them. They include programs in:

  • healthcare management
  • information technology
  • MBA and MSA

Internships, study abroad programs and student organizations  enrich students’ learning experiences and provide valuable networking opportunities.

Master of Business Administration in Accounting

The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth) offers the management training needed to further careers in a number of disciplines through its MBA program. The 30 credit hour graduate business degree curriculum includes seven core courses and up to three business related electives.

In addition to the core courses related to accounting, business students may select a business functional area as a concentration. Concentration elective topics consist of:

  • financial statement analysis
  • cost management
  • international accounting

Students who did not earn an undergraduate degree in a business related field may complete business foundational courses on topics like:

  • financial accounting
  • finance
  • economics
  • statistical analysis

Some of the required course topics that UMass Dartmouth students will take are:

  • accounting for decision making
  • finance for decision making
  • information technology management

The MBA in Accounting offers students cross functional business training and skills development in their chosen career field.

Accreditations

  • AACSB

Contact
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, MA 02747
(508) 999-8000
graduate@umassd.edu
http://www.umassd.edu/charlton/programs/graduate/mba/curriculum/

Western New England University

College of Business

The leaders at the Western New England University College of Business know that today’s business professionals must approach problem solving from a global perspective. Markets are consolidating through trade agreements and advances in technology. Western New England University offers training that help students become business leaders who have the skills to help companies navigate in international environments.

The school offers a number of undergraduate and graduate school degree programs that focus on providing students with:

  • the required classroom based theoretical knowledge
  • carefully planned experiential learning opportunities

The College of Business also supports budding entrepreneurs through customized course offerings. The college also helps  them  draw upon interdisciplinary resources in the university’s engineering, law and arts departments.

Master of Science in Accounting

The Western New England University MSA is a 30 credit hour degree program. It allows students to meet the academic requirements to sit for the CPA exam in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Students enrolled in this MSA program will learn the accounting principles that are incorporated into the CPA exam. They also participate in case-based course work and class projects. These help them to hone managerial decision making skills.

The MSA program includes foundational, core and elective courses. The foundational courses are primarily for student who do not have undergraduate business backgrounds. Topics include:

  • financial reporting
  • cost accounting
  • introduction to finance

Students may customize their MSA program by choosing to concentrate in forensic accounting and fraud examination. Additionally, the Western New England University MSA curriculum was designed to accommodate a number of schedules. Classes can be completed 100 percent online or by incorporating evening classroom sessions.

Accreditations

  • AACSB-International

Contact
1215 Wilbraham Road
Springfield, MA 01119
(800) 325-1122 extension 1517
study@wne.edu
http://www1.wne.edu/business/index.cfm?selection=doc.1280

Accounting is known as the language of business. Professionals who want to advance in the business world seek to develop expertise in the subject. The opportunities to earn an advanced degree in accounting while preparing to earn the CPA credential are numerous in Massachusetts. Students are almost sure to find accredited accounting degree programs in Massachusetts that fit their particular schedules and career aspirations.

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