Accounting M.S
Program Rationale
The Master of Science in Accounting (MSA), will provide students with in-depth working knowledge of advanced accounting issues and emerging technologies that are most relevant in the current business environment. Graduates will be equipped to succeed in a wide range of professional accounting careers in public accounting, industry, and government in today's highly competitive, global, and regulated environment. In addition, this program will prepare students to meet the educational requirements of most or all states for CPA licensure.
MSA Admission Requirements
An undergraduate degree in accounting is not required for admission to the MSA.
Applicants with a bachelor's degree in accounting must have received their degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education (or the international equivalent). Applicants with an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or higher and a GPA of 3.00 or higher in any post-baccalaureate coursework, may apply for full-time enrollment status (up to 3 or 4 courses per semester) or part-time (1 or 2 courses per semester). Applicants with an overall undergraduate GPA of 2.70 to 2.99 may apply for conditional (part-time) admission. Conditionally admitted students may request full-time status after successful completion of six (6) credits into the program with a GPA of 3.00 or higher.
Applicants with a bachelor’s degree other than in accounting must have received their degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education (or the international equivalent). This group of applicants have the following two options prior to beginning class in the MSA:
Note: Successful completion of either Option One or Option Two is required before moving on to the MSA.
Option One - Completion of the online CCSU Official Certificate Program in Accounting (OCPA). For information about the OCPA, including admission requirements and how to apply, please visit the following links:
https://www2.ccsu.edu/program/OCPAccounting
https://www2.ccsu.edu/apply/
Option Two - Completion of pre-requisite foundational CCSU courses or their equivalent:
- Introduction to Financial Accounting (AC 211)
- Introduction to Managerial Accounting (AC 212)
- Intermediate Financial Accounting I (AC 300)
- Intermediate Financial Accounting II (AC 312)
- Intermediate Financial Accounting III (AC 313) or Advanced Financial Accounting (AC 407)
- Cost Accounting (AC 301)
- U.S. Federal Income Taxation (AC 302)
- Accounting Information Systems (AC 340)
- Auditing (AC 445)
GPA admission requirements for Option Two are 2.70 or greater; however, a GPA of 3.0 or greater is required in the pre-requisite foundational CCSU coursework (or their equivalent) prior to moving on with coursework in the MSA program.
To All Applicants
It is highly recommended to apply early for admission to these programs. Decisions regarding applicants with equivalent coursework taken at CCSU will be made as if the applicant holds a CCSU BS in accounting; others will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Items to submit to the Graduate Recruitment and Admissions Office:
- Online graduate application
- Official transcripts from each institution attended (except CCSU)
- Current resume
- Proof of professional license/designation (e.g., CPA, CMA, CIA, CISA, CFE, CFA) or advanced degree (e.g., JD, Masters or Doctoral) or state CPA or Bar exam scores, if applicable.
Instructions for uploading a resume and proof of licenses/designations or exam scores (if applicable) can be found in the online graduate application at the following link:
https://www.ccsu.edu/accounting/msa/
International Students
In addition to the above, international applicants must meet University standards for international admission including submission of:
- TOEFL or IELTS scores
- Course-by-course evaluation of foreign credentials from a NACES member evaluation service
- Original translations of foreign academic records
Conditional Admission
If conditionally admitted, students may take a maximum of six (6) credits per semester and must maintain a minimum GPA in the program of 3.00. Based on review after six (6) credits in the MSA program and a GPA of 3.00, students may be considered for a change in status from conditional admission to full admission.
Core Courses (18 credits)
AC 507 Advanced Accounting 3 Credits
AC 524 Accounting for Non-Profit Institutions 3 Credits
AC 544 Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation 3 Credits
AC 545 Advanced Assurance Services 3 Credits
AC 550 Financial Accounting Standards 3 Credits
AC 552 Taxation of Business Entities 3 Credits
AC 582 Capstone Seminar 0 Credits
Electives (12 credits)
AC 520 Managerial Analysis & Cost Control 3 Credits
AC 521 Accounting for Lean Enterprises 3 Credits
AC 531 Accounting Information for Decision Making 3 Credits
AC 540 Global Financial Reporting and Analysis 3 Credits
AC 542 Tax Issues in Business Decisions 3 Credits
AC 546 Advanced Forensic Accounting 3 Credits
AC 548 Contemporary Accounting Topics 3 Credits
BUS 540 Business Intelligence and Analytics 3 Credits
FIN 531 Corporate Finance 3 Credits
Or Electives (12 credits) in BUS for Specialization in Business Analytics selected from the following:
BUS 538 Business Quantitative Analytics 3 Credits
BUS 540 Business Intelligence and Analytics 3 Credits
BUS 544 Business Process Modeling 3 Credits
BUS 548 Business Decision Models 3 Credits
or
BUS 546 Applications of Business Analytics 3 Credits
Total of 30 credits required for the MSA, including the required 0 credit core course AC 582 Capstone Seminar, which students complete toward the end of the degree.
Degree Requirements
The program is designed for part-time or full-time study.
Core Courses
A common core of 18 credits, including the required 0 credit core course AC 582 Capstone Seminar, which students complete toward the end of the degree.
| AC 507 | Advanced Accounting | 3 |
| AC 524 | Accounting for Non-Profit Institutions | 3 |
| AC 544/FIN 540 | Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation | 3 |
| AC 545 | Advanced Assurance Services | 3 |
| AC 550 | Financial Accounting Standards | 3 |
| AC 552 | Taxation of Business Entities | 3 |
| AC 582 | Capstone Seminar | 0 |
Electives
12 credits of approved graduate course work selected from the following approved courses:
| AC 520 | Managerial Analysis & Cost Control | 3 |
| AC 521 | Accounting for Lean Enterprises | 3 |
| AC 531 | Accounting Information for Decision Making | 3 |
| AC 540 | Global Financial Reporting and Analysis | 3 |
| AC 542 | Tax Issues in Business Decisions | 3 |
| AC 546 | Advanced Forensic Accounting | 3 |
| AC 548 | Contemporary Accounting Topics | 3 |
| BUS 540 | Business Intelligence and Analytics | 3 |
| FIN 531 | Corporate Finance | 3 |
12 credits of Directed Electives in BUS (electives for Specialization in Business Analytics).
Elective courses in BUS for MSA with Specialization in Business Analytics.
12 credits of approved graduate course work selected from the following approved courses
| BUS 538 | Business Quantitative Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 540 | Business Intelligence and Analytics | 3 |
| BUS 544 | Business Process Modeling | 3 |
| BUS 548 | Business Decision Models | 3 |
| or | |
| BUS 546 | Applications of Business Analytics | 3 |
Total Credit Hours: 30