salemstate.edu/graduate
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The objective of the master of science in accounting (MSA) program is to prepare accounting students for management positions in accounting. The program will build on the knowledge and tools from the students’ undergraduate education, allowing them to achieve a greater degree of sophistication in accounting, accounting information systems, auditing, and tax. This graduate degree will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to have successful careers in both the public and private sector.
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
THIS GRADUATE PROGRAM ACHIEVES THE FOLLOWING:
1. Offers the educational emphasis consistent with the educational requirements of the American Society of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) for the CPA examination;
2. Meets the 150-hour education requirement (30 credits at the graduate level after completion of 120 undergraduate credits in accounting) as prescribed by the Board of Public Accountancy in Massachusetts for eligibility for a certificate as a Certified Public Accountant;
3. Meets standards that are congruent with criteria for level 1 status by the Board of Public Accountancy; and
4. Offers a flexible program in the evening for working adults that may be completed in 15 or 16 months depending upon a fall or a summer semester start.
Our 30-credit (minimum) program is for students with an accounting bachelor’s degree, with a curriculum meeting the U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), which consists of 18 credits (6 core courses) in Accounting; 6 credits (2 electives) in Accounting/Finance; and 6 credits (2 electives) in Business. Students from non-accounting, non-business, or undergraduate curriculums under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) must take MSA foundation courses before taking MSA core courses.
COURSES
FOR THOSE WITH AN ACCOUNTING DEGREE
Required 18 credits (6 courses)
ACC 805 Tax Factors in Business
ACC 830 Advanced Accounting Systems
ACC 850 Corporate Financial Reporting
ACC 870 Advanced Auditing
ACC 880 Managerial Accounting with Data Analytics
ACC 890 Financial Accounting Theory
6 credits of Accounting/Finance Electives (2 from the following)
ACC 820 Accounting for Governmental and Non-Profit Entities
ACC 840 Advanced Forensic Accounting
ACC 860 International Financial Reporting
FIN 868 Financial Statement Analysis
6 credits of Business Electives (2 from the following)
ODS 800 Operations Management
MGT 800 Managing Human Performance in Organizations
MKT 805 Marketing Management and Strategy
FIN 800 Finance Decision Making and Value Creation
BUS 840 Managing in the Global Environment
CAREERS
The MS in accounting will provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to have successful careers in public and private accounting.
Completion of this 30-credit program will help students in meeting the 150-hour education requirement for eligibility for a certificate as a Certified Public Accountant as provided in section 252 CMR 2.07(2)(a) of the Board of Public Accountancy.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Students will be evaluated for the three different tracks within the MS in accounting program based on their prior degrees and/or courses in accounting and business. For all tracks, students applying for the MSA will be required to have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.7 (overall) and a comparable GPA in accounting, or at least a 2.7 GPA in the Salem State undergraduate accounting certificate, and a GMAT score of at least 400 or a GRE score of at least 290. Furthermore, as a general rule, students will be required to attain a total score of at least 1,000 points when their GPA and GMAT or GRE score are substituted into the following formula: (GPA * 200) + GMAT or GRE. These minimal standards are not the only factors considered in making an admissions decision.
COST
For Massachusetts residents, each credit costs $581.50,* which includes tuition and fees. For non-Massachusetts residents, each credit costs $676.10.* The program is 30 to 45 credits (excluding prerequisites). For assistance funding your graduate education, options such as financial aid, graduate assistantships, employer reimbursement and tuition remission, and veteran’s benefits may be available.
*Please note that tuition and fees are subject to change.
CERTIFICATE OPTIONS
We offer a stand-alone, 15-credit graduate certificate in accounting that consists of five accounting foundation courses, all of which you can apply toward your MSA should you wish to pursue further study. Classes are offered both online and on campus during fall, spring and summer terms.
ACC 700 Financial Accounting and Reporting I
ACC 701 Financial Accounting and Reporting II
ACC 702 Individual Taxation
ACC 710 Financial Accounting and Reporting III
ACC 711 Auditing Service
Note: If the student has taken an equivalent course at the undergraduate or graduate level, the course requirement can be waived in consultation with the MSA program coordinator.
