Online and Distance Learning

A masters of accounting degree is essential if you want to progress as a public accountant.  This page provides information on what the courses are, what employers expect, certification, and what you can earn after completing the program.

These degrees are professional graduate programs that have been designed to be studied by students who want to work within the public sector or an institution that requires Certified Public Accounting (CPA) registration for its accounting personnel.  Research has shown that people who study this degree are able to do better than people who have not studied it.  Most states within the United States of America will require a student to have completed one hundred and fifty hours of studying prior to sitting the CPA exam.  

If you are interested in taking accountancy at graduate level, also have a look at the masters in forensic accounting page.

What is studied in a masters of accounting degree?

An accounting masters usually takes three semesters if taken full-time on campus or online, but can take longer if taken part-time. This program is designed to prepare students for the CPA qualifying exam as well as to given them a good knowledge of business applications and principles of accounts.  The programs would typically include: managerial accounting, budgeting, accounting systems, international accounting, internal controls, financial reporting, financial analysis, professional ethics, taxation, information systems and also auditing both internal and external.

As well as studying accounting as an accounting masters degree, you can also study it as a major in accounting as part of a degree, or as a specialization in an MBA.

Which schools offer accounting masters programs?

The following colleges and universities offer online accounting programs at masters level.

• Capella University
  • MBA - Accounting

• American InterContinental University Online
  • MBA in Accounting and Finance

• Colorado Technical University Online
  • Master of Business Administration - Accounting

• DeVry University - Online
  • Master's - Accounting and Financial Management

• Grand Canyon University
  • MS in Accounting

• Kaplan University - Online
  • MS in Accounting

• University of Phoenix
  • Master of Science in Accountancy

• Browse more schools and programs at the foot of the page

You can also use the following search box to search for an MBA:

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What about Professional Certification?

It is very useful for accountants to be certified by an appropriate body.  This usually involves passing a series of tests offered by the relevant Institute.

In the US, legally practicing accountants are Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), and non-statutory accountants are Certified Management Accountants (CMAs), Certified Internal Auditors (CIAs), Association of Certified Project Accountants (ACPA), and Accredited Business Accountants (ABAs). 

In Canada, the accounting bodies are: the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CA), the Society of Management Accountants of Canada (also known as the Certified Management Accountants (CMA)), and the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada (CGA).

What are the career and salary options for graduates?

There are a number of different accountancy roles that people can choose to follow after completing a masters, including: auditing, budget analysis, management accounting and also financial accounting. Most accountants will fulfill a wide range of roles however this will depend on who you actually work for. Auditors will normally work for government or corporations and their job will involve going through accounts and financial statement in order to make sure that everything is as it should be. The job of a budget analysis is to manage and develop the financial plans for businesses, which can be both private sector and also government.

There are really three different categories of accountants and these are certified management accounts, certified internal auditor and also certified public accountant. The certified public accountant will work for the public sector organizations and they will offer a wide range of services including litigation, auditing, accounting and also advisory services for tax. CPA licenses certified public accountants, which is the Certified Public Accountants Institute. In order to work as a certified public accountant you will need to achieve a bachelors degree in accounting and there is a stringent exam that also needs to be passed. Certified internal auditors provide auditing functions for employers rather than the public sector. Certified management accountants normally work for employers however they may also work for the public sector in a limited capacity.

A graduate with an accounting masters will have many job opportunities and it is also possible to build on the initial degree.  In order to work as an accountant you will need to meet some licensing requirements and there may be state as well as federal regulations. The certified public accountant is the most popular accountancy profession and this will require the person to pass the CPA exam and there may also be some other requirements, but this varies depending on the state.

In the United States of America it is possible for an accountant to make between $37,500 and $51,500.  Research has shown that this sector has more females working in it than men, as sixty four per cent of accountants are female and most accountants in America have been working for between one and four years.

For schools in Canada

Click here for a page that links to campus universities and campus colleges in Canada. It also provides some advice on choosing a suitable campus.

Click here and then enter your Canadian postal code to search for Canadian college or university campuses.

More information

If you don't find what you want here, try using the search facility on this site using masters of accounting as your search term.

You can also search here for schools and programs.