Charlton College of Business student Lauren Soares interning at KPMG

Accounting Online
MS

Offered as: 
Online
Graduate

Advance your career with Charlton’s Master of Science in Accounting (MSA). The MSA offers the professional development that will position you as a leader in the accounting field while maximizing your earnings potential.

If you have your bachelor’s degree in accounting, pursuing the MSA offers the academic preparation and practical skills that will lead to career success.

For non-accounting graduates, the MSA provides the opportunity to transition to rewarding careers in accounting and related professions.

Accounting certifications

If you are pursuing the CPA designation, the MSA Program will help you meet the 150-credit rule that has been adopted by all states. The Program offers courses that are consistent with the content specifications of the CPA and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exams and topics, meeting course-specific educational requirements by NASBA for exam eligibility.

  • Our program meets the 150 credit hour requirement in any state
  • All our MSA courses meet the educational requirements of NASBA, regardless of the State, to be ELIGIBLE to sit for the UNIFORM CPA Exam
  • The actual issuance requirements to obtain a CPA license actually varies State to State and it is important to contact the State Board of Accountancy where you plan on practicing in. 

Actual Licensure requirements beyond the CPA exam may vary State to State, and can be found at each respective States’ Board of Accountancy.

State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement (SARA)

Program requirements

Program requirements vary, depending on whether you begin the MSA with a bachelor's degree in accounting, a business degree, or a degree in another field.

With a bachelor's in accounting: 

  • 7 required courses 
  • 3 elective courses

With a bachelor's in business:

  • 9 required courses 
  • 2 elective courses

With a bachelor's in another field:

  • 15 required courses 

Sample MS Accounting Courses

  • ACT 650 Accounting for Decision Making
  • ACT 670 Financial Statement Analysis and Firm Valuation
  • ACT 671 Strategic Cost Management 
  • ACT 672 International Accounting 
  • ACT 673 Government and Non-profit Accounting
  • ACT 680 Forensic Accounting 
  • ACT 681 Advanced Managerial Accounting
  • MGT 600 Corporate Social Responsibility and Law 
  • MIS 650 Information Technology Management
  • FIN 650 Finance for Decision Making

UMass Dartmouth Advantages

Customize your education and receive the help and guidance to finish as planned:

  • AACSB-accredited Charlton College of Business education
  • Value and affordability of a UMass education
  • Networking opportunities with other working professionals and faculty
  • One-on-one personal advising from enrollment through graduation
  • Limited class size ensures individualized interaction with professors

Candidates must submit the required application materials and application fee. Applications are reviewed and judged on the following criteria:

  • Undergraduate degree: Official transcripts from all institutions of higher learning attended
  • Official GMAT (or equivalent) test score or GMAT can be waived
  • 2 letters of recommendation: preferably from a faculty member or an employer
  • A personal statement (minimum 300 words) explaining the applicant's career goals and motivation for the degree
  • Current Resume
  • Candidates whose Bachelor’s degree was not earned in an approved English language country must submit either the TOEFL exam (minimum score of 80 internet-based or 550 paper-based) or IELTS exam (minimum band score of 6.5)

* Applicants whose GMAT requirement is waived may still be required to take Foundation courses prior to beginning the graduate coursework. Exceptions and waivers will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

University requirements for graduate admissions

  • Submit an application via the online portal. Be sure to provide your full legal name and to capitalize the first letter of all proper nouns.
  • Pay non-refundable $60 application fee (American Express, Discover, MasterCard or Visa) via the online portal. For Nursing applicants, the non-refundable application fee is $75.
  • Statement of Purpose, minimum 300 words. Unless otherwise indicated in the program requirement details, indicate your graduate study objectives, research interests and experience, and business or industry experience if applicable. If you are applying for a teaching or research assistantship, include any special skills or experience that would assist us in making assistantship decisions.
  • Resume
  • Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended (regardless of whether a credential is earned or not). Unofficial transcripts are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled a final official transcript is required. International students applying with an transcript evaluation, please submit that document with your unofficial transcripts. International applicants for Data Science must submit semester-by-semester transcripts as well as consolidated transcripts. 
  • Many programs have specific recommendations/requirements, please see the additional program-specific requirements for more information.
  • International students: official TOEFL iBT, IELTS, Pearson PTE or Duolingo (if accepted by program) score. Unofficial scores are accepted for admissions application review, once enrolled official scores are required and must be sent by the testing agency (copies/scans not accepted). This is required of any applicant who did not earn a bachelor’s degree or higher degree from an accredited academic institution in the U.S. or accepted English-speaking country, see exemptions for more details. We require an overall/total minimum score of 72 on the TOEFL iBT or BAND 6.0 on the IELTS or a 52 on the Pearsons PTE Academic for entrance to any program and a minimum score of 79 on the TOEFL iBT or BAND 6.5 on the IELTS for consideration for a teaching assistantship. Some programs require higher minimum scores (see program-specific requirements). Most programs also accept the Duolingo with a minimum score of 95. The following programs do not accept the Duolingo: Art Education, Biology/Marine Biology, Nursing (MS, DNP, PhD), Psychology: Clinical, and Public Policy. 
  • All official documents are required for enrollment, please have documents (ie. test scores) sent prior to the expiration. 

Program deadlines

Accounting faculty

Dawn Gupta
Dawn Gupta, MBA
Jia Wu
Jia Wu, PhD
Ling Lin, DBA

Learning style: online

Online courses are taught by UMass Dartmouth faculty to provide high quality instruction and personal attention. Students have the flexibility to accommodate work and home responsibilities within the structure of defined assignment due dates. The majority of our online courses are taught asynchronously.

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Course descriptions, schedules and requirements