Earn a Master’s Degree in Accounting Online

Accounting is among America’s most stable professions. After all, accounting services are needed in virtually every sector of society – business, education, government, and more. Additionally, recent well-publicized bookkeeping scandals have led companies to manage their financial records more diligently. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects job opportunities for accountants to expand by 22% between 2008 and 2018. That’s much faster than the average projected growth for all other occupations studied.

A master’s degree is not required to practice accounting; a CPA can take you far. However, new CPA requirements for most states involve 150 hours of study, which is 30 hours more than a four-year undergraduate education. Many accountants reason that since extra schooling is mandatory, they might as well earn a master’s degree along the way. A master’s degree program in accounting opens students’ eyes to a new level of business concerns and can position accountants well for management positions and other promotions.

The well-established schools listed below offer accredited online master’s degree programs in accounting.

1)   Rutgers University offers the world’s only 100%-online Masters in Governmental Accounting. The ten-course program is designed for prospective and practicing CPAs, MBAs, MPAs, and general accountants. No GMAT score is required. Tuition discounts are extended to residents of New Jersey and to people who work in government or non-profit agencies.

2)   The University of Connecticut  School of Business is AACSB-accredited and offers a fully-online Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) degree program. The program’s minimum entry requirements are a 500 GMAT and a 3.0 GPA, although exceptions may be made. The program begins in May and the application deadline is in mid-March.

3)   Western New England College has a 10-month online master’s program in accounting. Optional concentrations are available in Forensic Accounting/Fraud Investigation and Taxation.

For more distance learning options, check with your state university or visit the AACSB online.