For valuable skills in the accounting field, UNC Greensboro’s new online Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) provides the advanced level of learning employers look for. Intensive studies in accounting and related fields will make you stand out and prepare you for professional certifications, such as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
Gain Higher-Level Skills
“Our program is designed to be licensure qualified, meaning that after completing the program students are eligible to sit for the CPA exam,” says Dr. Randy Elder, head of the Department of Accounting and Finance.
While the master’s degree is not required for CPA certification, most states require 150 credit hours to be licensed. The degree covers advanced material, such as professional development and higher-level skills.
“Earning the MSA opens more doors for accounting professionals,” says Amanda Cromartie, CPA, MSA Program director, and accounting lecturer.
Make It Your Own
Several options allow students to customize the MSA program to meet professional goals. Students interested in specializing in taxation accounting may add the Taxation concentration.
Students may also use electives along with one extra course to earn a graduate certificate in one of the following:
- Business Analytics
- Cyber Security
- Supply Chain Management
- Information Technology
Stacking a certificate with the degree provides specialized skills, increasing your marketability. Cromartie says that may be especially important for online students who are already working and are looking to stand out as they progress in their career.
“There’s a lot of overlap right now with accounting and the IT function with analytics and security of transactions,” she says. “Employers are looking for those skills.”
Program graduates work in positions such as assurance associate, tax associate, staff accountant, financial analyst, corporate tax analyst, and financial reporting associate.
Working Adults Want Online Learning
The online format meets the demand for students who want to continue to work while studying part-time on their schedule where it’s convenient for them, with the same quality of the face-to-face program.
“It’s the same program and same professors, which I think is important,” Elder says.
Students receive career support through Bryan Briefcase, a new online collection of professional development resources. Cromartie, the program’s academic advisor, meets with MSA students virtually or via phone each semester and provides guidance for courses.
Employers Know Our Reputation
The program is part of the Bryan School of Business and Economics, which is among 1 percent of business schools worldwide to hold dual accreditation in business and accounting from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International.
The MSA program has a solid reputation with employers. “The strengths of the program lie with our faculty,” Elder says. “They’re regarded as excellent instructors. Our faculty all have professional experience, which is not always true in a lot of fields.”
There’s demand for the program’s graduates.
“UNCG students have a reputation of being well prepared because of our faculty. Our students also have a reputation for being hardworking,” he says. “Employers want our graduates.”
Learn More
For information about the MS in Accounting program, including GMAT/GRE waiver eligibility, fill out the form to download a brochure.
