Master of Science in Accountancy

Benedictine University's online Master of Science (M.S.) in Accountancy is designed to provide students of all backgrounds with a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)–aligned accounting education.

Whether or not you currently hold a degree in accounting, this program enables you to fulfill the Illinois requirement of 30 accounting hours to sit for the CPA exam (based on your undergraduate course transcripts) and earn your master's in two years—when and where it's most convenient for you.*

CPA Exam Preparation: Endorsed by the Big 4 Firms, Wiley CPAexcel® is available at a 20-percent discount to M.S. in Accountancy students, giving you access to the comprehensive tools you need to prepare for the CPA exam following graduation.

Master the Soft Skills Hiring Managers Seek

Being a "number cruncher" is no longer enough to stand out in the field of accounting and finance. Now, accounting professionals need to balance their subject-matter expertise with communication skills that make their knowledge accessible to all stakeholders.

To ensure this softer skill set is second nature by graduation, as much as 45 percent of your work in the program will be group-based. This reflects the realities of working in an office setting and allows you to build these skills over time, in a safe environment with expert coaching from your professors.

Get a Closer Look at Benedictine

30
Credit Hours
$1,090
Cost Per Credit

Become a Principled Accounting Leader

Our M.S. in Accountancy curriculum is both adaptable and comprehensive. All courses have legal and ethical underpinnings as a universal theme of principled accounting. In the wake of catastrophic accounting scandals, this is a critical component of education that hiring managers look for.

When you complete the online M.S. in Accountancy at Benedictine University, you will draw on that framework to improve the organization's performance as you:

  • Solve accounting problems with critical- and creative-thinking skills
  • Identify accounting opportunities that improve business
  • Make reliable decisions in domestic and global business environments
  • Use the business concepts of financial and managerial accounting, tax management, auditing, leadership and business ethics

Skills for a Modern Accounting Career

This experiential program focuses on the skills and knowledge you need to carry you through a long career in accounting. As such, you improve your practice and understanding of relevant conceptual and technical accounting skills.

  • You explore the emerging topics of cyber auditing, cloud accounting and chain accounting, and examine new Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) changes in revenue recognition, lease accounting and more.
  • You learn to take a step back from the books and apply conceptual thinking to predict global business trends and their impact on the organization's growth potential. You will combine that framework with computer-driven accounting information and strategies, business plans and SWOT analyses to improve the financial health of your current or future organization.

Your Future Accounting Career

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics2–6, positions like Accountants and Auditors, Financial Managers, Financial Analysts, and Financial Examiners will all grow faster than the national average through 2026. Additionally,

  • 285,800 new jobs will be created nationwide from 2016 to 20262–5
  • Chicagoland has the sixth-highest number of accounting and finance job postings in the country6
  • More than 50% of these postings require a master's degree6

Manage the Triple Bottom Line

Hiring managers look for savvy accounting professionals who know how to manage sustainability and corporate responsibility to contribute to an organization's Triple Bottom Line, which sees people, planet and profit as equal pillars in providing corporate good7. By graduation, you will be able to prove the measure of your company's:

  • Social responsibility
  • Economic value
  • Ecological impact

You will emerge as the point person to improve bottom-line performance and tell your organization's story—positioning it as a leader, regardless of industry.

Get Professional Coaching From Faculty

The professors you will work with in this program are professionals and subject-matter experts in their fields. They're often asked to publish their research and viewpoints on current industry news in the top accounting and finance journals while working in the global business environment.

As your professors coach you in becoming a great accountant, they will share their viewpoints and in-depth insight on the real-life issues accountants face, provide sound career mentorship, and connect you to potential industry opportunities and contacts.

Why Choose Benedictine's Online Master of Science in Accountancy?

  • One of "America's Top Colleges" for the eighth consecutive year in 2018 — Forbes8

Learn more about our online M.S. in Accountancy program by calling (866) 295-3104 or request more information.

*Program candidates are responsible for meeting CPA examination requirements, which vary by state.

Sources:

1 "Volatility Report," Crist Kolder, http://www.cristkolder.com/volatility-report/. Accessed on November 19, 2018.
2 "Financial Managers" Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/financial-managers.htm. Accessed on November 19, 2018.
3 "Financial Examiners," Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/financial-examiners.htm. Accessed on November 19, 2018.
4 "Financial Analysts," Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/financial-analysts.htm. Accessed on November 19, 2018.
5 "Accountants and Auditors," Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/accountants-and-auditors.htm. Accessed on November 19, 2018.
6 Burning Glass Labor Insights, May 2017–May 2018
7 "The Bottom Line of Corporate Good," Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/causeintegration/2012/09/14/the-bottom-line-of-corporate-good. Accessed on November 19, 2018.
8 "America's Top College 2018," Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/top-colleges. Accessed on November 19, 2018.