(40 credits)
Program Description
New England College’s Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) is a 40-credit-hour program designed to help student’s expand their breadth and depth of knowledge in taxation, financial reporting, cost accounting, auditing, legal concerns, mergers, and acquisitions. Students will be prepared for careers in auditing and risk management, corporate accounting, management consulting, banking and financial services, governmental and nonprofit organizations, and taxation practices.
Based on the functional, personal and broad business competencies identified by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the MSA program satisfies the 150-hour requirement for the CPA examination in most states. It also helps you prepare for other professional certification programs such as Certified Management Accountant (CMA), or Certified Internal Auditor (CIA). If you plan to sit for the CPA exam, check with your state board for specific course requirements and eligibility.
The MSA degree is also offered with a concentration in Forensic Accounting which is designed for those students interested in fraud prevention or criminal investigation. This concentration helps prepare you for the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) designation. Please note that this concentration track may not meet CPA exam requirements in all states. If you plan to sit for the CPA exam, check with your state board for specific course requirements and eligibility.
Faculty in the MSA degree come from a variety of professional and academic backgrounds, and pedagogical emphasis is placed on practical application of knowledge and developing strong professor to student rapport.
Learning Outcomes
(adapted from AICPA core competencies):
- Decision Modeling: consider issues, identify alternatives, choose and implement solutions;
- Risk Analysis: identify and manage audit risk and understand how business risk affects business strategy;
- Measurement: use traditional and non-traditional (e.g. quantitative and qualitative) measures that are relevant and reliable;
- Reporting: communicate clearly and objectively the work done and the resulting findings in accordance with professional standards;
- Research: access relevant guidance/information, understand it, and apply it;
- Strategic Thinking: link data, knowledge, and insight together to provide information for decision making;
- Legal: describe and apply the legal, regulatory, and ethical requirements of the
