Whether you’re starting your career, switching your career, or advancing your career, the Barney School's powerful MSAT program will maximize your advancement opportunities in high-paying and fast-growing fields like professional accounting or taxation in industry, public accounting, government, or not-for-profit organizations.
Why EARN YOUR MSAT at the Barney School?
- Two tracks are available: Financial and Assurance Services, and Taxation.
- Meet your 150-hour CPA licensing requirement while earning the MSAT degree: graduates of the program are qualified to take the CPA and CMA examinations.
- Flexible and shorter schedule: 100% online. Each course is only seven weeks long, so you can finish a 10-course degree in less than one year.
- The majority of our students receive a GMAT waiver. Find out how easy it is to request a waiver.
- 30 credits (10 courses)
- 100% online
- Part-time or full-time options available
- Fall, spring, and summer start
- Rolling admission
- Affordable tuition
- Course catalog
- Tuition Discount for Educational Partners
Register for Virtual Info Sessions
Questions? Prospective students, reach out to Assistant Director Julia Delgado.
Current students, reach out to Program Director Jenna Tang.
About MSAT
The Barney School’s Master of Science in Accounting and Taxation program provides you with the high-quality coursework necessary to meet the 150-hour CPA licensing requirement. Our program is uniquely designed for two tracks in Financial and Assurance Services, and Taxation:
- To give you an in-depth understanding of accounting and taxation theories.
- To introduce the application of analytical tools for planning, controlling, and decision-making purposes.
Learn online in seven-week courses from faculty who have a wealth of knowledge in the field. Our rolling admission process allows new students to choose one of six start dates throughout the year. Earn your MSAT full time in less than one year or part time at your own pace.
Who Should Apply
- Working professionals who seek to develop or advance a career in professional accounting or taxation in industry, public accounting, government, or not-for-profit organizations.
- Recent college graduates with undergraduate degrees in accounting who would like to pursue a fifth year of in-depth study in accounting and taxation.
- Students with non-accounting or non-business undergraduate degrees who seek a career change in areas like forensics, fraud, and mergers and acquisitions.
AACSB Accreditation
The Barney School of Business has been a leader in advanced business education for more than 60 years. Our long-standing history and success in the area of business education have made us among the 5 percent of business schools in the world that are AACSB accredited.
World-Class Faculty
Our faculty are academic and industry leaders in their fields. They focus on bringing concepts and material that reflect the fast-changing business world in the areas of auditing, business law, corporate taxation, financial analysis, and managerial accounting.
Networking Opportunity
You will have the opportunity to expand your network with our strong business connections regionally, nationally, and globally. Our faculty also invite speakers from not only the Big Four accounting firms, but also other potential employers from financial service organizations to talk about cutting-edge business topics.
Degree Requirements
Degree requirements normally constitute 30 credit hours of specified courses, including three core courses, three track courses, and four elective courses selected from any discipline within the Barney School. The specific required and elective courses are outlined below.
For more information, and to see a complete list of degree requirements, visit the Course Catalog.
Prerequisites
- Financial Reporting Theory I
- Financial Reporting Theory II
- Federal Income Tax Concepts
- Auditing Concepts and Problems
Students who have not completed a bachelor's degree in accounting from a regionally accredited university or students without the prerequisites above will enroll in our Accounting Certificate to complete these courses and fulfill the prerequisites. The Accounting Certificate can be taken together with MSAT, and requires two semester of introductory accounting courses as the prerequisites.
Financial and Assurance Services Track
This track is for students interested in public financial reporting and assurance services functions. It includes three core accounting classes, three electives, and:
- Financial Reporting and Analysis
- Advanced Auditing
- Accounting Control Systems
Taxation Track
This track is for students who are interested in careers in taxation, both within public accounting and in industry. It includes three core accounting classes, three electives, and:
- Advanced Taxation of Pass-through Entities
- Research in Taxation
- Seminar in Taxation
Certificates
If you are seeking to obtain foundational accounting education to improve your knowledge of accounting, this program is right for you! This is the perfect option for those with an undergraduate degree in a business discipline other than accounting or for a non-business major who wishes to become a CPA.
Upon completion of the Accounting Certificate Program, you can request admission to the MSAT or the Dual MSAT/MBA program by contacting the program manager. You will not be required to reapply.
Applicants must have an undergraduate degree from an appropriately accredited university with at least a 3.0 GPA to be admitted to the Tax Certificate program.
Study in this program allows you to enhance and expand your expertise in specific areas of taxation. The taxation certificate requires that you have a basic undergraduate taxation course, or an equivalent graduate level course, as a prerequisite, followed by completion of four graduate tax courses.
Career Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), job prospects for accountants and auditors will increase by 10% between 2016 and 2026, resulting in roughly 140,000 jobs. Accounting jobs should remain in high demand due to a continuing need for qualified experts to handle complex financial and tax-related matters for organizations and individual clients. In the meantime, demand for new tax practitioners regularly exceeds the number of students available for placement, particularly for the Big Four accounting firms.
Although candidates need a bachelor’s degree for most accounting jobs, the BLS notes that many employers prefer to hire candidates with a master’s degree in accounting or a related field. The master’s degree can also help employees advance in their careers and earn significantly more than those with a bachelor’s degree alone.
Potential career paths and average annual earnings for graduates of the MSAT include:
- $73,276, Accounting Manager
- $79,376, Sr. Tax Analyst
- $100,860, Corporate Controller
We see a great number of our MSAT graduates working with accounting firms such as:
- CohnResznick
- Crowe
- Deloitte
- EY
- Fiondella Milone & LaSaracina
- Grant Thornton
- KPMG
- PWC
- Whittlesey
Meet the Accounting and Taxation Department
Admission Overview
We adhere to the standards of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business—International (AACSB) and reserve admission to students showing high promise of success in postgraduate business study. We consider GMAT scores, performance in undergraduate and other graduate programs, and the motivation of the applicant as evidenced in the letter of intent.
An awarded Bachelor's degree is a requirement to enter the graduate programs.
Additional Admission Information
- An online application
- A non-refundable application fee of $50 for domestic applicants
- Official transcripts for all collegiate level coursework
- A letter of intent as specified in the application form
- Current resume
- Official results of the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) forwarded to the University of Hartford using school code XBB-NR -73.
GMAT waivers are available for applicants who meet any one of the following criteria:
- Passed the CPA, CMA, EA, or state Bar Exam
- Hold a master’s degree or higher in any discipline from an appropriately accredited institution
- Hold an undergraduate degree achieving at least a 3.0 GPA overall and in their major
- Hold an accounting certificate from the Barney School of Business achieving at least a 3.0 GPA in certificate classes
- Experienced-based GMAT waivers are granted to those who have completed 2+ years of financial analytical experience. The experience-based waiver request will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
| Per Credit Rate | |
|---|---|
| Accounting and Taxation Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 | $863 .00 |
| Accounting and Taxation Summer 2024 | $863 .00 |
For more information regarding the MSAT program, please contact us at GRADSVC@al10669.com or 860.768.4444.