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Professional Accounting, M.S. Online 

Whitman School of Management

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Move Toward the CPA Path Without Pausing Your Life.

Program Overview

You set the pace. In the online M.S. in Professional Accounting from Syracuse's Whitman School of Management, you take one eight-week course at a time, in live online sessions and on your own schedule, while you keep working. The program is designed to meet the educational requirements for CPA licensure in New York State, so every course you finish is a step toward the exam, on your timeline.

You won't figure it out alone. An advisor who knows your goals helps you map the route, and Whitman's faculty, admissions team and career staff are in your corner from your first question to graduation.

About the College of Engineering and Computer Science

The Syracuse University The Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University pairs the resources of a large research university with small classes and individual attention. Online students learn from the same faculty as on-campus students, in an AACSB-accredited school, and join an alumni network of nearly 30,000 Whitman graduates.

Whitman's accounting faculty teach audit, tax and financial reporting while researching how the profession is changing, so your coursework reflects the work in front of you. The Master of Science in Professional Accounting is registered as a New York State CPA licensure qualifying program, and the faculty and staff who support you, from admissions to career coaching, are part of Whitman.

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What You'll Be Able to Do

Students develop the skills to:

  • Work through audit, tax and financial reporting questions with confidence in your own judgment
  • Read a set of financial statements and explain what it means for the business
  • Apply international accounting and reporting standards to global work
  • Put your findings into words that persuade executives, clients and regulators
  • Solve problems with analytical and quantitative tools, not guesswork
  • Manage resources and think through business strategy, not just compliance
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Professional Accounting Curriculum

Your plan starts with where you are now. If you already hold a bachelor's degree in accounting, you'll complete 30 credits. If your degree is in another field, your advisor builds a custom plan of 33 to 48 credits around the coursework you've already completed, so you're not starting over. Up to six transfer credits can count too.

Along the way you'll study auditing, taxation, international accounting and reporting, financial statement analysis and business strategy. The curriculum matches Whitman's on-campus program, and you earn the same Syracuse University degree.

View Full Curriculum

Sample Courses

Career Outcomes

Accounting opens many doors: public accounting, corporate finance, government and consulting. Whitman's online graduates have gone on to organizations including KPMG, Lockheed Martin and the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. 

  • Auditor or internal auditor
  • Tax accountant or tax analyst
  • Financial reporting analyst
  • Accounting manager or controller
  • Forensic Accountant

If licensure is your goal, check how the program lines up with your state's requirements on Whitman's professional accounting licensure page.

Whitman looks at the whole picture: your academic background, your work, and where you're headed. A 3.0 GPA is generally suggested, but a lower GPA doesn't close the door. Experience, career progression and other strengths count.

  • Completed application
  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution (any field; you're encouraged to apply)
  • Resume
  • One required essay
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Unofficial transcripts to apply; official transcripts after you're admitted

GMAT and GRE scores are optional, and work experience isn't required. The application fee is waived for military members and Syracuse University employees.

Once you're admitted, a recorded welcome session each term (about two weeks before the deposit deadline) introduces you to your team, so you can join live or watch when it suits you.

Full admissions requirements, tuition and scholarships on Whitman's site

Professional Accounting, M.S. Deadlines

Start in fall, spring or summer, whenever you're ready. Find current application and deposit deadlines on Whitman's start terms and deadlines page.

A Clear Path to the CPA Credential with Support Every Step of the Way.


 

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