Master of Science in Accounting
The Master of Science in Accounting (MS-ACC) is a degree for students with a bachelor’s degree in accounting or other closely related fields. This program provides strong theoretical foundations and professional skills in the main functional areas of accounting, including financial reporting and assurance, management control and auditing, taxation, and forensic accounting. In addition, this program is designed to prepare graduates for careers in public accounting, industry, government or not-for-profit organizations. Accountants are key players in the financial information arena of all organizations. They provide much of the information utilized by for-profit and not-for-profit organizations in the decision-making needed to help the organization attain its goals. Accountants and auditors help to ensure that organizations are run more efficiently, public records are kept more accurately, and taxes are paid properly and on time. They perform these vital functions by offering an increasingly wide array of business and accounting services to their clients. These services include public, management and government accounting, as well as internal auditing. However, accountants and auditors are broadening the services they offer to include budget analysis, financial and investment planning, information technology consulting and limited legal services. Beyond the fundamental tasks of the occupation— preparing, analyzing and verifying financial documents in order to provide information to clients — many accountants now are required to possess a wide range of knowledge and skills.
Outcomes:
- Address the changing financial laws and regulations, and increased scrutiny of company finances
- Assume the role of a personal financial advisor to the business
- Offer financial management and consulting services while taking on a greater advisory role
- Perform an audit review and prepare the appropriate documentation
- Describe how accounting information is used in implementing management policy
- Utilize accounting information to evaluate how to organize the business for managerial control
- Discuss the ethical implications of taxation and business decisions
- Develop a practical understanding and application of specific actions, processes, and techniques needed to move into the “next generation” of organizations
- Develop financial reports to meet business expansion needs
- Apply product costing techniques in the development of a master budget from a strategic perspective
Degree Requirements
Courses: Core
| ACCT614 | Applied Managerial Accounting | 4 |
| ACCT618 | Taxation and Business Decisions | 4 |
| ACCT624 | Advanced Cost Accounting | 4 |
| ACCT628 | Financial Reporting | 4 |
| ACCT634 | Accounting Information Systems | 4 |
| ACCT638 | Advanced Auditing | 4 |
| ACCT644 | Management Control and Auditing | 4 |
| ACCT648 | Forensic Accounting | 4 |
| ACCT655 | International Financial Reporting Standards | 4 |
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| ECON616 | Applied Managerial Economics | 4 |
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| ACCT640 | Ethics in Accounting | 4 |
| FINC615 | Applied Managerial Finance | 4 |
| MGMT600 | Applied Managerial Decision-Making | 4 |
Total Credit Hours: 48
Accounting courses at CTU align with the educational standards of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The student who meets the unique content and hours requirements of the State Board of Accounting in their state's Application for CPA Licensure is qualified to sit for the CPA exam. This program curriculum also integrates the competencies and body of knowledge in the Certified Managerial Accounting (CMA) exam. This program is not designed to prepare students for the CPA or CMA examination or any other certification exam, but covers the knowledge areas of the uniform CPA and CMA certification.
Locations
- Colorado Springs
- Aurora (Denver Area)
- Virtual Campus