With the drastic change in roles and responsibilities over the past decade, accountants no longer simply crunch numbers. Today’s accountants must be decision and measurement experts—and masters of information technology and data. There’s one direct way to develop these skills: by earning an MSA. You’ll not only acquire the technical accounting knowledge you need, but you will also develop invaluable decision-making skills and learn how to harness the power of today’s latest technologies—but only if you choose the right program.

As you evaluate your options, ask yourself these key questions: Will the program enable me to fulfill the necessary accounting credit requirement in order to take the CPA exam? Does it have AACSB accreditation? Can I design the program to meet my specific area(s) of interest? Will it help me develop and hone my decision-making and problem-solving skills?

If you choose UConn’s online Master of Science in Accounting, which is among the top programs of its kind in the country, the simple answer is yes! Here’s why earning your MSA from UConn is one of the best decisions you’ll ever make.

All the accounting credits you need to sit for the CPA exam: UConn’s MSA provides an additional 30 credits hours you’ll need to meet, the 150-credit hour requirement that most states hold for aspiring Certified Public Accountants. Each state sets their own requirements to be licensed as a CPA, including general education and non-accounting business and economics courses so it is important to check the requirements for the state you intend to acquire a license. In addition, our program is one of the most affordable in the nation. Take a look and compare.

Top-ranked program by U.S. News & World Report: UConn’s MSA program has been consistently named among the top programs of its kind in the nation according to a study released on February 7, 2024 by U.S, News & World Report. In fact, today, UConn’s MSA—an AACSB accredited program—ranks No. 9th in the nation. 

Tailor-made to your specific interests and timeframe: We offer 18 courses from which you choose 9. This enables you to focus your MSA in your preferred area of interest, from forensic accounting to tax accounting. We also recently expanded our electives, adding new courses in data analytics tailored specifically for the accounting professional. Prefer to sample a variety of courses? The choice is yours. Want to accelerate your schedule? You can take up to five courses a semester. Work full time? Spread out your course load over several semesters.

Take courses from anywhere in the world: All courses are taught online. Each is structured around weekly modules, each with a separate topic. Yes, there are deadlines, but for the most part, our online platform—Husky CT/Blackboard—is asynchronous, enabling you to work at your own pace and on your own time, at home or at the office. Yet, our online platform creates a highly interactive, collaborative experience. How? Faculty members post questions to a discussion board to which students add their responses—and can respond to each other, providing invaluable feedback and insights. In addition, the video collaboration feature of Husky CT promotes even greater collaboration, making it easy to participate in group work assignments.

No background in accounting? No problem! Many of our students—as many as half—come into the MSA program from an entirely different field. For these students, we offer a 12-credit online Certificate in Accounting Fundamentals. By earning the certificate, you’ll not only have the pre-requisites you need to apply for UConn’s MSA, but two of the courses transfer into the MSA, reducing your MSA course load from 10 to 8 courses for completion.

Same UConn faculty and UConn credentials: Many of the faculty members who teach our online courses are the same experts who teach on-campus undergraduate and graduate-level courses. Our faculty brings a wealth of real-world work experience to "class." And they are committed to continually adapting the curriculum to reflect the latest trends and technologies.

Earn the Advanced Business Certificate in Accounting Analytics certificate at the same time: Credits you earn from the Advanced Business Certificate in Accounting Analytics can be directly applied to an MSA should you decide to earn a Masters at a later date. Or if you are enrolled in our MSA and take the four required Accounting Analytics courses the certificate may be earned at the same time*.

*Courses are subject to space availability and can impact an MSA students ability to acquire the certificate in conjunction with the MSA