Master of Science in Accounting
Master of Science in Accounting
Maximize Your Expertise with a Maryland Smith MSA
Explore how major corporations and public accounting firms track and report their finances. The Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) program gives you advanced knowledge of how to manage financial data while following today's strict accounting standards.
Why Get a Smith MS Accounting Degree?
Maryland Smith’s MSA program provides you with a valuable set of accounting knowledge extending far beyond the fundamentals most learn at the undergraduate level. You’ll learn how to integrate AI, cybersecurity, data analytics and other advanced technological concepts into your work, giving you a competitive edge in today’s job market.
Apply what you learn to real-world scenarios through hands-on projects and Big Four case competitions.
Receive one-on-one CPA advising and take courses that can be applied toward the CPA requirement.
Meet recruiters from the Big Four and other accounting firms who frequently hire our MSA grads.
Get your MS Accounting tuition fully funded through the Deloitte Foundation's Accounting Scholars Program award. Learn how.
Alumni Profiles
Our MSA students pursue competitive and exciting accounting opportunities in their fields after graduating. Their experiences at Maryland Smith help them to expand their network, solidify their career goals and prepare them to perform their job responsibilities a step above the rest.
“Professor McKinney taught us the newest and latest technology being used in the audit industry. I use what he taught us on automating and streamlining processes in my current work.”
Ning Chi, MSA ’19
BS Accounting
Accountant, Kaboom!
“One of the first projects I worked on was a financial statement analysis project. It showed me not only how to work through numbers, but also how to analyze numbers.”
Charlotte Cullen, MSA ’19
Tax Associate, KPMG
“The networking potential of this program is second to none. The contacts you meet while you’re in the program are going to serve you all through your life going forward.”
Rick Rademacher, MSA ’14
BA Criminal Justice
Senior Consultant, Deloitte
“Being able to interact and share experiences with students from all over the world is a rare opportunity. I've learned and expanded my knowledge of people from places I didn’t know much about.”
Christopher Rolle, MSA ’18
BS Accounting
Senior Audit Associate, KPMG
“The investigative mindset cultivated through my criminology and criminal justice undergrad major combined with the technical knowledge of accounting helps me come into forensic accounting with this ready-set-go mindset for finding and detecting fraud.”
Eleanna Weissman, MSA ’22
BA Criminology and Criminal Justice
“In undergrad, a lot of businesses were looking for accountants and other business-related majors. I also felt business fields provided more opportunities for me to interact with people compared to public health, which is more research based. If you’re worried about the transition from a non-business undergraduate degree to a business master’s degree, it can be done.”
Margaret Chen, MSA ’20
BS Public Health
Pursuing a degree in accounting was more investigative than I thought. One thing I thought would deter me from the program was the math aspect, but once I got there, everyone was so willing to teach me knowing that I didn’t have a background in accounting.
Adama Doukouré
BA Criminology and Criminal Justice
The biggest value for a master’s in accounting degree - especially if you’re going to the Big Four - is knowing that you have extra knowledge compared to an undergraduate student. The professors put it in a way where you understand how the work is done and what you’ll see in the real world.
Hector Chica, MSA ’21
BA Accounting
Audit Associate, CohnReznick
MS Accounting at a Glance
2 or 3
Semesters
30
Credits
STEM
Designated Program
Available as a Plus 1 Program
If you're a current University of Maryland freshman, sophomore or junior, you can pursue your Master of Science in Accounting degree through the Plus 1 program. You’ll save time and thousands of dollars on graduate tuition though this accelerated business master’s program.
Apply and Receive Admissions Benefits
Maryland Advantage can make it easier for applicants who have completed their undergraduate and/or graduate degree in the United States to transition into the business master’s program by helping them save money on tuition, skip graduate entrance exams and get personalized career counseling before starting their program.
Acquire Valuable Skills
Our MSA students build upon their current strengths to gain an in-depth, advanced understanding of the field. You’ll think critically about accounting methods and how to use data to solve the most pressing accounting issues firms face. Concepts and tools you’ll explore include:
- Accounting analytics and valuation
- AI
- Alteryx
- Automation Anywhere
- Corporate and real estate taxation
- Cybersecurity
- Data-driven decision making
- Financial statement and data systems analysis
- IDEA
- Information security, audit and control
- Internal, external, forensic and automated auditing
- Internal, state, local and individual taxation
- Machine learning
- Microsoft SQL
- MindBridge Analytics
- Tableau
Specialized Career Tracks
Choose a specialized track to acquire the targeted skills you’ll need in your accounting career.
Progress toward your CPA and learn how to serve clients individually or within a business. Future career roles often include corporate accounting and financial consulting.
Examine the accuracy of business's financial records within an accounting team. Future career roles often include auditing, risk consulting and assurance accounting.
Work closely with individuals and businesses to help them prepare, file and manage their taxes. Tax accounting is a common future career role.
Learn from Expert Faculty
Your professors are industry experts and scholars who are invested in your success and will challenge you to take your skills to the next level. They are well-connected business leaders who offer guidance as you navigate through your professional journey.
Co-creator of the Gordon-Loeb Model for cybersecurity investments
Internationally known scholar and accounting author
Expert in cybersecurity and managerial accounting
Most Effective Core Professor and Allen J. Krowe teaching award recipient
Expert in financial reporting and disclosure, corporate diversification, accounting information in the macroeconomy and financial markets
Allen J. Krowe teaching award recipient
Former CPA at PricewaterhouseCoopers
Expert in corporate financial reporting and intangible investment accounting
Associate Clinical Professor
bardossy@umd.edu
Clinical Professor
jcrocker@umd.edu
Adjunct Faculty
ddenniso@umd.edu
Adjunct Professor of Accounting
sferris4@umd.edu
EY Alumni Professor of Managerial Accounting and Information Assurance
lagordon@umd.edu
Lecturer
shandwer@umd.edu
Assistant Dean of Doctoral Programs
rhann@umd.edu
Adjunct Faculty
dharnish@umd.edu
Area Chair
mkimbrou@umd.edu
Associate Clinical Professor
adamlee@umd.edu
Associate Area Chair
jmckinne@umd.edu
Lecturer
pmcname1@umd.edu
Senior Lecturer
jmilton@umd.edu
Adjunct Faculty
lmostow@umd.edu
Associate Professor
nseybert@umd.edu
Where Your Degree Can Take You
A Maryland Smith MSA degree prepares you for a stable accounting career in a variety of settings, including Big Four accounting firms, the federal government and even nonprofit organizations. Whether you already have an undergraduate background in accounting or another subject area, this program is ideal for those interested in problem-solving, applying an investigative mindset to challenges and addressing discrepancies in business finances.
$1.5M
Difference in lifetime earnings with only a bachelor’s degree in accounting versus with an MSA and a CPA certification
13%
Salary difference between internal auditors with a bachelor’s degree compared to auditors with a master’s degree
$62K
Average starting salary for our MS in Accounting graduates 6 months after graduation*
Sources: Maryland Smith Office of Career Services, 2022; GMAC, 2019; Institute of Internal Auditors; Becker/ Accounting Today
*Data for 2021 graduates who reported their salaries to Maryland Smith's Office of Career Services. Please note these figures do not meet the 75 percent MBACSEA reporting threshold.
100% of our MS Accounting graduates secured job placements
within six months of graduation.
Picture Yourself in These Job Roles
“Because of the people I’ve met here and the location, I’ve really found out what my career goal is. This is the most rewarding benefit I got from the program.”
Chen Zhang
MS Accounting ’14
Tax Senior, Ernst & Young
Businesses who have Hired our MS Accounting Grads
Boost Your Professional Skills
Maryland Smith’s Office of Career Services (OCS) can help you bridge the gap between being a student and an employed professional. You’ll have one-on-one access to a career coach who will provide you with personalized tips on how to articulate your strengths when interacting with your future employer.
Connect With Your Classmates
You’ll have plenty of opportunities to make connections at Smith and engage in exciting social activities through the Smith Masters Student Association. You can join an accounting-related club or others that provide you with general connections and skills.
Contact Us
Business Master's Office
2303 Van Munching Hall
College Park, Maryland 20742-1815
Phone: 301-405-2559
E-mail: SmithMasters@umd.edu
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
At the Center of Business
The Washington, D.C. - Baltimore region is a hub of opportunity for networking, experiential learning, internships and jobs.
Home to federal agencies, corporate headquarters, world-class think tanks, and national and international nonprofits, it's an engine of innovation and explosive growth in digital technology and biosciences.
With 30,000 of our 60,000+ alumni living in the metroplex that includes Baltimore, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., our location gives you easy access to the region's largest alumni network of business leaders.
