Master of Science in Accounting

Earn your Master of Science in Accounting at Binghamton

Binghamton University's Master of Science in Accounting prepares students for careers in public accounting, industry, government, and more through conceptual understanding, analytical methods, and logical reasoning. Offered through the School of Management, the 30-credit program is intended to provide students with in-depth accounting and auditing knowledge through a rigorous curriculum and hands-on experience.

Students can choose between a one-year or two-to-three year curriculum depending on their academic background.

Find your MS in Accounting pathway
Criteria	One-year MS Accounting program	Extended MS Accounting program
Best for	Students with an undergraduate degree in Accounting from an AACSB accredited school	Students without an AACSB-accredited accounting degree
Typical length	1 year	2-3 years
Graduate credits	30	30 + required background coursework
Accounting background	Required	Not required
Additional prerequisites	Typically no*	Yes
CPA preparation	Yes	Can be structured toward CPA educational requirements

*On rare occasions students may need to complete additional business or accounting courses to fulfill core background requirements.

Why earn your MS in Accounting at Binghamton?

As the accounting industry continued to evolve, students will need to develop new technical skills to successfully navigate their careers. Utilizing case studies and software such as Visio, SAP, Alteryx, Tableau and Mathematica, our courses give students the opportunity to get hands-on experience.

Throughout the program, students use real-world data sets to learn about data analysis and visualization, programming, blockchain, and cybersecurity.

Binghamton University MS Accounting graduates go on to secure positions in public accountancy or in managerial positions at a variety of industry, government, and not-for-profit organizations.

Program highlights:

95% of recent graduates received full-time job offers prior to graduation.
Binghamton University ranks among the nation's top public colleges for graduates who secure high-paying jobs in accounting.
The School of Management holds a separate AACSB accounting accreditation. Fewer than 25% of AACSB-accredited institutions have this distinction.

MS Accounting Curriculum

30-credit coursework
Fall Semester	Spring Semester
ACCT 540: Financial Accounting Theory or ACCT 541: Auditing and Managerial Accounting Theory (4 credits)	ACCT 540: Financial Accounting Theory or ACCT 541: Auditing and Managerial Accounting Theory (4 credits)
Business Elective	ACCT 581B Forensic Accounting - Audit Analytics
ACCT 555: Advanced Accounting Theory (4 credits)	Technical Business Elective
ACCT 550: Accounting Information Systems (4 credits)	Acct 560: Contemporary Issues in Accounting Capstone
Total credits: 16	Total credits: 14

One-year MS Accounting pathway

Students with an undergraduate accounting degree from an AACSB-accredited institution can typically complete the 30-credit MS in Accounting in one academic year.

Our 30-credit MS Accounting program provides students with the accounting coursework required to sit for the Uniform CPA examination. In order to fulfill the education requirements to be licensed as a certified public accountant (CPA) in the State of New York, students enrolled in the program are expected to have an undergraduate degree in accounting from an AACSB accredited institution.

Binghamton University's BS Accounting/MS Accounting Combined program is a NYS Licensure Qualifying Registered Program.

Extended MS Accounting pathway

While the MS Accounting program is intended primarily for accounting undergraduates from AACSB-accredited programs, we welcome students with little or no accounting/business coursework to apply. These students may pursue the program in an extended time frame (typically two-to-three years) and will need to take additional business and accounting coursework. Additional coursework may be in the form of prerequisites for required MS Accounting courses, as well as courses needed to meet the education requirements to sit for the CPA licensure examination.

Required background coursework:

Microeconomics/Macroeconomics
Financial Accounting
Statistics
Cost Accounting
Intermediate Accounting Theory I and II
Auditing
Entity Taxation (corporate tax)
Business Law I and II
Organizational Behavior
Finance
Management Information Systems
Marketing and Operations Management

Prepare for a CPA licensure

The MS in Accounting can help students complete the accounting and business education needed to pursue Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensure. Educational requirements vary based on a student's previous coursework and the state in which they intend to become licensed.

Students interested in pursuing CPA licensure should work closely with the Director, SOM Master's Program Admissions and Student Services to ensure they are taking the coursework needed to meet CPA licensure education requirements. Upon completion of the program students will independently verify they meet the education requirements by submitting their transcripts to the NYS Education Department Office of the Professions.

Careers with an MS in Accounting

School of Management graduates entering the workforce are recruited by top-tier public and private companies. Binghamton University is a leading new hire pipeline for the Big Four accounting firms: EY, PwC, Deloitte and KPMG.

With the school’s strong national reputation, alumni are also actively sought out by regional firms and government agencies such as the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

With a degree in accounting you could be:

Certified Public Accountant
Financial Analyst
Budget Analyst
Forensic Accountant
Finance Manager
Personal Financial Advisor

Our MS Accounting program also provides a solid theoretical foundation for students who intend to pursue a doctoral degree following graduation.

Admission requirements

Binghamton University welcomes applicants from both accounting and non-accounting backgrounds. The amount of prerequisite coursework required depends on previous academic preparation. Other requirements include:

Students admitted into this program option typically have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
While we accept GMAT and GRE scores for consideration, they are not required for our MS Accounting program.
Applicants with significant work experience and/or strong GMAT/GRE scores (while not required) are also considered for admission.

For a complete list of requirements, visit the Graduate Recruitment and Admissions website.

International applicants

There are additional requirements for international students. To find out about admissions and more important information, visit our International Students page.

Current Binghamton accounting students

Binghamton University School of Management accounting undergraduates interested in the MS Accounting program should apply for Binghamton University's Accounting 4+1 program. You must begin your application by accessing BU Brain via the myBinghamton Portal.