Online Master’s in Accounting MS Degree Aligned With the 2024 CPA Exam

Aligned with content from the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) Exam, this graduate certificate is ideal for those who would like to pursue a role in internal private accounting. You'll learn how to use internal reports and financial statements to inform decisions related to a company's bottom line or business performance.

Learn more about earning a graduate Management Accounting Certificate.

This graduate certificate — aligned with the Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) Exam — is specifically designed to focus your accounting education on the investigation of financial records to detect fraud. You'll build a strong foundation of traditional accounting knowledge, explore the auditing process in depth and gain key investigative skills to identify, document and prevent fraud and cyber crime.

Learn more about earning a graduate Fraud Examiner Certificate online. 

Flexible

With no set class meeting times, you can learn on your schedule and access online course materials 24/7.

Affordable

As part of our mission to make higher education more accessible, we’re committed to keeping our tuition rates low. In fact, we offer some of the lowest online tuition rates in the nation.

Prior coursework and work experience could also help you save time and money. SNHU’s transfer policy allows you to transfer up to 12 credits from your previous institution. You could also earn college credit for previous work experience.

Respected

Founded in 1932, Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution with over 160,000 graduates across the country. SNHU is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), a regional accreditor, which advocates for institutional improvement and public assurance of quality. 

Recently, SNHU has been nationally recognized for leading the way toward more innovative, affordable and achievable education:

• “Most Innovative” regional university honors from U.S. News & World Report each year since 2015
• A $1 million grant from Google.org to explore soft skills assessments for high-need youth
• Recognition as a 2017 Digital Learning Innovator by the Online Learning Consortium

Network

At Southern New Hampshire University, you'll have access to a powerful network of more than 300,000 students, alumni and staff that can help support you long after graduation. Our instructors offer relevant, real-world expertise to help you understand and navigate the field. Plus, with our growing, nationwide alumni network, you'll have the potential to tap into a number of internship and career opportunities.

93.6% of online students would recommend SNHU (according to a 2022 survey with 17,000+ respondents). Discover why SNHU may be right for you.

Expanding access to quality higher education means removing the barriers that may stand between you and your degree. That’s why you can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials:

• Completed free application
• Undergraduate transcripts, which we can retrieve for you by submitting a transcript request form

Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our 5 graduate terms.

If you’re ready to apply, follow these simple steps to get the process going:

• Complete free graduate application
• Submit undergraduate transcripts
• Work with an admission counselor to explore financial options and walk through application process

Notes: 

• Laptop or desktop?  Whichever you choose depends on your personal preference and work style, though laptops tend to offer more flexibility. 

• Note:  Chromebooks (Chrome OS) and iPads (iOS) do not meet the minimum requirements for coursework at SNHU. These offer limited functionality and do not work with some course technologies. They are not acceptable as the only device you use for coursework. While these devices are convenient and may be used for some course functions, they cannot be your primary device. SNHU does, however, have an affordable laptop option that it recommends: Dell Latitude 3301 with Windows 10. 

• Office 365 Pro Plus is available free of charge to all SNHU students and faculty. The Office suite will remain free while you are a student at SNHU. Upon graduation you may convert to a paid subscription if you wish. Terms subject to change at Microsoft's discretion. Review system requirements for Microsoft 365 plans for business, education and government. 

• Antivirus software: Check with your ISP as they may offer antivirus software free of charge to subscribers. 

The 2024 CPA exam update is the result of a complete reimagination. The core exam will shed new light on core accounting fundamentals, like auditing and taxation, and include an increased emphasis on technology throughout.

Over the years, technology's impact on accounting has been instrumental. It's made many tasks that once required significant manual intervention much more efficient.

Ann McLaughlin, SNHU's associate dean of business, agrees: "Accountants are data storytellers. In today’s work environment, they utilize technology to expedite manual processes, improve accuracy, perform research and analyze financial data. These skills serve to help accountants communicate with stakeholders about a company's financial health."

For the first time, the exam will also allow candidates to choose 1 of 3 discipline areas in which to demonstrate greater knowledge and specialize:

• Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR)
• Information Systems and Controls (ISC)
• Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP)

McLaughlin thinks the new exam will appeal to the next generation and reshape the field of accounting as it "requires students to understand how to perform data analysis and research, which shifts the narrative of the traditional accounting role."

She also notes SNHU's redeveloped MS in Accounting program "takes into account these movements within the profession to ensure our students are prepared for this new environment.”

Quite a lot, actually. Like many professions, accounting has become much more diverse, and while Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is one avenue, there are also many others.

Transparency in financial reporting has taken on far greater importance in the corporate world than it once had – and with it, the need for accounting professionals to help maintain that transparency.

Intrigued? You might consider specializing in auditing. Along with improving financial reporting, many auditors serve the critical function of helping companies develop growth strategies based on long-term goals.

As businesses strive to compete in a global marketplace, accounting plays a broader strategic role in general. Master’s degree candidates who specialize in management accounting improve their odds of becoming the kind of strategic partner who can help guide the management of internal resources at every level, help executives make decisions and improve performance.

And then there are accountants whose passion for numbers is rivaled only by their passion for digging into them. With a concentration in forensic accounting, you’ll apply those innate critical thinking skills to complex financial transactions like mergers and acquisitions, bankruptcies and contract disputes. Is criminology your thing? You’ll learn to investigate corporate fraud too.

In addition to these career directions, a few equally good alternatives include financial examiner, financial analyst, finance manager, comptroller, CFO, budget analyst or business and financial consultant.

While both enhance your skills and advancement potential, one focuses on depth of knowledge, the other on breadth. The MS in Accounting deepens your accounting expertise. The MBA in Accounting broadens your business acumen.

An on-campus or online MBA program is for students "who want to move into higher levels of management that require more overall business skills and fewer accounting skills,” according to Mona Stephens, an accounting faculty lead at SNHU – but that's not the program's only audience, she said. As professionals advance their careers, it's vital to develop a better understanding of skills like accounting: By undertaking a more holistic approach to business, you can build better organizational strategies and make financially sound decisions.

Courses in the master’s in accounting dig into more complex accounting topics and foster critical thinking of accounting theory and practice. Stephens says this degree makes sense “for accountants who want to expand their accounting knowledge and perhaps specialize in a certain type of accounting, like management accounting or taxation.”

The MS in Accounting program is an ideal stepping stone for anyone who wants to teach accounting. It's also well suited to those who would like to take either the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Exam or Certified Management Accountant (CMA) Exam.

Because the CPA Exam requires 150 hours of education for eligibility in most states, an MS in Accounting is often the best path. Even better? SNHU offers graduate certificates that align with the exam's three new discipline areas, so you can be even better prepared. 

Similarly, SNHU offers a Management Accounting Graduate Certificate for those who want to specialize their skill set before taking the CMA Exam. 

A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is an accounting professional who has passed the CPA Exam. They’ve also fulfilled all the education and work experience requirements to become a licensed CPA within the state where they intend to work.

You can work as an accountant without becoming a CPA, but it's widely considered the industry-standard designation of quality and trust. For non-CPA candidates with an accounting degree, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recommends these positions¹:

• Management accountant
• Government accountant
• Internal auditor
• External auditor
• IT auditor

The CPA credential gives you the experience and expertise to perform functions a non-certified accountant can’t do, such as audits and reviews and taxation services.

Non-certified accountants are not allowed to audit public companies, issue audit reports or opinion letters, or review public company financial statements for the SEC. And only a CPA can sign a client’s tax return as a paid preparer and represent the client in front of the IRS.

Yes, you can. Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) are accountants who have passed the official CPA exam, which requires them to have minimum education and work experience. 

You can work as an accountant without becoming a CPA. For non-CPA candidates with an accounting degree, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recommends these positions¹:

• Management accountant
• Government accountant
• Internal auditor
• External auditor
• IT auditor

No — a master's in accounting is not equivalent to a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license. 

Put simply, they are different credentials. An MS in Accounting is a degree granted by an accredited university once you successfully graduate. A CPA license, on the other hand, is a certification administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) once you meet specific education, experience and exam requirements.  

Which credential you choose to earn depends greatly on the career you want to pursue. If you want to advance in public accounting, a CPA license is key. If you want to become an industry accountant, a CPA license may not be necessary. 

That being said, many accountants choose to pursue both an MS in Accounting and a CPA license, since they are complementary credentials and can help you stand out in a competitive job market. 

¹ Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/business-and-financial/accountants-and-auditors.htm (viewed Nov. 3, 2023). Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.