Master of Science in Accounting

The modern business landscape has placed greater demands and scrutiny on many professions, one of the most notable of which is accounting. Whether on staff or self-employed, accountants and auditors are expected to go beyond day-to-day financial recording and forecasting, by taking on important roles in strategic planning and business development. 
 
Taught by instructors, many who have relevant experience in the field of accounting, the MS-ACC is a degree for students with a bachelor’s degree in accounting or other closely related fields. In this industry-current curriculum, our project-based Professional Learning Model™ can engage you with complex, real-world situations and challenge you to organize, research and solve problems related to the field of accounting. The CTU PLM™ is designed to place you in the active role of collaborative problem-solver and project initiator, helping you build your marketable skills as you study and learn.

Accounting courses at CTU meet the educational standards of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). The student who meets the unique requirements of the State Board of Accounting in their state's Application for CPA Licensure is may be qualified to sit for the CPA exam.*

 

*  Colorado Technical University does not guarantee third-party certifications.  Certification requirements for taking and passing certification examinations are not controlled by Colorado Technical University but by outside agencies and are subject to change by the agencies without notice to Colorado TechnicalUniversity.  Therefore, Colorado Technical University cannot guarantee that graduates will be eligible to take certification examinations, regardless of their eligibility status upon enrollment.

 

Successful completion of the MS-ACC program can provide students with an applicable foundation of industry-related knowledge and skills, including how to:

• 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.

In CTU's Master of Science in Accounting, you may learn how to analyze financial information, prepare financial statements, make key investments and support business decision-making. You may also learn current rules and regulations in taxation, reporting, documentation, corporate governance and M&A activities that may enable you to best advise your constituencies.
The program focuses on providing the theoretical foundation and applied principles with the tactical savvy to put them into practice. For example:

• In Taxation and Business Decisions, students can examine the relationship between managerial decision-makers and taxes, with an emphasis on the impact of tax considerations in business decisions such as compensation, mergers, acquisitions and divestitures.
• In Financial Reporting, students can gain an understanding of the information provided in corporate annual reports and how to evaluate the financial performance of an entity by focusing on a comprehensive examination of financial statements and accounting reporting standards.
• In Forensic Accounting, students can be immersed into a comprehensive exploration of forensic accounting as a proactive approach to preventing, detecting, and investigating accounting disputes or irregularities.

Other core courses in the Master of Science in Accounting program include:

• Applied Managerial Accounting
• Advanced Cost Accounting
• Accounting Information Systems
• Advanced Auditing
• Management Control and Auditing
• International Financial Reporting Standards
• Applied Managerial Economics
• Applied Managerial Finance
• Applied Managerial Decision-Making

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