Become an accounting professional

Our nationally ranked Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA) will prepare you to be a proficient, industry-ready accountant. If you’re looking to sit for the CPA exam or transition into professional accounting, but don’t have an undergraduate accountancy degree, this program is for you. With a master’s in Accountancy from DePaul, you’ll gain a solid understanding of a variety of business disciplines and their relationships to accounting issues.

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Online Degree Option

The online Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA) from DePaul’s Kellstadt Graduate School of Business offers small class sizes and is taught by the same award-winning faculty you'll find on campus. Tailored to meet the needs of your busy schedule, you'll achieve the same learning outcomes as in-person classes through collaborative and engaged learning.

Study in the center of Chicago’s business district

You’ll be in the heart of Chicago’s financial and business district on our Loop Campus. Our proximity gives you access to employers at top companies, including international accounting and consulting firms like PwC, KPMG, EY, Grant Thornton and RSM—just steps from campus.

Application Deadlines

Enrollment Quarter	Domestic Student Deadline	International Student Deadline
Fall	August 15	June 15
Winter	December 1	October 15
Spring	March 1	January 15
Summer	June 1	April 15

Admission Requirements

Submit an online application, essay, résumé and official transcripts.

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Required Courses

You’ll take 12 required accounting courses.

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90%

of Accountancy graduates were employed, continuing their education or pursuing other goals within six months of graduation.

 

$61k+

The median salary for Accountancy graduates was $61,500.

Gain a new perspective from distinctive faculty

The faculty in the MSA program understand their responsibility to prepare students for the demands of a professional career in the field of Accountancy. Mark Alford, a senior professional lecturer, has been Director of the Program for more than ten years. He teaches the capstone course in the Program. Dr. Alford’s research interests include financial accounting reporting, accounting education and more recently, balance sheet and earnings management in the property and casualty insurance industry.

“Because of my degree, I have the technical knowledge to perform essential functions as well as the resourcefulness to find solutions to challenges. The network and reputation of DePaul is extremely useful and provided the confidence to know that I could actually do what was required for my position.”

Kate (MS ’15)

Senior Accounting Analyst, Kraft Heinz 

Alumni Network

In addition to the wider network of Kellstadt alumni, the School of Accountancy & MIS alumni society—Ledger & Quill—is one of the largest accounting alumni groups in the nation. You’ll benefit from the network, which reaches to the top ranks of corporations, public accounting firms, education and government.

Scholarships

Graduate school is an investment in your future. Kellstadt awarded more than $3 million to incoming students last year. Additionally, the giving society of the School of Accountancy & MIS gives approximately $25k annually to students pursuing their master’s in Accountancy, Taxation, or Audit and Advisory Services. Learn more about scholarship opportunities available to you.

Accountancy (MS) Admission Requirements

• ? Submit your online application and the $60 application fee.
• Submit an essay explaining your interest in the program and your professional goals.
• Submit a resume that summarizes your work experience and educational background. 
• Submit your official transcripts from all degree-granting institutions you have attended. 
  Please note that not submitting all transcripts where courses have been completed could impact course waivers.

Letters of recommendation are optional for this program.

International student admission requirements:  Click here.

Deadlines

Students may apply to enroll in any quarter. To ensure that you will be able to enroll in the quarter of your choice, we recommend that you apply by these dates:

Enrollment Quarter	Domestic Student Deadline	International Student Deadline
Fall	August 15	August 15
Winter	December 1	October 1
Summer	June 1	April 1

 

Degree Requirements

We offer the Accountancy MS in two modalities: on-campus and fully online.

Degree requirements for each modality are unique. On-campus degree requirements are listed below, and online degree requirements are listed in on Online MSA site.

View online requirements

On-Campus Degree Requirements

Course Requirements

The Master of Science in Accountancy requires a minimum of 12 courses. 

Course	Title	Quarter Hours
ACC 500	FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING	4
ACC 535	PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING INFORMATION SYSTEMS	4
ACC 541	FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING THEORY & PRACTICE I	4
ACC 542	COST AND MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING	4
ACC 543	FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING THEORY & PRACTICE II	4
ACC 545	ADVANCED TOPICS IN ACCOUNTING THEORY	4
ACC 547	AUDITING I	4
ACC 548	TAX TREATMENT OF INDIVIDUALS AND PROPERTY TRANSACTIONS	4
ACC 550	AUDITING II	4
ACC 551	TAX TREATMENT OF CORPORATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS	4
ACC 552	BUSINESS LAW FOR ACCOUNTANTS	4
ACC 640	ACCOUNTING THEORY AND POLICY FORMULATION	4

In addition, students without a prior business degree are recommended to complete the following courses:  

Course	Title	Quarter Hours
ECO 502	ANALYSIS OF BUSINESS CONDITIONS	2
FIN 455	PRINCIPLES OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT	2
MGT 504	FUNDAMENTALS OF OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT	2
GSB 500	U.S. BUSINESS CULTURE & PRACTICE 1	4

1	Required for international students and may be waived for those students with a prior U.S. degree.

Degree Requirements

1. Satisfactory completion of the 12 required Accountancy Courses and the 4 Business Courses, or equivalent courses, as outlined above. 
2. Satisfactory completion of at least 48 earned graduate credit hours applicable to the degree (waived courses are not considered earned hours).
3. Satisfactory completion of the college residency requirement.
4. All courses for credit toward the degree must be completed with satisfactory grades within six calendar years after the candidate’s first term of enrollment in the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. After a lapse of six years a course is expired. An expired course is not acceptable for the purpose of satisfaction of degree requirements and is not applicable to the degree without the written permission of the program director or the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business. ??

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