Graduate Certificate in Accounting

The Suffolk Graduate Certificate in Accounting (GCA) is a five-course program that covers financial accounting, auditing, cost accounting, and taxation. The GCA coursework emphasizes practical knowledge of key accounting principles and lays the groundwork for CPA or CMA exam preparation.

As a part-time student, you can complete the GCA in as few as nine months. And if you apply to the MS in Accounting (MSA) degree program within a year of completing your certificate, you can apply your GCA classes to the MSA program, which can reduce the time it will take to complete the degree.

Paying for Graduate School

Application Deadlines

Fall Semester: March 15 (priority), June 15, then rolling
Spring Semester: October 15 (priority), then rolling
Summer Semester: April 1 (priority), then rolling
Learn about the advantages of priority applications.

Application Materials

• Completed online application
• $50 application fee
• Resume
• Official transcripts for all post-secondary work
• Goal statement (essay)
• Letter of recommendation (Learn more)

Waiver/Transfer Policy

Graduate certificate courses, if waived, will need to be substituted with an approved elective. To substitute an approved elective for a required course, a student must have successfully completed equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the five years prior to matriculation ("B" or better) and provide official transcript (with English translation, if applicable).

Candidates who apply within one year of completing their graduate certificate will have applicable courses applied to Sawyer Business School (SBS) graduate degree programs in the same discipline as the certificate as long a grade of "B" or better was earned in that course.

Candidates who apply beyond one year or from a certificate program outside their discipline will have coursework evaluated on a case by case basis for relevancy, current degree requirements and current Sawyer Business School wavier and transfer policies.

Transfer credits from the graduate certificate must have an earned grade of "B" or better and have been taken within five years prior to entering a SBS graduate degree program. However, at the discretion of the program director, some courses may not be transferred if the subject material has changed significantly since completion.

Gainful Employment Disclosures

View the Federally Mandated Gainful Employment Disclosure for the Graduate Certificate in Accounting.