Master of Science in Accounting (MSA)
FULL-TIME | PART-TIME | ONLINE
While earning your MSA at Suffolk, you’ll:
- Earn your degree in as few as 9 months (full-time) or 21 months (part-time).
- Learn from industry experts who are each a mix of practitioners and accomplished scholars.
- Study from a curriculum that is guided by the cutting-edge industry practices identified by our Young Alumni Advisory Board.
- Take courses that integrate Becker's CPA Exam Review Course, giving you supplemental material to help you ace your classes while also preparing you for success on the CPA exam.
- Specialize in areas like forensic accounting, business intelligence, governmental & not-for-profit accounting, or corporate accounting & finance.
Suffolk’s MSA is designed for those who have a background in accounting as well as those who don't, so the length of the program depends on your level of experience. Take courses based on your schedule. You also have the option to take classes back-to-back in one evening or online on a space-available basis for added flexibility.
MSA Program Overview
Suffolk's Master's in Accounting
For more than 25 years, our graduate accounting programs have been preparing students for the CPA and CMA exams.Why Get a CPA?
If passing the CPA exam isn’t your goal, our electives give you an opportunity to customize your degree and build expertise in areas including taxation, big data, finance, entrepreneurship, and international business to prepare you for advancement in other careers.
In as few as 9 months (full-time) or 21 months (part-time), our MSA graduates go on to pursue rewarding and successful careers as auditors at public accounting firms, tax specialists at global corporations, special agents at government agencies, and key influencers at nonprofits and municipalities.
The Suffolk Difference
MSA Concentrations
Develop your analytical skills further and gain the professional expertise that top firms demand by choosing one of the four concentrations within the Suffolk MSA program. Each of these help you gain the skills and knowledge to distinguish you from the pack with a future-focused skill set.
Business Intelligence
Learn to design databases, retrieve data from business processes, visualize and analyze results, and communicate solutions.
Forensic Accounting
Gain an understanding of the motivations, opportunities, and rationalizations that facilitate fraudulent behavior. Learn how to detect, investigate, and prevent financial-related fraud.
Corporate Accounting & Finance
Learn how to interpret the world around you through numbers and be prepared for careers that influence corporations’ internal operations.
Governmental & Not-for-Profit Accounting
Acquire knowledge in the unique accounting principles, financial reporting structures, budget controls, program planning, and management controls in not-for-profit organizations and governmental units.
4+1 Program
If you’re a senior working towards an undergraduate business degree or a recent graduate, you may qualify to earn your Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) or in Taxation (MST) in as few as 9 months, or your MSA/MST, MSA/MSF, or MSBA/MSA in as few as 16 months. Learn more about our 4+1 programs.
Continuing Excellence
Our program has received Level-1 status from the MA Board of Public Accountancy, and is 1 of only 182 institutions worldwide to have an international supplemental accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
As the only Accounting program in Boston with this unique dual-accreditation, our students are automatically eligible to sit for the CPA exam without having to submit their transcripts for verification and are not subject to a waiting period.
MSA Outcomes
| Average starting salary | $73,333 |
| Employed within 6 months of graduation* | 87.8% |
| Employed within 1 year of graduation* | 97.6% |
| Graduates* employed in degree-related positions | 92.3% |
*Class of 2017-2018 Graduates
Applying to Suffolk's MSA Program
Application Deadlines
Fall Semester: April 15 (priority), then rolling
Spring Semester: October 15 (priority), then rolling
Learn about the advantages of priority applications.
Application Materials
- Completed online application
- $50 application fee (waived for students who visit campus)
- Official transcripts for all post-secondary education
- Resume
- Goal statement (essay)
- Letter of recommendation (Learn more)
- The GMAT/GRE is not required for the MSA but may be required for the MSA/MSF dual-degree program
- Official TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE-Academic scores (international students only)
Cost of Graduate Study at Suffolk
| Tuition (2019-2020) Full-time, per year |
$45,570 |
| Cost Per Credit (2019-2020) For Part-Time students |
$1,519 |
Financial Aid for Graduate Study
Suffolk University is pleased to offer both merit- and need-based financial aid to graduate students—these awards can be up to $20,000 per academic year. Merit-based aid is awarded based on the applicant's academic credentials presented on the admission application. No separate application is required for merit consideration.
The Suffolk MSA
Advising & Other Resources
Suffolk University offers graduate students—incoming, current, and alumni—help with navigating financial aid and payments, searching for career opportunities, and building a strong professional network. Our Graduate Student Services team supports you every step of the way with various services including application advising, financial aid counseling, international student resources, and other resources such as the Career Development Center or the Center for Learning and Academic Success. We also offer you value-added professional development workshops to bolster your experiential education and other professional skills while studying at Suffolk University.
Faculty Expertise
Our program faculty are at the forefront of their field, pursuing research and being sought out by the media to offer their take on various topics
- Professor Ariel Markelevich, PhD, CMA appeared on “Count Me In”, the Institute of Management Accountant's (IMA’s) podcast about all things affecting the accounting and finance world where he explains what blockchain is and why accountants should care about it
- Professor Nancy Chun Feng—and her co-authors, Dan Neely from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and Lise Anne Lattern from University of Louisiana—has had a paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management entitled "Stakeholder Groups and Accountability Accreditation of Nonprofit Organizations"
- Professor Andrew Stuart, PhD, CPA was selected as one of the recipients of the 2018-2019 Glen McLaughlin Prize for Research in Accounting Ethics from the Steed School of Accounting at the University of Oklahoma for your paper "The Value of Assurance and Ethics in Difficult Times: Corporate Social Responsibility Disclosures and Investor Decisions"
- Professors Ariel Markelevich, PhD, CMA & Stephen Fuller, PhD paper "Should
accountants care about blockchain" which was recently published in The
Journal of Corporate Accounting & Finance.
"After completing my Bachelors in Accounting at Suffolk, I decided to stay for my Masters, which was really important to have when I started meeting with potential employers. They knew that with the MSA, I had gained the specialized knowledge and skills I needed to be a true subject matter expert and leader in the profession."
Courses & Requirements
Learn more about the classes, requirements, and different options available to complete the program.
