Master of Science in Accounting (MSA)

MSA Concentrations

Develop your analytical skills further and gain the professional expertise that top firms demand by choosing one of the five 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.

Taxation

Focus your study on the rules, regulations, practices, and strategies employed in the field of taxation, as well as taxation’s impact on financial reporting. Concentration available starting in the fall of 2022. Available in on-campus program only.

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 supplemental 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.

State-by-State CPA Exam Eligibility Requirements

See information about the educational requirements necessary for CPA exam eligibility for all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Applying to Suffolk's MSA Program

Application Deadlines

Fall Semester: July 15 (International Applicants), August 15 (Domestic Applicants), then rolling
Spring Semester: December 1 (International Applicants), January 4 (Domestic Applicants), then rolling
Learn about the advantages of priority applications.

Application Materials

• Completed application
• $50 application fee (waived for students who visit campus)
• Resume
• Unofficial transcripts of all post-secondary work. Admitted students enrolling in the program will need to have official transcripts, including proof of degree conferral, on file prior to their first class
• 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 (2021-2022)

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.

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-author Mahfuja Malik—have had a paper, "Carry Forward Effects of CSR Champions", accepted for publication in Accounting Horizons, a top accounting journal 
• 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 his 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" was recently published in The Journal of Corporate Accounting & Finance
• Accounting Department Chair and Associate Professor Christine Nolder is Editorial Board member for Contemporary Accounting Research, a Financial Times Top 50 Journal