The Master of Science in Accounting at UMass Lowell prepares students for careers in public, corporate, government and non-profit accounting, in addition to qualifying students to meet licensing requirements to become certified public accountants.

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Master of Science in Accounting

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At the graduate level, we offer a Master of Science in Accounting. Our degree programs, along with all others offered within the Manning School of Business, are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The AACSB is the premier organization monitoring institutions that offer business education in the U.S. and abroad, and our association with this prestigious organization reflects a commitment by UMass Lowell, the Manning School of Business and the Department of Accounting to excellence and the continuous improvement of our programs.

Business Analytics Option

The value of data analytics is being applied in all areas of business, and the field of accounting is no exception. Students completing the Business Analytics Option will learn to identify situations where data can be used to answer complex business and accounting questions, shape corporate strategy, forecast financial trends, and thwart fraud. Accountants are used to dealing with data for budgeting, planning, data management, and auditing.

  • Students will understand how structured and unstructured data is collected, created, and stored;
  • Students will understand how it can be accessed and manipulated for descriptive analytics; diagnostic analytics, predictive analytics, and prescriptive analytics;
  • Student can apply various analytics tools to answer complex business questions, including identifying and evaluating relevant associations, relationships, and outliers of accounting-related data.

International Business Option

As evidenced by the Department of Accounting’s accreditation by the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA), the Manning School of Business is committed to preparing students for the global economy. ACCA is internationally recognized. Accountancy is one of those professions where positions all around the world are freely available. So many people take the opportunity to visit and work in new countries.

  • Students completing the International Business Option can expect to improve their understanding of the intricacies of operating in the global marketplace; and
  • Increase their sensitivities to cultural differences and how they impact business relationships; and identify implications to accounting of globalization.

Corporate Accounting Leadership Option

Students entering the industry as accounting professionals will have many responsibilities that are different from those entering into public accounting;

  • Students completing the Corporate Accounting Leadership Option can expect to improve their understanding of the challenges faced by organizations and the role of accountants in meeting those challenges;
  • Students can expect to improve their understanding on how to collaborate with others and inspire teams to achieve organizational goals;
  • Students can expect to understand the various measures of reporting of organizational performance in compliance with relevant standards and regulations including the management of technology and data analytics

MSA Overview

Our MSA program’s Level 1 status makes it easier for UMass Lowell accounting graduates to eventually become Certified Public Accountants (CPA).

The Massachusetts Board of Public Accountancy has classified the Master of Science in Accounting a program at the Manning School of Business as Level 1 and deemed the program to be substantially equivalent to Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) standards. Any student who earns a graduate degree in accounting from a Level 1 program is judged to have satisfied the educational requirements to take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. Students who earn degrees from non-Level 1 programs must demonstrate that they have satisfied such educational requirements. 

The MSA will prepare graduates to succeed in a competitive environment and a respected profession, one whose members continue to be in high demand from public accounting firms, financial institutions, industry, government agencies, municipalities, schools, hospitals and charitable organizations. All courses are available online and the program is open to either full-time or part-time students.

For more information, please contactcontact:

ManningMSA@uml.edu
Telephone: 978-934-2848

For the latest course information please consult the UMass Lowell Graduate Academic Catalog.

Learn More

  • The Master of Science in Accounting requires 10 courses (30 credits). Students complete a core of 5 required courses (15 credits), two additional accounting courses (6 credits), and then complete three courses (9 credits) from business courses outside of accounting. Students can complete the general program or concentrate in a particular field by choosing one of three options (Business Analytics, Corporate Accounting Leadership or International Business).

    Degree Pathways

    • General Accounting Option
    • Business Analytics Option
    • Corporate Accounting Leadership Option
    • International Business Option

    For more information on the MSA curriculum including course listings, visit the UMass Lowell online Graduate Catalog.

  • Admission to the MSA program is open to students who have earned four-year bachelor's degrees in accounting or other fields of study with a 3.000 GPA or higher.

    We accept students with undergraduate accounting, business and non-business degrees. Students without an accounting undergraduate degree from an accredited U.S. institution will have to complete a series of prerequisite courses prior to beginning the MSA program as follows:

    Note: Many prerequisite courses can be fulfilled through completing the online Certificate in Accounting.

    Applicants should fill out the graduate application and submit to the Office of Graduate Admissions with an official transcript of grades from their undergraduate institution(s), along with the following:

    • Two letters of recommendation from employment and/or academic sources.
    • A résumé containing appropriate background information.
    • A one-page essay highlighting academic and career goals.
    • A score report for TOEFL with a score of 100 or an IELTS with a score of 7.0 must be submitted if the applicant is a citizen of a non-English speaking country or has never earned a academic degree in the United States.

    New students are admitted to the MSA program on a rolling basis.

    Learn About the Application Process

    Contact information

    If you have any questions regarding the MSA or other graduate programs in the Manning School of Business please email: ManningMSA@uml.edu or call: 978-934-2848.

  • UMass Lowell undergraduate students with a 3.000 GPA or better have the opportunity to save time and money by earning a bachelor's and a master's degree in a little as five years. Students can continue from bachelor’s to master’s level studies within their own department. Or students can apply to a program in a different department to create a set of skills to meet emerging needs in the workplace and their own academic interests.

    Learn more about the Bachelor's-to-Master's Programs.

  • Online 

    Cost Per Credit: $655
    Total Tuition (based on 30 credits): $19,650  

    On-Campus  

    For on-campus tuition and fees, please visit Graduate Students: Estimated Annual Tuition and Fees (2023-24, full time).

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Making the Grade

Manning School of Business accounting graduates are among the top performers in Massachusetts on the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam. Read more

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AACSB Accredited

The UMass Lowell Manning School of Business undergraduate and graduate programs are currently accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the most prestigious organization worldwide for the accreditation of business schools.
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Preparing Graduates for Successful Careers

“Leveraging case studies, real-world scenarios and team-building exercises, the accounting concentration prepared me for the wide breadth of concepts tested both on the CPA exam and in practice at a Big Four firm,” says Joseph Perrone '16, '17, who has worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers since 2017.
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Assistantships for Full-time Students

Teaching and research assistantships provide promising students with financial assistance to offset the costs of full-time graduate study. They also benefit students by providing opportunities to build knowledge and skill by working closely with the faculty members. Assistantships are awarded competitively based on the student's academic record and prior experience. As part of the assessment, consideration will be given to the potential contribution an assistant can make to the program and college in the areas of instructional assistance and research.
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Accounting Faculty

The full-time Manning School of Business faculty includes 13 accounting and over 40 non-accounting members, including Entrepreneurship, Finance, International Business, Management, Marketing and MIS/OIS. See the list of full-time Accounting faculty

Please consult any applicable licensure requirements for this program.

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Named a Best Online Graduate Business program by U.S. News & World Report.