Accountancy Curriculum

Simon Business School's MS in Accountancy Program has been designed to be completed by students with undergraduate backgrounds in business, economics, or accounting. Students with backgrounds in business or economics are able to complete our program within one academic year, the same length of time as a student with a background in accounting. Students with an accounting undergraduate degree may substitute other courses in place of similar courses that they have taken at the undergraduate level. Students will work with the faculty director of the MS in Accountancy Program to tailor their program to best fit their needs but still qualify for the New York State CPA exam.

MS in Accountancy students are qualified to sit for the CPA examination in New York State and obtain subsequent licensure. Qualifying for the CPA examination in New York State will also allow you to be qualified for many other states. Students seeking to qualify for the CPA in other states can work with the faculty director of the MS in Accountancy program to determine if any other coursework is required for the particular state in which they would like to qualify.

Get more information on the Full-Time MS in Accountancy Program in the course catalog.

Study Tracks

While an internship is not required for the STEM-designated Master’s in Accountancy program, and there is no guarantee of placement, we encourage students to consider the value that internships offer their graduate education.

Full-Time MS in Accountancy students have two available tracks for the completion of their studies:

• Non-internship track
• Internship track
  • Internships are not guaranteed. Students choosing the option to extend their program will be eligible to seek an internship.

Program Requirements

Because of the personalized nature of the program, each student will work with an academic advisor to select courses to meet the degree requirements and also meet the requirement to sit for the CPA.

Note: This chart reflects the 2018–19 academic schedule, and is subject to change.

All courses are 3 credit-hours unless otherwise noted. Degree Total Credits: 43

Key Elements for MSA Students

• Internship track*
  • Students in the internship track will take ACC436 in Term 5 as their last class. There are no exceptions for this course.
  • ACC436 can be taken remotely, however all students are required to return to campus for the last 3-hours of lecture and the final exam. Failure to attend both will result in a failing grade.
  • Changes in track length are reviewed on an exception basis.
• Elective**
  • Students will take an elective course during Term 4, with the option to choose from either ACC418 Taxes and Business Strategy or ACC439 Accounting Analytics for Forensics.
• Teams
  • Prior to the start of classes, students will be assigned to teams of 4 or 5 for core classes in Terms 1 and 2.
  • Teams will be changed for core classes in Terms 3 and 4.
  • Requests to change teams will not be granted. It is expected that students will work with their teams through any issues or obstacles, and utilize the advising process for issue resolution.

For more information about the program or the admissions process, please contact Simon Admissions at admissions@simon.rochester.edu or 585-275-3533.