Nearly every person working as an accountant in the state earned a degree from one of the accredited accounting degree programs in New York. The only ones without a degree from a school in the state are those who attended college in another state. Like many states, New York requires that Certified Public Accountants take the CPA licensing examination, which they can only take after completing a specific number of credit hours of courses, which includes both undergraduate and graduate courses. Those note planning to sit for the CPA exam will still find a number of benefits associated with these degree programs.

Lehman College of the City University of New York

School of Natural and Social Sciences

Lehman College started life as a branch of Hunter College located in the Bronx. Established in 1937, the college remained an independent entity until becoming part of the City University of New York school system in the 1960s. Though the school has a population of nearly 10,000 undergraduate students, its graduate population is closer to 2,200. It uses a unique system of classes that lets students take courses at night, which lets them work a job during the day or attend to any other commitments they have. Graduate students have the chance to take courses from a number of different disciplines.

Master of Science Program in Accounting

Lehman College introduced its Master of Science Program in Accounting as a way to help students who did not study accounting in their undergraduate years. Students with a bachelor’s degree in any field can enter the program and earn a graduate degree after completing just 30 credit hours of work at the graduate level. Students take 12 credit hours of courses in two disciplines: accounting and master business. Those courses include advanced accounting theory, advanced taxation, investment analysis, computer based information systems for managers and economic analysis for managers. The program also offers six additional courses, and students must take a minimum of six credit hours, which equates to two of those courses. Those who earned a degree from another college may also find themselves taking other courses as determined by the school. Those foundation courses give students a better understanding of topics they study in the program.

Accreditation

  • Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSCHE)

Contact

250 Bedford Park Boulevard West
Bronx, NY 10468
Phone: (718) 960-8000
Email: laurie.austin@lehman.cuny.edu
Website: http://www.lehman.edu/graduate-studies/index.php

Long Island University, Brooklyn Campus

School of Business, Public Administration and Information Sciences

Long Island University’s Brooklyn campus, also known as LIU Brooklyn, is the first branch of LIU and the largest campus used by the school today. Founded in 1926, the university opened on the belief that everyone deserved the right to higher education. The founders worked hard to keep costs down and to keep the school affordable. Though the college later opened several branches in the area and in other parts of New York, its Brooklyn campus is still the most popular. The number of graduate students enrolling in its programs increases each year, and those students now number more than 7,400.

Master of Science (M.S.) in Accounting

LIU Brooklyn’s M.S. in Accounting program is a 36 credit hour program designed for those with a familiarity with accounting topics. Students admitted into the program must have a degree in accounting from an accredited college or university before starting their graduate studies. Though many of its courses focus on topics relating to local and state accounting studies, some of the courses also look at international business. Students learn how the skills they develop in the program will help them make decisions when they enter the business field. Many of its graduates works as accountants, auditors, revenue agents, and tax collectors, and they also reach enough credit hours to sit for the New York CPA licensing examination. LIU Brooklyn requires that students enrolled in this program maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher in all of their classes. Failure to maintain that GPA can result in students losing their spots within the program.

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Accounting

Experts found that those with a Master of Business Administration have the chance to earn more after graduation than those who only have an MS degree can earn. At Long Island University Brooklyn, students have the chance to combine both degree types with the M.B.A. in Accounting program. Other MBA programs let students choose an accounting concentration, but they only take a few classes on that topic. This program offers students a better understanding of both business topics and accounting topics. Though they take a number of business classes, including business operations and business ethics, they also take classes on accounting. Those courses might include forensic accounting, accounting for nonprofit organizations and individual or business taxation. Prior to working in the field or sitting for the CPA test, many students opt to take an internship that lets them work for one of the leading companies operating out of Brooklyn.

Master of Science (M.S.) in Accountancy

Long Island University understands that not all students want to sit for the CPA exam and that some students have an interest in professional accounting, which is why the university offers an M.S. in Accountancy. This 30 credit hour long program includes a professional accounting concentration that lets students learn how to interact and communicate with their future clients. It is a unique program that combines traditional classroom learning with online learning. Students take up to half of their courses over the Internet and take the remaining classes on campus. The program strives to help students learn how to work with others and in group settings, but it also wants students to learn how to research different topics to make decisions. Students also look at both international and domestic issues and how their accounting skills can help them better look at those issues with a neutral eye before making any decisions.

Accreditation

  • The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • The Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSCHE)

Contact

1 University Plaza
New York, NY 11201
Phone: (718) 488-1000
Email: bkln-admissions@liu.edu
Website: http://www.liu.edu/Brooklyn/Academics/Schools/SBPAIS

Mercy College

School of Business

Mercy College is one of several private institutions of higher learning that arrived in New York during the 20th century. Founded in 1950, it is one of the few private colleges in the state that doesn’t have a connection to any religious organization. Though the college originally started with just a handful of students from the surrounding area, it later saw its popularity increase across the country. More than 8,000 students from states all across the country and from other countries now take classes on campus, and the school offers a small number of residence halls for those students.

Public Accounting, Master of Science (MS)

Those looking for accredited accounting degree programs in New York might consider Mercy College. Its Public Accounting MS is a graduate program designed for future CPAs. New York requires that those taking the class have a total of 150 credit hours of accounting and related courses completed, and this program provides students who attended an undergraduate accounting program the final credits needed for that exam. This is a 30 credit hour program that asks students to take six public accounting courses and four business courses. Marketing systems, managerial economics and corporate financial policy are a few of the business courses available in this program. As part of their accounting courses, students will take a three credit hour capstone seminar. This is similar to a thesis, but students will need to complete a research project or paper on a topic that they cover in the course. Professors work with students to find a topic and complete the assignment.

Related Resource: How Much Does a CPA Make?

Accreditation

  • The Commission on Higher Education of the Middles States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSCHE)

Contact

555 Broadway St.
Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
Phone: (877) 637-2946
Email: admissions@mercy.edu
Website: https://www.mercy.edu/business

Molloy College

Graduate Degree Programs

Founded in 1955, Molloy College is a small private college affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. For nearly 20 years, the college was only open to female students, but it began admitting male students in the 1970s. Ten years later, the school officially opened as a coeducational school, but it still has a slightly higher population of female students to male students. Its beautiful and historic campus has ample room for its more than 4,000 students, and the college offers a number of activities and clubs for students, including internships and study abroad opportunities for students at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Accounting Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Molloy College offers five different Master of Business Administration degree programs. Its MBA Accounting program is a degree program designed specifically for students interested in operating their own companies or working for major corporations and nonprofit organizations. It relies on five key pillars: written communications, oral communications, decision making skills, quantitative modeling, and the ethics of business. As an MBA program, it focuses on producing students with the skills needed to find success in the business world. Students in this program can take part in the Investment Fund Trading Room, which lets students take money and invest it in different opportunities. They learn the ins and outs of buying and selling stock, watching the stock market and buying commodities for clients. Students can also take part in the Leadership Institute, which lets them meet with experts in the business world and gain leadership skills that they’ll need on the job later.

Accreditation

  • The Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSCHE)

Contact

1000 Hempstead Avenue
Kellenberg Hall
Rockville Centre, New York 11571
Phone: (800) 466-5569
Email: info@molloy.edu
Website: http://www.molloy.edu/academics/graduate-degree-programs/graduate-business/accounting-mba

New York University

Stern School of Business

The Stern School of Business at New York University ranks as one of the country’s oldest business schools. Founded in 1900, more than 3,300 students take graduate level courses from the school every year. U.S. News & World Report continually picked the school as one of its top 10 or top 20 business schools, and in 2012, it listed the school as the fifth best business school in the country. Bloomberg Businessweek and Forbes recognized the school for its graduate MBA program, and both the Financial Times and CNN Expansion picked the college as one of the world’s top business schools.

Full-Time MBA, Accounting

Though the Stern College of Business offers multiple MBA programs and concentrations, those interested in accounting or finance should look into the Full-Time MBA, Accounting program. Unlike other programs that offer longer classes on the weekends and in the early evenings, this program offers traditional courses that meet for 45 to 60 minutes two or more times each week. Those focusing on the accounting concentration can expect to take multiple courses on accounting topics. Some of the courses that the school recommends are modeling financial statements, integrated approaches to financial system analysis, accounting for mergers, acquisitions and related matters and analysis of financial institutions and financial instruments. Stern has an active alumni network that gives students ample opportunities for the future. They can attend networking events that let them form friendships that might lead to jobs, and the school also hosts a number of career fairs and mock interview sessions for its students.

Accreditation

  • The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • The Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSCHE)

Contact

44 W. 4th St.
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-0100
Email: sternmba@stern.nyu.edu
Website: http://www.stern.nyu.edu/programs-admissions/full-time-mba

Nyack College

School of Business and Leadership

Nyack College opened in 1882 as an institute that trained missionaries for working in the field in the United States and abroad. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the state granted the school the right to grant bachelor degrees, and by the 1960s, it had the right to award students a Bachelor of Science degree or a Bachelor of Arts degree. Its first campus covers more than 100 acres and retains its historic sense of charm. In 2012, the college opened a second campus that is smaller and more modern than its original campus. More than 3,000 students take courses on both campuses.

Master of Business Administration (MBA), Accounting Concentration

Nyack College’s Master of Business Administration, Accounting Concentration uses a series of examinations to test the knowledge that students learn in the program. They must take courses after completing two economics courses and two business courses and a final test during their last year in the program. They can only continue with the program if they pass those tests. A capstone course that students take during their final year asks them to use their research and writing skills to create a paper that shows their interest in an area of accounting. The program consists of nine core courses worth three credits each, which include managerial economics, international accounting, strategic information systems management and financial management. Those who choose the accounting concentration will also need to take three accounting courses on financial reporting and analysis, corporate taxation and CPA preparation and review. That last course goes over the topics commonly found on the New York CPA exam.

Accreditation

  • The Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSCHE)

Contact

2 Washington Street,
New York, NY 10004
Phone: (212) 625-0500
Website: http://www.nyack.edu/content/SBLExplore

Accountants work with individual clients, for large corporations and with nonprofit organizations. They help clients determine their operating budgets, file their taxes and with their other financial and accounting needs. The best accountants working in the state today earned their degrees from some of the top accredited accounting degree programs in New York.