Students seeking accredited accounting degree programs in Minnesota will find that many universities offer programs that are perfect for anyone who wants to become a CPA and get licensed to practice accounting. Minnesota offers students a long and honored history of providing higher education with many of the universities in the state featuring long histories that began in the early to mid-1800s. An accounting degree is exceptionally valuable for anyone who wants to enter a business environment since companies today want skilled workers who are knowledgeable about topics like finance, accounting, and budgeting. Minnesota is a terrific state in which to learn about accounting and become a Certified Public Accountant.
Capella University
Business Graduate
Established in 1993, Capella University offers many of its degrees online and is one of the leaders in providing online education in the United States. The university offers a variety of degrees including bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees. Over 141 specializations exist for students to choose which includes around 1,600 different classes. The school counts around 36,000 students enrolled for classes where around 40 percent of those students are enrolled in master’s degree programs. Because of the school’s online learning delivery system, faculty for the school live all across the country and over 85 percent of those teachers have doctoral degrees.
Master of Business Administration Accounting Specialization
With the Great Recession and difficult financial issues hitting scores of major businesses, the need for highly trained accountants and individuals with business knowledge, and accounting experience is significant in the business world. The MBA program at Capella offers instruction on a variety of essential business and accounting topics like budgeting, auditing, and various financial systems used today. The program requires that students complete a total of 48 program credits, and students can transfer in with up to 12 credits already earned. Students in the program experience a variety of simulated scenarios and are also responsible for completing a capstone project that helps students define the knowledge and experience gained during the program. Students may qualify for grants offered directly through the university, as well as financial aid provided through a variety of sources. For example, the school offers a $3,000 MBA grant to students who enroll in the university and pass their first course.
Accreditation
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association
Contact
Capella University
225 S. 6th Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402
Phone: (866) 933-5840
Email: admissions@capella.edu
Website: http://www.capella.edu/online-degrees/mba-accounting/
DeVry University, Edina Campus
College of Business & Management
In operation since 1931, DeVry University has over 90 campuses around the United States including one in Edina, Minnesota. The school was founded as DeForest Training School and became DeVry University in 2002. Most of the classes offered by DeVry can be taken over the internet, and the university is accredited to offer degrees in several states around the country. The accounting master’s programs at DeVry are offered through the Keller Graduate School of Management, which has been part of the DeVry family since the early 1970s. Over the course of its development, the school also acquired Becker CPA Review, which helps students prepared for the CPA exam.
Master of Science in Accounting (MSAC)
One of the reasons why accounting students choose to go on to graduate school is because of the opportunity to advance a career. A master’s degree is often the best way to become a CPA since the training requirements of the CPA certification process are often included in the classes taken for a master’s degree. The program integrates study assistance from Becker Professional Education, which helps students achieve a greater percentage of passing grades on the official CPA exam. Students are encouraged to check with the state in which they want to practice to ensure that the credits offered by DeVry may be applied to getting certified as a CPA. Students who wish to enter the program must have a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related specialization, a CPA license, or prior successful completion of the CPA exam. Since students can take courses online, anyone who has special requirements regarding scheduling can enroll in the classes.
Accounting & Financial Management Master’s Degree Program
Anyone who wishes to reach the job market with important skills that employers want will benefit from the Accounting & Financial Management degree at DeVry. The program features a healthy combination of management coursework alongside classes in accounting and financial topics. Students may emphasize in one of three areas including Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), Finance, or Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Any student who is looking to become a CPA will want to investigate this program as the degree offers instruction connected to the Becker Professional Education series of CPA prep courses. To complete the program, students must take a total of 45 credit hours with each emphasis requiring a different number of mandatory classes, as well as electives and emphasis classes. Some of the classes students will take include Accounting and Finance: Managerial Use and Analysis, Managerial Accounting, and Intermediate Accounting III. Each emphasis also features courses specific to that tract.
Accreditations
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association
- Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (MAFM degree)
Contact
DeVry University
Edina Campus
7700 France Ave. S.
Ste. 575
Edina, MN 55435
Phone: (952) 838-1860
Email: admissions@devry.edu
Website: http://www.keller.edu/graduate-degree-programs/masters-degree-programs/masters-accounting.html
Minnesota State University, Mankato
College of Business
Minnesota State University was established in 1868 and was the third-largest campus in the state with more than 15,000 students enrolled as of 2012. The school offers almost 160 different undergraduate degrees, as well as 82 different graduate specializations. Just 27 students attended classes in 1868 when the school was first founded, and it was the first college in the United States who had a woman at its top post: Julia Sears in 1872. Interestingly, the school was also the first in the United States to offer a Master of Fine Arts degree Forensics. Overall, the school is accredited by 25 different national accrediting bodies, including the accounting program, which is a respected accredited accounting degree programs in Minnesota.
Master of Accounting
Students who wish to become a Certified Public Accountant in Minnesota will be eligible to take the CPA exam after receiving a master’s degree from MSU as the program provides all the necessary prerequisite classes to sit for the exam. The program takes 12 months to complete and is a terrific choice for students who already have a degree in accounting, or for students who have a degree in a closely related discipline and wish to move into public accounting for a career. The curriculum for the program features a combination of classes about accounting theory, as well as classes that feature instruction on the technical issues that impact a student of accounting. The school suggests that the “Big 4” accounting firms seek out students who have graduated from the MSU program because of the value of the coursework taken for a Master of Accounting degree. The school also says that its program is one of the most affordable in the country.
Accreditations
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association
- Association to Advance Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
College of Graduate Studies & Research
Minnesota State University, Mankato
115 Alumni Foundation Center
Mankato, MN 56001
Phone: (507) 389-2321
Email: grad@mnsu.edu
Website: http://cob.mnsu.edu/macc/
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Carlson School of Management
The University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities is a public research university and is the oldest campus in the U of M system. Established in 1851, the university is also the sixth-largest school in the United States with almost 52,000 students enrolled as of the 2012 to 2013 school year. Interestingly, the school was shut down during the Civil War, but reopened in the mid 1860s with money from a generous benefactor. Today, the school is divided into 19 different colleges and also has several interdisciplinary centers where students from different schools may meet and study in one of 143 different degree programs.
Master of Accountancy (MAcc)
U of M’s Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program is designed to help students meet the requirement of 150 semester hours of study so as to qualify to be certified under the state of Minnesota’s guidelines for CPAs. Students receive instruction in a variety of areas including elective courses in accounting, finance, taxation, and marketing. Students specifically interested in taxation can also specialize in a “tax track” from which students can choose from up to 20 different elective courses that feature tax topics. Students can also apply some of their tax classes to a future Master of Business Taxation degree at the school. Some of the courses students will take while enrolled include Auditing Principles and Procedures, Financial Modeling, and Data Analysis and Statistics for Managers. Some of the companies that have recruited University of Minnesota students in the past have included KPMH, Piper Jaffrey, Donaldson Company, and 3M, in addition to many other well-known businesses.
Accreditations
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association
- American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business
Contact
Carlson School of Management
University of Minnesota
321 Nineteenth Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Phone: (612) 625-0027
Email: csom@umn.edu
Website: http://www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/master-accountancy/academics/index.html
University of St. Thomas
Opus College of Business
As a private, Catholic university, the University of St. Thomas is home to almost 11,000 students and is Minnesota’s largest private school for higher education. School founders named the school after Thomas Aquinas, who was a medieval scholar and was made the patron saint of students by the Catholic Church. The school awards around 2,500 degrees each year to students in a variety of different fields at the undergraduate and graduate level. In addition, the school also offers students the opportunity to study for five different doctorates. Overall, the school features nine divisions into which degrees and specializations are organized in areas like the arts, humanities, and natural sciences.
Master of Science (MS) Degree in Accountancy
The program at the University of St. Thomas helps students earn the 150 credits required for CPA licensure in Minnesota and also offers valuable experience for networking and gaining professional relationships. The program is competitive, and the school starts accepting applications up to a year in advance of the next program start date. Students also have the opportunity to complete a paid internship with a major company. Some of the companies offering paid internships to students at St. Thomas have included Deloitte, US Bank, PwC, and CliftonLarsonAllen. Internships are designed to match the skills and future career plans of a particular student with a company with whom that student would best fit. The program takes 11 months to complete and requires that students have a bachelor’s degree in accounting or a similar area. Students must also provide two letters of recommendation, take the GMAT, and provide a personal statement to be considered for admittance into the program.
Accreditations
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association
Contact
University of St. Thomas
Opus College of Business
1000 LaSalle Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55403
Phone: (651) 962-4200
Email: cob@stthomas.edu
https://www.stthomas.edu/business/msaccountancy/
Walden University
College of Management and Technology
Established in 1970s, Walden University is a for-profit institution and offers a variety of bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The school also offers a handful of doctoral degrees in areas like business and education. A pair of teachers from New York originally established the school for students who were already in the workforce and wanted to expand upon their future employment opportunities. The first classes actually took place in Florida, but the school eventually relocated to Minnesota in the early 1980s. The school also sponsors a respected, peer-reviewed academic journal named the “International Journal of Applied Management and Technology,” and also has a professional relationship with UNICEF.
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) Accounting
Students in the Accounting specialization at Walden University must complete 36 credits to graduate, which includes 24 credits of core courses, nine credits of specialized courses, and a capstone course of three semester credits. The program is designed to take 24 months to complete; however, students with varying scheduling needs may take longer to complete the course. Some of the classes students will take in the program include Dynamic Leadership, Managing People and Promoting Collaboration, and Managing Business Information Systems. The state licensing board for CPAs requires students to complete 150 hours of education in various subjects in order to qualify to take the exam. Walden’s program offers 120 of the hours required in essential topics like accounting, legal and ethical issues, and managerial accounting practices. Students also receive assistance from the university in career planning, which helps students land a job quickly after graduation. In addition, students also receive a free membership in World of Business Ideas.
Master of Science (MS) in Accounting
Students can explore a variety of careers after receiving an MS in Accounting and will be well on their way to completing the requirements for the CPA exam after graduating with this valuable degree. One of the interesting features of Walden’s program is the Embedded Graduate-Level Certificate offered to students after a student completes at least four courses in the program. This valuable certificate allows students to start working toward employment opportunities early within the program’s process. Within this master’s degree, students can specialize in one of three areas including Accounting for the Professional, Accounting with CPA Emphasis, and a self-designated specialization. Some of the careers open to students of this and other accredited accounting degree programs in Minnesota include compliance auditing, cost accounting, and external auditing. Upon graduation, students will be able to communicate effectively on various accounting topics, as well as employ important analytical and quantitative skills required for success in the accounting profession. Walden’s Master of Science in Accounting program was ranked as number three in the top ten best online master’s in accounting degree programs for 2014 by our editors.
Accreditations
- Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association
- Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
Contact
Walden University
100 Washington Avenue South, Suite 900
Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: (866) 492-5336
Email: help@walden.edu
Website: http://www.waldenu.edu/masters/master-of-business-administration
In deciding to learn about accounting in a higher education environment, students should find that they’re very qualified to enter a variety of professions from those directly in accounting to professions in the business world that require knowledge of finance, such as work as a CFO. With a degree in hand from any one of the respected accredited accounting degree programs in Minnesota, a future accountant will be able to identify valuable professional opportunities, as well as successfully enter the profession in a variety of industries.
