Graduate study in accredited accounting degree programs in New York offers students the opportunity to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) or enter jobs with responsibilities at the management level. Accounting is one of the most valuable degrees a student can obtain in today’s job market as financial experts and individuals with accounting knowledge are invaluable for businesses today. New York State, as well as New York City, feature several amazing schools with lauded programs and respected faculty. Attending school in New York for accounting is a terrific way to form valuable relationships through internships with multibillion dollar companies and businesses that are respected in the field of accounting.

Pace University

Lubin School of Business

A private school, Pace University has campuses in Westchester County and in New York City. On a ranking of the best universities in the United States, Pace came in at number 173 on a list by U.S. News & World Report. Founded in 1906, Pace University was the idea of a pair of brothers who were lawyers and wanted to open a school that taught lessons to accountants and businessmen. The school was started with a loan of just $600, and the first classroom was a rented space where the first class featured 13 men and women. The school swiftly became popular after its founding.

Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Accounting

Under the guidance of the respected Lubin School of Business, the MBA program in Accounting helps students qualify to take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam and also furnishes a complete education in business, like other respected accredited accounting degree programs in New York. The school boasts that faculty members have significant experience in business and accounting and that the program will prepare students for work in a variety of industries. Students also benefit from internships with local branches of the “Big Four” accounting firms in New York City. Some of the topics covered in the university’s program include auditing, payroll services, bookkeeping, and tax preparation. Students benefit from a program based upon gaining knowledge of global markets, as well as modern business strategy. In addition to internships with the major accounting firms, students may also choose to intern with international companies like Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs & Co., the Internal Revenue Service, Deutsche Bank, and IBM. Students may choose to get their MBA at either of the school’s campuses in Lower Manhattan or in White Plains, which is north of the city.

Master of Science (MS) in Accounting

Pace suggests that the growth in the area of accounting will be around 16%, according to figures cited from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This growth is faster than the average of all professions, so jobs will be plentiful once a student graduates with this valuable degree. The school describes its MS in Accounting as a terrific way to prepare for the CPA exam, as well as a flexible program that may be completed in a swift manner. Students have access to professors with much experience in financial reporting and accounting and will be able to make valuable connections with the big firms that populate New York City. The degree opens the door to a variety of career paths including financial analysis, forensic accounting, management accounting, tax preparation, and auditing. Not only will students learn about vital management concepts in the program, but the degree also features an expert level of knowledge in the area of accounting.

Related Resource: Can I Become a CPA With Only a Bachelor’s in Accounting?

Accreditation

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

Contact

Pace University
1 Pace Plaza
New York, NY 10038
Phone: (212) 346-1531
Email: gradnyc@pace.edu
Website: http://www.pace.edu/lubin/mba-in-accounting

Queens College of the City University of New York

Department of Accounting and Information Systems

Located in the borough of Queens, Queens College is part of City University of New York system and is the fifth-oldest institution of higher learning in the system. Established in 1937, Queens College would grow to become the largest senior college in the CUNY system. Around 18,500 students attend classes at Queens College, and the site of the current school was once the site of a simple one-room schoolhouse where Walt Whitman once had a job as a teacher. Interestingly, the school’s site spent some time as a home for troubled boys and was also once the site of a mental institution.

Master of Science (MS) in Accounting

The vigorous graduate program in accounting at Queens College requires a variety of advanced accounting courses like Corporate Finance, Advanced Studies in Business Law, and Advanced Financial Accounting Theory. Some students who have prior experience in accounting may qualify to skip certain courses with the approval of faculty. For students interested in becoming a licensed CPA and getting the required 150 credits as required by the school’s program, the master’s degree program at Queens College helps go toward satisfying some of that requirement. Students who come to the program with an undergraduate degree in accounting may be finished with their credit hour requirement once they earn the MS in Accounting at Queens College; however, students are encouraged to confirm that their class load will meet the state’s requirements. The college also allows students to enroll as “non-matriculated” students if they’ve not yet taken the GMAT, which gives the student some time to take the test and then apply for formal acceptance into the program.

Accreditation

  • The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Contact

Queens College of the City University of New York
60-30 Kissena Blvd. PH 215
Flushing, NY 11367
Phone: (718) 997-5070
Email: QC.accounting@qc.cuny.edu
Website: http://accountingdepartment.org/queenscollege/

Rochester Institute of Technology

Saunders College of Business

An old and respected university located in Rochester, RIT has been offering classes since 1829. The programs at RIT routinely sit near the top of lists dedicated to the best universities in the nation. Interestingly, the school was once located on the Erie Canal, but a planned highway that would require demolition of part of the campus, as well as the bifurcation of the overall campus forced the university to undergo a location change. A generous donation of over $3 million from a local named Grace Watson helped the school move to a new location. Today, that donation would equal around $25 million.

Accounting Master of Business Administration (MBA)

RIT suggests that its MBA program in accounting is an important way to get into the top levels of management and that the program at RIT helps satisfy the educational requirements of the CPA exam. Students will take courses in a variety of accounting and business foundations and may choose from one of two tracks, which is common with accredited accounting degree programs in New York. One track is for students who have an undergraduate degree in accounting, while the other program is for students who have a degree in another field that’s not accounting, economics, business, or statistics. Some of the classes students will take in the program include Organizational Behavior and Leadership, Marketing Concepts and Commercialization, and Financial Accounting and Leadership. To obtain entry into the program, students must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, know some college-level math skills, and be able to submit each of the required application materials like a resume, application, and personal statement.

Accreditation

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

Contact

Rochester Institute of Technology
One Lomb Memorial Drive
Rochester, NY 14623
Phone: (585) 475-2411
Email: admissions@rit.edu
Website: http://saunders.rit.edu/

St. John’s University

Peter J. Tobin College of Business

Established in 1870, St. John’s is a New York City university that was founded by a group of Catholics. In addition to the campus in Queens, the school also has campuses in Staten Island, Rome, Italy, and Manhattan. The school’s name comes from the a Catholic Saint of the same name. The population of the school is quite large with around 21,000 students attending classes. “U.S. News & World Report” ranked St. John’s as 147th in the nation on its list of the top schools in the country. The school was also labeled by “The Wall Street Journal” as one that would help students find jobs after graduation.

Accounting, Master of Science (MS)

Professionals who want to further their knowledge of business and accounting will thrive in the program at St. Johns as it helps bring sophisticated theoretical concepts to life in a vibrant and challenging program, as well as the practical ideas and knowledge necessary of an accounting environment. The school suggests that financial regulations have evolved to a point in modern accounting that experts in the field are highly in demand. Graduates should be able to leverage their education in a variety of essential areas of business, finance, and accounting. To obtain entry into the program, students must have an undergraduate degree in business, and the school offers scholarships associated with public accounting firms for high performing students. Some of the learning outcomes include the ability to identify and analyze financial information, understand risks and exposures, and communicate and report the results of research. Additionally, students will be able to research technical issues and leverage technology to their benefit.

Accounting, Master of Business Administration (MBA)

The MBA program in Accounting at St. John’s requires that students complete somewhere between 36 and 54 credits, depending on the type of undergraduate program the student completed. Upon graduation, students may choose to enter public accounting or any area of business that requires financial expertise, as well as business acumen. Not only are students exposed to vital lessons on accounting, but they also receive a valuable education on common management problems and other business issues that they may face when entering the workforce at the management level. The school boasts that the MBA program at St. John’s was one of the first in the region to obtain AACSB International accreditation. The MBA program in accounting will help students satisfy the education requirements of obtaining a CPA degree, and students are encouraged to visit with an accounting advisor prior to enrollment so as to ensure all classes taken will lead to eventual eligibility to sit for the CPA exam.

Accreditation

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

Contact

The Peter J. Tobin College of Business
Office of Graduate Admission
8000 Utopia Parkway
111C Bent Hall
Queens, NY 11439
Phone: (718) 990-1345
Email: TobinGradNYC@stjohns.edu
Website: http://www.stjohns.edu/academics/schools-and-colleges/peter-j-tobin-college-business/programs-and-majors/accounting-master-science

St. Joseph’s College, New York

School of Professional and Graduate Studies

Founded in 1916, St. Joseph’s College has around 5,000 students enrolled in about 25 majors. The school has appeared on the “U.S. News & World Report” listing of the best colleges in the country and has also been recognized for its affordable tuition rates. The college was originally named “St. Joseph’s College for Women,” and it was founded by a group of Catholic sisters. Accreditation and bachelor’s degrees followed in the 1920s after the schools founding, and the school eventually expanded to include a respected program in child development and also started accepting male students in later years, as well as healthy athletic programs for all students.

Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Accounting

Students at St. Joseph’s College learn from faculty who boast experience in the field, as well as CPA licensure. The college strives to keep classroom sizes small, as well as offer students a program that deals with current practices and new developments in accounting. Students will emerge from the program with the knowledge required to enter governmental, institutional private, or public accounting. Students may wish to consider a special five-year program that combines a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration alongside a major in Accounting. Students who fulfill this program will have satisfied all the educational credits required to sit for the CPA exam. The MBA program requires that students complete 36 credits on courses that feature valuable lessons on things like leadership, management, and auditing. Overall, the program requires that students complete eight graduate courses in management, as well as four courses in graduate-level accounting. The program also has some undergraduate prerequisites in accounting.

Accreditation

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

Contact

Saint Joseph’s College
245 Clinton Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11205
Phone: (718) 940-5300
Email: admissions@sjcny.edu
Website: http://www.sjcny.edu/Academics/MBA-in-Accounting/195/

State University of New York at New Paltz

School of Business

As part of the SUNY system, New Paltz was once known as the New Paltz Classical School, which was a secondary school founded in 1828. The university that grew out of that early school has become one of the most respected in the country with around 7,800 students enrolled for classes. Overall, New Paltz is one of the most selective universities in the SUNY system, and reports suggest the school only accepts around 34% of its applicants. Its popularity has led to the school receiving more applications each year than any other university in the SUNY system. Over the years, the average test scores and GPAs of students have gone up with the average GPA (on a 0 to 100 scale) of incoming freshman in 2006 of 90.6. By 2010, that average rose to a GPA of 92.

Master of Business Association (MBA) in Public Accountancy

The MBA program in accounting at New Paltz requires that students complete 36 credits at the graduate level. The program is associated with the New York State Education Department’s list of programs that offer the full allotment of credit hours required for students wanting to sit for the CPA exam. Students who have not yet begun an undergraduate program may want to consider the five-year option which features an undergraduate degree and an MBA at the end of the session. Students who are already enrolled in the school’s undergraduate program are eligible to start taking MBA courses once they’ve completed 90 credits at the undergraduate level. Some of the foundational courses students will take include Financial Accounting, Introduction to Macroeconomics, and Statistics for Business & Economics. Advanced courses include Advanced Auditing, Accounting Theory, and Human Resource Management. Students are also required to take a zero-credit Business Workshop at the beginning of their first semester at the university.

Accreditation

  • The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Contact

State University of New York at New Paltz
1 Hawk Drive
New Paltz, NY 12561
Phone: (845) 257-SUNY
Email: admissions@newpaltz.edu
Website: http://www.newpaltz.edu/mba/cpa.html

State University of New York at Oswego

School of Business

A public university in Oswego, the main campus sits on the shores of Lake Ontario. The school was founded in 1861 as a Normal School by a man named Edward Austin Sheldon, who had some significant ideas on education. The school was elevated to a degree-granting institution in 1942 when it changed from a normal school to a teacher’s college. The school has around 7,400 students enrolled for classes and offers over 100 different academic programs for students to enjoy. The school boasts that it has over 73,000 living alumni and that a recent renovation project was slated to introduce at least $700 million of new buildings and enhancements to the university.

Public Accounting, Master of Business Administration (MBA)

The university suggests that its accounting program has been designed to meet the standards set forth by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. As such, the program has been registered with the New York State Education Department as a program that helps students satisfy the educational requirements to sit for the Uniform CPA examination. The program requires that students complete 36 graduate credit hours of core, electives, and directed study. Students may choose to attend the program on campus or they may elect to participate in online classes. Students may even choose to attend classes on campus, as well as take some classes through the online option. Admission to the program is on a rolling basis, which means that students can choose to enroll at any time. Students may also apply to have some credit requirements waived if they bring the right educational experience to the program. Students will also work with the school’s faculty to set up internships and graduate assistantships.

Accreditation

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

Contact

State University of New York at Oswego
7060 Route 104
Oswego, NY 13126
Phone: (315) 312-2500
Email: admiss@oswego.edu
Website: http://www.oswego.edu/academics/colleges_and_departments/business/mba/programs/publicaccounting.html

Students who enjoy mathematics and solving problems will thrive in an accounting program, and advanced programs at the graduate level offer valuable knowledge for work in several industries. All businesses require accounting experts, so graduates with a degree in accounting are highly valued in today’s job marketplace. Students interested in business may want to consider an accounting degree, even if they don’t intend to sit for the CPA exam; however accredited accounting degree programs in New York are also the best option for students wishing to sit for the CPA exam.