Towson University is also featured in our ranking 30 Top Affordable Master’s in Accounting/Master’s of Accountancy Degree Programs.

Master’s of Accounting at Towson University

This graduate degree is offered jointly by Towson University and the University of Baltimore and is called the Master’s of Science in Accounting and Business Advisory Services. It combines advanced accounting practices with financial and investment management techniques as well as relevant information technology and data science topics. This means the program covers the same information found on the CPA exams, and students will be prepared for certification upon graduation.

Thirty credit hours of graduate courses are required for graduation. These include a set of 6 required classes including Advanced Topics in Assurance Services, Advanced Topics in Accounting Systems, Financial Management, and Corporate Finance. In addition, students have the opportunity to tailor the remainder of their program to specific interests or career goals by choosing four electives. Some class topics are taxation, real estate, investments, risk management, leadership, e-commerce, data analysis, and global finance. Many of these classes are offered either on-campus or online.

Students who do not have an accounting undergraduate degree are required to take 42 credit hours. The five additional required course must be taken first and provide a foundation in accounting theory and practice. These classes are Accounting Essentials, Intermediate Accounting I and II, Auditing, and Essentials of Finance.

Competitive undergraduate accounting students either at Towson or the University of Baltimore have the opportunity to begin their graduate study during their senior year as long as they have previously completed all required prerequisite classes.

About Towson University

Located in a suburb just north of Baltimore, Maryland, Towson University is one of the 12 public schools that make up the University of Maryland System. Educating over 20,000 students each semester, the school offers over 100 degree programs including 46 at the master’s level. This is in stark contrast to its beginnings in 1866 when Towson University opened as primarily a teaching college.

The school welcomes students from every state and multiple countries throughout the world and emphasizes the benefits of having a diverse student population. Professors in all subject areas work hard to provide a variety of perspectives in their lessons and encourage acceptance of everyone’s opinion. Another focus of the university is sustainability and ethical business practices. On campus, they have implemented green building techniques, mass transit systems, and recycling programs. Students and faculty take part in research involving conservation, climate change, and alternative energy sources.

The university continually ranks highly in a variety of different publications. For regional northern schools in 2018, U.S. News and World Report has named Towson #10 in Top Public Schools, #23 for veterans, and #41 out of regional universities. In 2017, Money ranked the school #150 out of 711 Best Colleges For Your Money.

Towson University Accreditation Details

Towson University has been accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education since 1949, and the school passed its last review in 2016. This is an important designation because it provides assurance to students that they are receiving a quality education that will prepare them for professional life. The accrediting organization evaluates both the educational aspects of a university as well as the business and organizational side. Achieving accreditation certifies that the school is being run responsibly.

The accounting department at Towson University, both graduate, and undergraduate programs, is also accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The AACSB has two separate accreditation tracks, one for business degrees which sometimes can include accounting departments and the other specifically for accounting programs. The organization evaluates the curriculum and procedures of the department, focusing on student engagement, research and development, and outreach.

Towson University Application Requirements

The M.S. in Accounting and Business Advisory Services degree program is one of the graduate programs at Towson which means students need to first fill out an application for admission to the graduate school and then meet departmental requirements. Admissions is based primarily on undergraduate coursework and GPA as well as either the GMAT or GRE score. While the preferred GPA is above 3.0, students with a GPA as low as 2.7 can be admitted in certain circumstances.

Before beginning the program, students need to complete their undergraduate degree including some specific accounting, business, and general courses. These include statistics, speech, ethics, finance, management, marketing, micro and macroeconomics, and business law. The introductory accounting classes include the following.

  • Principles of Accounting I and II
  • Accounting IT
  • Intermediate Accounting I, II, and III
  • Auditing
  • Cost Accounting
  • Taxes

Tuition and Financial Aid

Tuition for graduate classes at Towson is $559 per credit hour for residents of Maryland, Washington D.C., Delaware, and parts of Virginia and Pennsylvania and $1006 for out-of-state students. The degree requires 30 hours, so total tuition costs are either $16,770 or $30,180 depending on residency status. The university emphasizes keeping costs low while providing a high-quality education earning a ranking of #57 on U.S. News and World Report’s list of Best Value Regional North schools.

There are a variety of different ways that graduate students can receive assistance funding their education. The first step for all students is to submit a FAFSA to determine what types of federal aid are available. Graduate students also have the opportunity to participate in programs like assistantships. These positions provide tuition waivers for students helping with teaching and research in their area of study. Students who demonstrate significant financial need may also qualify for federal work-study jobs and grants as well as awards from the Maryland Higher Education Commission. Other private organizations like the Accounting and Financial Women’s Alliance, the National Association of Black Accountants, and the National Economic Association provide scholarships for students based on need, achievement, or both. There are also special programs to help veterans or active-duty military members pay for school. Finally, students can apply for subsidized or unsubsidized loans for remaining tuition costs.

Upon first glance, the price tag for an Accounting and Business Advisory Services degree may seem high, but the education students receive in just two years prepares them for professional life and certification as a CPA. After graduation from Towson University, accounting graduate students have the skills necessary to quickly achieve their career goals.