Overview
Today’s accountants are the backbones of businesses that rely on their expertise to translate financial data into clear and relevant information. Governors State’s Master of Science in Accounting (MSA)
will prepare you to meet and adapt to ever-changing technology in the field of accounting while equipping you with the knowledge and skills to communicate financial reports and information as well as governance, risk, and compliance to key stakeholders.
In this program, you will obtain the foundational technical knowledge you need as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) while improving your skills in finance, management, audit and assurance services, taxation and business regulatory environments, and accounting information systems. Focus your education by tailoring your graduate studies to your career interests, whether in management, taxation, financial planning, or general business.
Reach Your Career Goals
As an MSA student, you will fulfill the 150-credit hour requirement to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam—or if you are already a CPA, you will achieve the credential needed to teach at the college level. Chicago is home to three headquarters of large national accounting firms—McGladrey, Grant Thornton, and BDO—and houses 14 Global 500 companies in its metropolitan area.
Graduates of GSU's accounting program work in a range of companies and industries including large and medium size public accounting and business consulting firms such as Deloitte, KPMG, Crowe Horwath, PwC, BDO, Legacy, Miller Cooper, and Sikich, along with smaller local firms. Other GSU accounting graduates also work in industry, government, and business consulting services such as Exelon, Tyson Foods, Cars.com and Oracle. Some GSU accounting graduates choose to start their own accounting firm or advance into roles of management or executive leadership within organizations.
Our AACSB-accredited College of Business has structured a curriculum that will provide you the global knowledge needed in the South Chicagoland region and beyond.
Why Get a Master of Science in Accounting?
Over the next two decades, a rapid evolutionary change will create unprecedented opportunities for accounting professionals. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) reports that about “half a million accounting jobs—likely including a breadth of entry-, mid-, and senior-level positions—will need to be filled from 2014 to 2024.”
As of 2023, the national average salary for entry-level accountants is $61,600 with an average range of $50,901– $73,445 (salary.com). Chicago’s average salary for accountants is $64,900.
Delivery Format
Achieve your Master of Science in Accounting in as little as 18 months. Governors State’s 33-credit hour MSA is offered in a fully on-campus or hybrid format. Flexible evening classes along with virtual online classes allow you to customize your schedule to fit the demands of your daily life.
5-Year MSA
The 5-Year MSA Admission Track will prepare students for professional accounting
positions in public accounting firms as well as other positions in
industry, government, and nonprofit organizations. Students will earn
their BS degree at GSU after completing 120 credit hours and their MS
degree after completing 33 additional credit hours. Undergraduate
Accounting majors at Governors State University may elect to enroll in
this track, once they have reached “junior” status.
Stacy Crook
Many of the faculty were adjuncts and had real world experience. They were able to bring what they were doing in the field into the classroom. I already had my MBA and experiences at firms like Jackson National Life and Northern Trust when I got to Governors State, but my time there really helped me to move forward. After graduation, AAM promoted me from Assistant Vice President to Vice President. I further advanced to Director of Investment Accounting in 2017.
Dr. TJ Wang, Associate Professor of Accounting
I have always told my students, ‘You’ll never know until you take the first step.’ During my tenure at GSU, I have seen many first-generation students who have taken their first step towards getting a BSA and/or MSA and made a better life for themselves. ‘Anything is possible,’ I often say.