Overview
Today’s accountants are the backbones of businesses that rely on their expertise to translate financial data into clear and relevant information and comply with federal, state and local laws and taxes. Governors State’s STEM- designated Master of Science in Accounting (MSA)
will prepare you to meet and adapt to the ever-changing technology in the field of accounting while equipping you with the knowledge and skills to communicate financial reports and information and comply with tax, audit and other financial and legal requirements, and communicate about 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, finance, management, audit and assurance services and accounting information systems. Focus your education by tailoring your graduate studies to your career interests in audit, tax, financial planning, or general business.
As a STEM-designated degree program, international students with an F-1 visa can work for three years in the United States after earning their MSA at GovState through the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program.
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 credentials needed to teach at the college level.
Chicago is home to the headquarters of the fifth, sixth, and seventh largest national accounting firms - RSM, Grant Thorton, and BDO - and the large offices of the Big 4 accounting firms- Deloitte, PwC, Ernst & Young and KPMG. Theres are also several Global 500 companies in the metropolitan area.
Graduates of GovState's accounting program receive offers from top accounting firms and a range of other companies and industries including Deloitte, KPMG, PwC Crowe Horwath, Legacy, Miller Cooper, Forvis Mazars and Sikich, along with smaller local firms. Other GovState accounting graduates also work in industry, government, and business consulting services such as Exelon, Tyson Foods, Cars.com, and Oracle. Some GovState accounting graduates choose to start their own accounting firm work in firm, work in federal, state and local government, or advance into management or executive leadership within organizations.
Our AACSB-accredited College of Business has structured a curriculum to provide you with the global knowledge needed in the Chicagoland region and beyond.
Why Get a Master of Science in Accounting?
A rapid evolutionary change is creating unprecedented opportunities for accounting professionals. In 2024, Crains Chicago Business reported a workforce shortage in accounting in the Chicago area and across the country, resulting in growing opportunities for accounting professionals.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Chicago area is the fourth largest employment market for accountants and auditors, with an annual mean wage of $89,490. Accountants with a CPA, which the MSA will help you obtain, have even higher salaries. Salary.com posts the average salary for someone with a CPA in Chicago between $73,676 and $483,604.
Delivery Format
Achieve your MSA in as little as 18 months. Courses in GovState's 33-credit hour MSA are offered in on-campus, hybrid and online formats to meet the needs of both domestic and international students (such as, international students' in-person visa requirements). Flexible evening and 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 and other positions in
industry, government, and nonprofit organizations. Students will earn
their BS degree at GovState 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.
Testimonials
"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."
Stacy L. Crook, Trustee
"I have always told my students, ‘You’ll never know until you take the first step.’ During my tenure at GovState, 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."
Dr. TJ Wang, Associate Professor of Accounting