The Master of Accountancy (MAcc, MAcy, or MAccy), alternatively Master of Science in Accounting (MSA or MSAcy) or Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAcy, MPAcc or MPAc), is a graduate

professional degree A professional degree, formerly known in the US as a first professional degree, is a degree that prepares someone to work in a particular profession, practice, or industry sector often meeting the academic requirements for licensure or accreditatio ...

designed to prepare students for public accounting; academic-focused variants are also offered. In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, the program provides students with the 150 credit hours of classroom, but mostly clinical hours, required by most states before taking the

Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination The Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination (CPA Exam) is the examination administered to people who wish to become U.S. Certified Public Accountants. The CPA Exam is used by the regulatory bodies of all fifty states plus the District ...

. This specialty program usually runs one to two years in length and contains from ten to twelve three semester credit courses (30 to 36 semester hours total). The program may consist of all graduate accounting courses or a combination of graduate accounting courses, graduate management, tax, leadership and other graduate business electives. The program is designed to not only prepare students for the CPA examination but also to provide a strong knowledge of accounting principles and business applications. Similar graduate programs exist in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

, where certain

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

such as

Brock University Brock University is a public research university in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is the only university in Canada in a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, at the centre of Canada's Niagara Peninsula on the Niagara Escarpment. The university bear ...

Goodman School of Business The Goodman School of Business (colloquially referred to as Goodman) is the business school of Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The business school offers programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level of study. The ...

Carleton University Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to serve returning World ...

Sprott School of Business The Sprott School of Business is a doctoral-granting business school at Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada – the nation’s capital. It is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the Netw ...

University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

Edwards School of Business The N. Murray Edwards School of Business, also known as the Edwards School of Business, or simply Edwards, is located on the University of Saskatchewan campus in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Formerly the College of Commerce, the school was renam ...

, and

University of Waterloo The University of Waterloo (UWaterloo, UW, or Waterloo) is a public research university with a main campus in Waterloo, Ontario Waterloo is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is one of three cities in the Regional Municipality ...

's School of Accounting and Finance offer master's programs and waive all education requirements up until the Common Final Examination (CFE) in order to become a Canadian CPA. A Master of Professional Accounting can also be obtained from

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n universities to qualify for the Australian CPA,

IPA IPA commonly refers to: * India pale ale, a style of beer * International Phonetic Alphabet, a system of phonetic notation * Isopropyl alcohol, a chemical compound IPA may also refer to: Organizations International * Insolvency Practitioners ...

or CA. As above, in other countries the degree's purpose may differ. Where the

Bachelor of Accountancy The Bachelor of Accountancy, also known as Bachelor of Accounting, is the principal academic degree in accountancy in several countries, and is often the only (undergraduate) degree recognised for subsequent practice as a professional accountant ...

is the prerequisite for professional practice, for example in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

, the Master of Accountancy then comprises specialized

coursework Coursework (also course work, especially British English) is work performed by students or trainees for the purpose of learning. Coursework may be specified and assigned by teachers, or by learning guides in self-taught courses. Coursework can e ...

in a specific area of accountancy ( computer auditing, taxation...), as opposed to CPA preparation as above. It may also be offered as a research based program, For example
Free State University

. granting access to doctoral programs. Graduates entering corporate accounting or

consulting A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization. Consulting servic ...

often additionally (alternatively) pursue the

Certified Management Accountant Certified Management Accountant (CMA) is a professional certification credential in the management accounting and financial management fields. The certification signifies that the person possesses knowledge in the areas of financial planning, ana ...

(CMA),

Certified Internal Auditor The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) is an organization which advocates, provides educational conferences, and develops standards, guidance, and certifications for the internal audit profession. History Established in 1941, the IIA today ...

(CIA) or other such certifications.

References

{{academic degrees Accounting scholarship Business qualifications

Accounting Accounting, also known as accountancy, is the measurement, processing, and communication of financial and non financial information about economic entities such as businesses and corporations. Accounting, which has been called the "languag ...

Accounting education

See also

References