New graduate accounting program offers students tech-enhanced coursework for evolving industry

Rutgers Business School is offering a new Master of Accountancy in Accounting and Analytics designed for individuals seeking an advanced degree in accounting or preparing to sit for the revamped CPA exam.

Rutgers Business School’s Accounting and Information Systems Department merged elements of two long-time and highly ranked programs, the Master of Accountancy in Financial Accounting and the Master of Accountancy in Professional Accounting, to create the foundation of the new STEM-designated master’s program.

The new program offers a curriculum that has been updated to reflect the changes occurring in the accounting profession, including the use of emerging technologies. The course material is also designed to prepare students for the 150-credit rule, and rigor of the new CPA exam. 

“The new Master of Accountancy in Accounting and Analytics is designed to provide a tech-driven graduate degree for students with any undergraduate business major,” said Professor Alexander Sannella, the program’s co-director. “It allows us to better prepare graduate accounting students for a dynamic business environment.”

The strength of the Master of Accountancy in Accounting and Analytics Program is fueled by the expertise of Rutgers Business School’s Accounting and Information Systems Department, which is ranked No. 1 in the world for its research. The quality of Rutgers accounting faculty and experience delivering effective online programs is reflected in the recent U.S. News and World Report that ranked Rutgers Business School’s online accounting programs No. 1 in the United States.

The 30-credit program offers two distinct course offerings, one set of classes is intended for students who studied accounting in their undergraduate college career. Business school students who did not study accounting can choose courses tailored for them. The STEM electives include such classes as: Introduction to AI in Accounting, Robotic Process Automation and Audit Analytics. Read more about the courses at the heart of the Master of Accountancy in Accounting and Analytics.

Rutgers Business School professors have also carefully designed the program to adequately prepare students with ambitions of taking the new CPA exam. The new licensure exam has a mandatory core exam and requires exam-takers to specialize in one of three areas – Business Reporting and Analysis, Information Systems and Controls and Tax Compliance and Planning. The CPA is a valuable credential that differentiates accounting professionals for their expertise and opens the doors to greater career opportunities in banking, auditing, and insurance.

“Applicants planning to sit for the CPA exam will find this program to be an extremely effective way to prepare for the content included on the new CPA exam, “The CPA Evolution,” said the program’s co-director Professor Sannella. The master’s program also allows students to fulfill the 150 credit-hour requirement of pre-CPA study, he said. The new exam went into effect in January.

Created to be flexible, the program allows students may to attend full-time or part-time. Domestic students will have the option of attending classes in-person, online or in a hybrid format. International students must complete in-person classes in order to complete the STEM-designated program. In-person classes will be held at Rutgers Business School-Newark. Students attending full-time may complete the program in a year.

In addition to ensuring that students are prepared for the evolving accounting industry, the Master of Accountancy in Accounting and Analytics offers students the benefit of completing a program that is STEM-designated (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). For international students, enrollment in the STEM-designated master’s program may qualify them to pursue Optional Practical Training (OPT) or temporary work experience in the U.S. in their major area of study. 

The new master’s program is currently accepting applications for summer and fall classes. The deadline to submit applications to begin the program this summer is May 1.