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AccountingDegrees

Southern Methodist University · Cox School of Business

Master of Science in Accounting

Master'sMSADedicated degreeOn campusOpen entry

Overview

An in-person Master of Science in Accounting with Assurance and Advisory, Taxation and Information Systems tracks, completed in as few as nine months full-time or eighteen months part-time. Applicants from all majors are welcome, with background courses taken in the summer if needed.

Official program name
Master of Science in Accounting
Awarded degree
Master of Science in Accounting · major: Accounting
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Degree level
Master's
Subject focus
Dedicated degreeThe degree title itself is in accounting, accountancy, taxation or another accounting subject (for example a Master of Accountancy).
Source: catalog.smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Entry route
Open to both accounting and non-accounting graduatesThe program admits applicants from any field; prerequisite or foundation courses may apply, as published.
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
School
Southern Methodist University — Cox School of Business
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Location
Dallas, TX
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Subjects
Accounting — core of the degree (“Master of Science in Accounting”)Taxation — formal concentration / track (“Taxation track”)Accounting Information Systems — formal concentration / track (“Information Systems track”)
Tracks / concentrations
Assurance and Advisory · Taxation · Information Systems
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Required credits
31-credit hour degree (curriculum page); 31 to 40 with background courses; the catalog page states 33 to 42 credit hours
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Duration
As few as nine months full-time or eighteen months part-time (full-time (nine months) or part-time (eighteen months); background courses may add a summer term)A minimum under the stated conditions, not a typical length.
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Start terms
Fall
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Why this program is listed

Dedicated Master of Science in Accounting offered in person at SMU.

Degree title names accounting; students choose one of three tracks and the catalog requires at least 22 accounting hours.

Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026

We list associate, bachelor's, master's and research-doctorate programs in accounting, accountancy and taxation at institutionally accredited US schools — degrees in the subject and formal accounting majors or concentrations, never certificates or degrees with a single accounting course. Eligibility rules

Format and attendance

Formats, online delivery, campus visits, internships and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the school states it.
Formats offered
On campus
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Internship
Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity
Full-time, Part-time
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026

Curriculum

Foundation and prerequisite courses

  • Students without the required background courses may take up to nine hours of prerequisites in the summer before the program starts in August.
    Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026

Accelerated options

  • The MSA is described as an Early Action 4+1 program for Cox undergraduates meeting certain criteria; it comes with a guaranteed scholarship.
    Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026

Academic calendar

  • Graduate classes are offered in six-week modules, two in the fall and two in the spring, with almost all classes worth two credit hours.
    Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026

CPA-related information

Academic qualification, CPA exam eligibility and CPA licensure are three different things, and requirements differ by state board, pathway, applicant background and date. These are statements this school publishes, shown with the jurisdiction they name.
  • Not specified. States the program satisfies the educational requirements for CPA exam eligibilityConditions stated: The page also says students can complete all four sections of the CPA exam while enrolled or shortly after graduationSource: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026

A school describing a program as supporting CPA preparation does not establish eligibility for every applicant in every state, and this directory does not label any program “CPA eligible”. Check your own state board's current rules before you enrol. Accounting degrees and CPA requirements

Other professional recognition

Other credentials and outcomes appear only where the school itself publishes them, with their date.

Other professional recognition for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

This directory does not publish pass rates, placement rates or salaries for any program. Occupational statistics for accountants are in the guides, labelled as statistics for the occupation, not outcomes of a school.

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Technical preparation

Prerequisite courses
RequiredFundamentals of Accounting I/Financial Accounting and Fundamentals of Accounting II/Managerial Accounting with a B or higher before completing the application.
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Requirement
RequiredBackground courses in Intermediate Accounting I and II, Financial Income Tax and Audit; applicants missing some can still be admitted and take them in the summer before the program begins.
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Prior degree
RequiredBachelor's degree; applicants from all majors are welcome.
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Recommendation letters
Not requiredRecommendation letters are not required nor requested; only name and contact information of references.
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Résumé / CV
RecommendedThe program says resumes should highlight relevant employment, internships and accomplishments.
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
Application fee
Not requiredNo application fee.
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026

Tests

GMAT
OptionalOptional unofficial GMAT or GRE report; exam must have been taken within five years of the application date.
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
GRE General Test
OptionalOptional unofficial GMAT or GRE report; exam must have been taken within five years of the application date.
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
TOEFL iBT
OptionalInternational students have the option to submit a TOEFL/IELTS score; the page says this is not a requirement.
Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.
  • Application deadline

    January 12, 2027 · for 2027-2028 entry

    Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
    Upcoming
  • Application deadline

    March 9, 2027 · for 2027-2028 entry

    Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
    Upcoming
  • Application deadline

    April 20, 2027 · for 2027-2028 entry

    Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
    Upcoming
  • Other deadline

    Rolling admission · for 2027-2028 entry (after April 21, 2027)

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026
    Rolling

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Tuition for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Scholarships and funding

Awards published by the school for this program or for its level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; service scholarships require government service after graduation. Doctoral funding guide
  • Merit-based scholarship Institutional scholarship

    Eligibility: All candidates are automatically considered through the application; track of choice and citizenship are not considered.

    Source: smu.edu · verified October 30, 2026

Accreditation

Three different things, kept apart: institutional accreditation of the school, business-school accreditation of the unit, and supplemental accounting accreditation. One never implies another.

Institutional accreditation

  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

Business-school accreditation

  • AACSB — accreditedUnit: Edwin L. Cox School of BusinessListed as: AACSB business accreditationConfirmed in the accreditor's own directory.Source: aacsb.edu · verified October 26, 2026

Supplemental accounting accreditation

No separate accounting accreditation is on record. AACSB business accreditation does not mean the accounting program holds AACSB accounting accreditation.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages and directories below. Last verified October 26, 2026.
  1. catalog.smu.edu/programs/TAX-MSA — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 30, 2026
  2. DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
  3. AACSB accredited institutions (accreditor directory) — Accreditor directory, verified October 26, 2026
  4. smu.edu/cox/business-degrees/masters-programs/ms-accounting — Official program page, verified October 30, 2026
  5. smu.edu/cox/business-degrees/masters-programs/ms-accounting/admissions — Official admissions page, verified October 30, 2026
  6. smu.edu/cox/business-degrees/masters-programs/ms-accounting/curriculum — Official program page, verified October 30, 2026

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Similar programs at other schools

Same degree level and focus. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

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University of Florida

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Format: Campus
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Attendance: Campus-based study
Duration: Summer/Fall start – 1 year; Spring start – 16 months (Depends on preparatory courses completed before enrolling)
Tuition: $18,106 (basis not stated by the institution) · In-state — Florida resident tuition and fees · 2026-2027
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation: Institution accredited: SACSCOCBusiness school: AACSBAccounting accreditation: AACSB Accounting
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University of Georgia

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Format: Fully online · Asynchronous · Full-time, Part-time
Location: Athens, GASchool location, not a residency requirement
Attendance: Fully online as published (no separate campus-visit statement)
Duration: One Year, Flexible Completion Timelines (printed as program duration; flexible completion timelines are offered) · 36 credits
Tuition: $694 per credit · All students — MPAcc online, in-state and out-of-state · 2026-2027
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation: Institution accredited: SACSCOCBusiness school: AACSBAccounting accreditation: AACSB Accounting
Subjects: Accounting
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Accounting Degrees is independent and not affiliated with Southern Methodist University. Information is collected from official pages and directories and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.