Apr 01, 2025  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
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2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Accounting, MSA

Program Coordinator: John Reisch (334 Slay Hall; 252-328-6055; reischj@ecu.edu)

The Accounting, MSA is a flexible program that includes advanced study in accounting and business administration. In addition to a variety of classes in financial accounting, auditing, and taxation, students can also choose electives in other disciplines, including data analytics. The Accounting, MSA prepares students for professional certification as a certified public accountant (CPA). Most students in the program sit for the CPA exam during their final semester. Students are actively recruited by public accounting firms (including the Big 4), governmental agencies, and private industry.

The degree requires between a minimum of 30 s.h. as follows: 

1. Core - 21 s.h.

2. Electives - 9 s.h.

Notes:

Students without an undergraduate degree in accounting from an AACSB accredited institution need to complete 9 s.h in three undergraduate accounting courses (or their equivalent) prior to enrolling in the MSA program:

  • ACCT 3551 - Intermediate Accounting I
  • ACCT 3561 - Intermediate Accounting II
  • ACCT 3851 - Accounting Information Systems.

These courses are offered online and face-to-face at ECU.

In some circumstances, students are not able to enroll in undergraduate courses at ECU (such as when a student is already enrolled in another graduate program or the MSA applicant is an international student) and therefore may complete the following 9 s.h. to gain the requisite knowledge instead of the aforementioned undergraduate accounting courses:

  • ACCT 6621 - Intermediate Financial Accounting Theory (6 s.h.)
  • ACCT 6631 - Advanced Cost and Systems (3 s.h).

These two courses cannot count towards the MSA minimum degree requirement of 30 s.h. Prospective students are encouraged to contact the MSA program coordinator to discuss whether any of these courses are applicable to them.     

Licensure/Certification Requirements in North Carolina

The curriculum for all ECU Certificates, Degrees, and other Graduate Programs  have been designed to meet the licensure/certification requirements in North Carolina and prepare students to sit for licensure/certification exams in North Carolina. The various licensure boards in each state are responsible for setting requirements for licensure/certification in their state. Other states have their own requirements, and you’ll want to make sure your program meets criteria in your home state (or state where you intend to work) before you apply. Search our state  Licensure Dashboard to see if the program you’re interested in meets the educational requirements for licensing/certification in your home state (or state where you intend to work).