A Master of Accounting (MAcc, sometimes MSA or MAcy) is a graduate degree built to deepen technical accounting expertise — and in the US, it's pursued by a very specific, very common group of students: people who need additional credit hours to become CPA-eligible. Understanding that connection is the fastest way to understand why this degree exists and how to evaluate a program.
What Is a MAcc Degree?
A MAcc is a professional graduate degree focused on advanced accounting topics — financial reporting, auditing, taxation, and accounting information systems — beyond what a bachelor's in accounting typically covers. Unlike an MBA, which is broad and management-focused, a MAcc stays specialized within accounting itself, going deeper into technical material that maps closely onto what the CPA Exam and professional accounting practice actually require.
The 150-Credit-Hour Rule Is the Main Reason This Degree Exists
In the US, CPA licensure requires satisfying three components, often summarized as the "three Es": Education, Examination, and Experience. On the education side, most US states require 150 total credit hours of postsecondary education to become CPA-licensed — more than the roughly 120 credit hours a typical four-year bachelor's degree provides. A MAcc is one of the most common ways students close that gap, since the extra 30-or-so credit hours of a master's degree both satisfy the 150-hour requirement and directly build the technical accounting knowledge the CPA Exam tests. This is well-established in the accounting field generally, not something specific to any one program, so expect most MAcc marketing and curriculum design in the US to be built explicitly around CPA eligibility.
It's worth being precise about what the degree does and doesn't do: a MAcc does not make you a CPA. It's the "Education" component of licensure — you still need to pass the CPA Exam (now the CPA Evolution model: three Core sections plus one Discipline section) and complete the required work experience, generally under a licensed CPA, before you're actually licensed. See our CPA Exam guide for what the exam itself covers, and our accounting degree vs. CPA guide for how the degree and the license relate across the US, Canada, and Australia.
Typical Structure and Duration
| Element | Typical Range |
|---|---|
| Duration (full-time) | Roughly 1 year (accelerated, often for students with an accounting bachelor's already) to 2 years |
| Credit hours | Roughly 30 credits, chosen specifically to help reach the 150-hour CPA threshold when combined with a bachelor's degree |
| Common formats | Standalone MAcc (open to any bachelor's background), or a combined 3+2/4+1 bachelor's-to-MAcc pathway offered by the same university |
| Core coursework | Advanced financial accounting and reporting, auditing, taxation, accounting information systems, often with an ethics component reflecting CPA Exam content |
| Accreditation | AACSB accreditation of the business school is the most widely checked quality signal in this field |
| Typical entry requirement | A bachelor's degree, commonly (though not always) in accounting or a related business field — programs designed for non-accounting-bachelor's applicants exist but usually require prerequisite coursework first |
Typical Cost
Cost varies by institution type, format, and whether the MAcc is part of a combined bachelor's pathway:
- Public/state universities tend to be the more affordable route, particularly for in-state students, and particularly within a combined bachelor's-to-MAcc pathway at the same school.
- Private universities, including well-known business schools, are typically more expensive.
- Because many MAcc programs run just one accelerated year, total cost is often lower in absolute terms than a typical two-year master's degree, even where per-year tuition is comparable to other business degrees.
- Some students combine tuition with employer sponsorship, particularly those already working part-time or interning at accounting firms during their studies.
These are rough, general ranges — actual cost depends heavily on the specific university, program length, and residency status, so treat any figure here as a starting point for research rather than a firm estimate.
Career Outcomes
MAcc graduates typically move into:
- Public accounting — audit and tax roles at public accounting firms, from large international firms to regional and local practices, generally the single most common destination for MAcc graduates
- Corporate accounting and finance — internal accounting, financial reporting, and controllership roles within companies across industries
- Forensic accounting — investigative accounting work, often requiring additional certification, that draws directly on MAcc-level technical training
- Advisory and consulting — accounting and financial advisory roles at consulting firms, frequently overlapping with the public accounting career track
- Government and nonprofit accounting — accounting and audit roles within government agencies and nonprofit organizations, which have their own specific reporting standards covered in many MAcc curricula
Because the degree is so closely tied to CPA eligibility in the US, most graduates pursue the CPA Exam either during or shortly after completing the MAcc, and the credential's career value is closely linked to eventually becoming licensed rather than the degree alone.
Who It's For (and Who It's Not For)
A MAcc is generally the right choice if:
- You're planning a US accounting career and need additional credit hours to meet the 150-hour CPA education requirement
- You already have (or are completing) an accounting-focused bachelor's degree and want to go deeper technically rather than broaden into general management
- You're targeting public accounting, corporate accounting, or another CPA-relevant career path
A different degree might serve you better if:
- You want broad general management training rather than staying specialized in accounting — an MBA (potentially with an accounting concentration) may be the better fit, though it typically does less to satisfy CPA-specific coursework requirements than a MAcc
- You're not planning to work toward CPA licensure at all and don't need the additional credit hours — a bachelor's in accounting alone may already be sufficient for your target role
- You're pursuing CPA-equivalent licensure outside the US — the 150-hour rule and the credit-hour math behind it are specifically a US requirement; other countries (Canada's CPA PEP, Australia's CPA Program) use different education-plus-exam structures, so confirm your target country's actual requirements
For school-specific research and the exam/experience side of the picture, see our guides to the best universities for accounting, the CPA Exam, and how an accounting degree and CPA licensure actually relate.