Accountancy
Accounting Excellence Based in Ethical Leadership
With Duquesne's Master of Science in Accountancy (MAcc) degree, expand your career
opportunities and maximize your earning potential. Our MAcc degree, distinct among
auditing and accounting programs in Pennsylvania, equips accounting professionals,
expert analysts and compelling ethical business leaders.
The Duquesne University Master of Science in Accountancy program is accredited by AACSB International and ranked well by the Princeton Review.
In-Demand Graduate Accounting Curriculum
The MS in Accountancy from Duquesne offers a competitive curriculum built upon the
educational cornerstones of small class sizes, hands-on learning, ethical problem-solving,
and individualized attention from faculty and mentors. Our MAcc degree program contains
a breadth of courses in areas like forensic accounting, auditing, financial reporting,
and information systems.
Our graduate accounting degree program starts in the fall semester and can be completed in one year with daytime and evening courses or in two years with evening courses. This structure provides flexibility for you to build your degree around your professional commitments. Duquesne's proximity to downtown Pittsburgh is convenient for working professionals to take evening classes near their workplace.
Many of our MAcc graduates choose to take the CPA Exam and are well-prepared to do so. Students should visit the NASBA website for state-specific CPA exam eligibility requirements, to ensure preparedness for post-graduation plans.
Learn More About Duquesne's MAcc Degree
Accelerate your professional potential with a Master of Science in Accountancy degree
that centers your career development, equips you for accounting and auditing licensures,
and grows your capacity to thrive long-term. This competitive accounting program in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania prepares expert business leaders in internationally recognized
organizations like Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and FedEx.
To learn more about Duquesne's MS in Accountancy, request more info, or attend an information session.
Program Information
Expand your career opportunities and maximize your earning potential. Our MAcc degree, distinct among auditing and accounting programs in Pennsylvania, equips accounting professionals, expert analysts, and compelling ethical business leaders.
More in this Program
"Duquesne's MAcc program focuses on preparation for the CPA exam. In addition,
the small class sizes and interaction with professors and executives in Pittsburgh
made the decision to pursue a MAcc a no-brainer for me."
Propel your career to new heights-and more than $220K increased earning potential-with
an optional professional certification. Your MAcc degree can be combined with your
undergraduate degree to meet the 150 academic credits required for Certified Public
Accountant (CPA) licensure in Pennsylvania and many other states. You can also pursue
Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), Certified
Fraud Examiner (CFE), and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) licensures. Duquesne's Master of Science in Accountancy graduates excel on certification exams,
with pass rates exceeding state and national averages on the CPA exam. In addition
to professional licensures, you will join a network of alumni in positions with international
Big Four accounting firms, national and regional CPA firms, corporations, government
agencies and nonprofit organizations.
Duquesne is recognized as a certified school of internal auditing by the
Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA). Of the 30+ USA-based schools on the global certification
list, Duquesne's Palumbo-Donahue School of Business-under which the MAcc offers a
degree in auditing-is currently the only IIA-certified graduate accounting program
in the state of Pennsylvania.
The 30-credit Master of Science in Accountancy consists of 24 credits of required
courses and 6 credits of electives. 3 credits This course will help students to understand many of the concepts tested on the Certified
Internal Auditor (CIA) as well as components of the CPA exam including controls and
fraud prevention. There are no prerequisites or concurrent courses that are required
but a understanding of general auditing is recommended. Certification is highly recommended in the accounting profession. Many certifications
exist that offer credentialing in specific areas of expertise within accounting. Our
MAcc will help prepare you for the licensure exams listed below:
Research shows that CPAs earning potential is $220K to $1.2M more than non-CPAs depending
on when they earn their CPA and the size of firm for which they work - Journal of
Accountancy. Hear from Our Students
Preparation for Professional Accounting Certification
The criteria to sit for the CPA exam varies by state. Visit the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy website to learn more.
IIA Accredited Program
Course Descriptions
This course highlights a number of important controls that prevent fraud and abuse,
explores the most common asset theft fraud schemes, and teaches the detective skills
needed to determine if inappropriate events have taken place. Proper interviewing
and interrogation tactics are instructed and students are able to practice their skills
while they conduct a simulated fraud interview. Financial statement fraud is reviewed
to ensure that students are aware of red flags and can properly identify suspicious
activities. Analysis of ethical reporting through whistleblowing hot lines and Dodd
Frank Act is included, as is an understanding of public companies, external auditors
and the SEC, PCAOB requirements. A focus on ethical decision making and accurate financial
statement reporting as well as other reports such as sustainability is part of the
course's content.
The course will cover internal audit from a broad perspective that includes business
information, business processes, and accounting systems. Topics include internal auditing
standards, risk assessment, governance, ethics, audit techniques, and emerging issues.
The course covers the design of business processes and the implementation of key control
concepts and uses a case study approach that addresses tactical, strategic, systems,
and operational areas. Business improvements in the effectiveness and efficiency of
business processes and controls are covered in the areas of operations, finance and
technology. An understanding of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) International
Professional Practices Framework (IPPF) are integrated.
This course exposes students to the various periodic financial reporting requirements
for publicly held companies as well as financial statement requirements for companies
in the process of going public. Through actual SEC filings and case studies, the course
illustrates a wide range of SEC reporting requirements. Current SEC developments will
also be discussed.
Business operations generate large amounts of data. Knowing how to extract, analyze,
and interpret financial information is critical for effective decision-making. This
course introduces strategies and methods for developing meaningful business intelligence
to assist managers in making decisions in complex decision environments.
This course sits at the intersection of information systems, business management,
and accounting. Effective management and monitoring of the information systems control
environment is critical to the achievement of business goals because it allows management
to anticipate and control for threats to its information systems infrastructure. As
such, this course provides auditors and other accounting professionals with essential
knowledge of the role of information systems in modern business organizations, specifically
with regard to the governance, risk and compliance (GRC) issues surrounding information
systems and technologies. This includes an examination of IS and data governance,
IT risk and control concepts, and various technology-related compliance issues and
standards. The course also provides hands-on exposure to specific software applications
representing emerging and increasingly important technologies.
Advanced Financial Reporting is a continuation of the two-course undergraduate Intermediate
Accounting sequence. In this course, students examine major theoretical concepts for
some of the more sophisticated topics underlying external financial reporting, including
income taxes, leases, and pensions. In addition, students will utilize the Financial
Accounting Standards Board's Codification to research guidance on the proper reporting
of transactions and events in conformance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
(GAAP).
This is a graduate-level accounting course designed to provide the students with a
detailed understanding of the accounting and reporting for state and local governments
in accordance with pronouncements issued by the Governmental Accounting Standards
Board (GASB). Additionally, the course will also cover the unique accounting and financial
reporting needs of governmental and non-governmental non-profit organizations.
Significant and rapid changes in the business environment are impacting the financial
reporting and analysis that management uses to make business decisions. In this course,
selected ongoing and emerging financial accounting issues are studied, emphasizing
conceptual and practical aspects of the question. Examples of topics covered include:
Corporate Governance, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Reporting, Executive
Compensation, Non-GAAP Measures, Cybersecurity Controls, and Audit Committee Policies
and Procedures. It is intended that this course be conducted in "real-time." As such,
the course topics may be adjusted quickly to address breaking issues facing the business
community.
Prerequisite: ACCT 811
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Certification/Licensure