About the Program
Earn your Master of Science in Accounting and Taxation (MSAT) in as few as seven months or at your own pace, and meet the 150-hour CPA licensing requirement. Learn online or in-class from full-time resident faculty and adjunct faculty who have a wealth of knowledge in the field. Our rolling admissions process allows new students to enroll in the fall, spring, and summer terms.
The MSAT program is designed for students who seek to develop or advance a career in professional accounting or taxation in industry, public accounting, government, or not-for-profit organizations.
Degree Requirements
The MSAT meets the needs of students with undergraduate degrees in accounting who wish a fifth year of study to meet CPA licensing requirements, as well as those with non-accounting or non-business undergraduate degrees. Choose the option that fits with your career goals, educational background, and professional experience.
For full descriptions and requirements, please visit our course catalog.
Prerequisites
- Two semesters of introductory accounting
- Financial Reporting Theory I-II-III
- Cost Management
- Federal Income Tax Concepts
- Auditing Concepts and Problems
Students without the prerequisites will complete the courses as part of the program. Undergraduate courses must be taken at an institution that grants a baccalaureate degree in accounting and is regionally accredited.
Financial and Assurance Services Track
This track is for students interested in public financial reporting and assurance services functions. It includes three core accounting classes, three electives, and:
- Financial Reporting and Analysis
- Advanced Auditing
- Accounting Control Systems
- Seminar in Contemporary Accounting
Taxation Track
This track is for students who are interested in careers in taxation, both within public accounting and in industry. It includes three core accounting classes, three electives, and:
- Advanced Taxation of Pass-through Entities
- Advanced Corporate Taxation
- Research in Taxation
- Seminar in Taxation
Certificates
Accounting
If you are seeking to obtain foundational accounting education to improve your knowledge of accounting, this program is right for you! This is the perfect option for those with an undergraduate degree in a business discipline other than accounting or a nonbusiness major who wish to become a CPA.
Learn about our online and in-class options.
Upon completion of the Accounting Certificate Program, you can request admission to the MSAT or the Dual MSAT/MBA program by contacting the program director. You will not be required to reapply
Taxation
Students who hold a J.D. or a master's degree or higher from an appropriately accredited university or have passed the CPA Examination may apply for admission to our tax certificate program.
Study in this program allows you to enhance and expand your expertise in specific areas of taxation. The taxation certificate requires that you have a basic undergraduate taxation course, or an equivalent graduate level course, as a prerequisite, followed by completion of four graduate tax courses.
Admissions
Requirements
- An online application
- A non-refundable application fee of $50 for domestic applicants
- Official transcripts for all collegiate level coursework
- A letter of intent as specified in the application form
- Current resume
- Official results of the GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) forwarded to the University of Hartford using school code XBB-NR -73.
International Students
International students have the following additional requirements:
- Please contact the program director before applying to check on campus course availability. Currently most classes run online.
- Transcript evaluation as prepared by World Education Services WE S (www.wes.org). The evaluation should at a minimum indicate that the student has completed the equivalent of a four-year bachelors degree at U.S. regionally accredited institution. The $50 application fee is waived to defray the cost of the evaluation.
- Official TOEFL iBT or IELTS scores forwarded to the University of Hartford using school code 3436. Applicants who take the TOEFL iBT are required to attain an overall score of 85, while scoring at least 20 in each of the four parts. Applicants who take the IEL TS are required to attain an overall score of 7.0, while scoring at least 6.5 in each of the four sections
- Guarantor’s Statement. The cost to study for one year (2 semesters) within the University of Hartford’s MSAT Program is $27,770. This figure does include an estimate for living expenses. As part of the application, an international student MUST prove that he/she has this amount of money through a bank statement. This statement is also used to issue the student an I-20 form.
- GMAT score – the target score is 500 or higher.
GMAT Waiver for Domestic Applicants
GMAT waivers are available for domestic applicants who meet any of the following criteria:
- Passed the CPA, CMA, or state Bar Exam
- Hold a master’s degree or higher in any discipline from an appropriately accredited institution
- Hold an undergraduate degree from an AACSB school achieving at least a 3.3 GPA overall and in their major
- Hold an accounting certificate from the Barney School of Business achieving at least a 3.3 GPA overall
- Experienced-based GMAT waivers are granted only in exceptional cases to domestic applicants with 5 – 7 years of U.S. based financial analytical experience above the entry level. The experience-based waiver request will be reviewed on a case by case basis.
For more information regarding the MSAT program, please contact Kristin Ingram, CPA, MSAT, program director, at kingram@hartford.edu or 860.768.4577.