Bentley University Master of Science in Accounting: 2027 Review

Score

65.4 of 100

Cost (20%)

0.0 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

10.0 of 10

Completion (15%)

9.9 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

6.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

2.0 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

9.5 of 10

Format

Hybrid, Online, On Campus

Accreditation

AACSB (confirmed on the official list)

AACSB Accounting

Accounting accreditation listed by AACSB

See exactly how we score on the methodology page. We checked the school's figures on October 8, 2026.

Bentley's Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) takes eleven months full time, and its curriculum grew out of a collaboration with KPMG's Data and Analytics program. Bentley is KPMG's only program partner in New England. In its data analytics course, you'll use Python, Structured Query Language (SQL) and Alteryx.

Bentley University, a private nonprofit school in Waltham, Massachusetts, offers this degree. The curriculum has a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) designation, with the exception of tax.

• Career changers into analytics: in the Analytics concentration, you add Python, SQL and a managing-with-analytics course.
• Future fraud and forensic specialists: the Advisory concentration requires you to take AC 773 Fraud and Forensic Accounting.
• Aspiring tax professionals: the Taxation concentration gives you four TX courses on practice, income, corporations and multi-jurisdictional tax.
• Working accountants: if you study part time, you'll generally take two to five years.
• Candidates seeking full funding: the Master's in Accounting Fellowship gives recipients full tuition remission.

You take four core courses. AC 611 Financial Accounting sets the professional foundation in external reporting. AC 730 Business Processes and Controls Assessment studies how organizations and their technology produce information. AC 770 Data Analytics for Accountants uses Excel, Python and SQL, with Alteryx and SAP, to analyze financial datasets and spot potential fraud.

AC 793 combines communication, ethics and professional judgment. You then pick one of five concentrations: Assurance, Advisory, Corporate Financial Reporting, Analytics or Taxation. Sample electives include financial modeling, machine learning and enterprise systems planning. The program's tools include advanced Excel, Alteryx, Microsoft Power BI, MindBridge, Python, SQL databases and Tableau.

You need at least 10 courses: two foundation courses, four accountancy core courses, and concentration courses and electives. If you're full time, you can finish in eleven months. Every applicant is evaluated for waivers of GR 521 Managerial Statistics and GR 524 Accounting for Decision Making. Bentley undergraduates can reach the MSA through BS/MSA Advanced Standing, where up to four graduate courses count toward both degrees.

The school reports you'll pay $1,955 per credit. The Master's in Accounting Fellowship gives recipients full tuition remission in the one-year MSA program.

You'll find flexible class scheduling and online courses that fit around a busy life, Bentley says. Classes and advising run from the Waltham campus, and Graduate Career Services offers workshops, career fairs and the Handshake job portal.

Bentley was the first program in Massachusetts to earn separate accountancy accreditation from AACSB International, and AACSB confirms it today. The school designs the program so you meet the educational requirements for these credentials. They are the certified public accountant (CPA), certified internal auditor (CIA), certified management accountant (CMA) and certified information systems auditor (CISA).

An Accounting Advisory Board of firm and industry leaders meets every six months to shape the courses. The school says about 80% of its students who take the CPA exam pass it the first time.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) reported in 2026 that Bentley's MSA is shaped by direct industry input so graduates have the skills employers want. A graduate quoted by Bentley says the KPMG partnership brought case studies and guest speakers into class.

Another graduate quoted by Bentley says the firms knew the value of a Bentley degree and that three job offers arrived within weeks of starting. A student reviewing Bentley on EDUopinions says professors prioritize students and work hard to help them learn.

In 2025 the Massachusetts Society of CPAs named a Bentley accounting lecturer Educator of the Year.

• Which concentration lines up best with the firms that hire from the KPMG partnership?
• Would I qualify for waivers of GR 521 or GR 524, and how many courses would that save?
• Which MSA courses meet online and which meet in person?
• How do I apply for the Master's in Accounting Fellowship?

• Best Master's Programs
• Best Online Programs
• Best Online Master's Programs
• Accounting Programs in Massachusetts

• Montclair State University
• SUNY Polytechnic Institute
• University of North Alabama
• Missouri State University-Springfield

Also at Bentley University: our bachelor's program review