California State University-Fullerton Master of Science in Accountancy: 2027 Review

Score

76.8 of 100, rank 4 of 50

Cost (20%)

9.6 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

6.5 of 10

Completion (15%)

9.7 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

3.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

7.1 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

8.5 of 10

Credits

30

Format

On Campus, Evenings and Weekends

Terms

16 weeks

Starts

2 starts per year

Time to Finish

10 to 24 months

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.

Cal State Fullerton gives you two ways into its MS in Accountancy: a 10-month full-time cohort or an evening track you can fit around a job. Both are built to reach the 150 units for certified public accountant (CPA) eligibility, and the school supports exam prep with a subsidized Becker review course.

The Master of Science in Accountancy comes from the School of Accountancy in the College of Business and Economics at California State University, Fullerton. It's a 30-unit degree you take in person. The college holds AACSB accreditation in both business and accounting.

• Recent graduates who want CPA eligibility fast: the Cohort track runs 10 months and starts each fall.
• Working accountants and bookkeepers: the Traditional track meets in the evenings and starts in fall or spring.
• Students who want to intern during busy season: the Cohort track leaves room for an optional winter internship.
• Career changers with a non-accounting business degree: accounting prerequisites let you build up to the graduate courses.

The required core has four 3-unit courses. Accounting Theory and Professional Research (ACCT 502) teaches you to research the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Codification. Seminar in Accounting Data Analytics (ACCT 503) covers data extraction and visualization. Seminar in Professional Accounting Communications (ACCT 506) has you write working papers and client presentations.

Seminar in Accounting Information Systems (ACCT 507) uses cases from banks, universities and CPA firms. You add 9 units of accounting electives, such as Advanced Auditing and Analytics (ACCT 505) or Corporate Governance and External Reporting (ACCT 535). The capstone, ACCT 597, has you solve accounting problems with analytic tools on real-world data. A UiPath course covers robotic process automation.

The Accounting Society and Beta Alpha Psi host networking events with firms.

You'll earn 30 units. The Cohort track is full time and takes 10 months, or two semesters. On the Traditional track, you'll take two to four evening courses a semester and finish in 12 to 24 months. The program meets California's 150-hour requirement for CPA licensure. An internship course, ACCT 495, can count toward the 150 units when taken for credit/no credit.

You'll pay about $420 per credit, according to the school. The college also lists a Deloitte Foundation scholarship that covers full tuition for a limited number of students.

Classes meet in person. If you're in the Cohort, you take four courses a semester, mostly in the daytime, and start only in fall. The same peer group moves through together, and some Cohort class meetings are held at accounting firms.

The college is the only one in Orange County with dual AACSB accreditation in business and accounting. A Becker-powered CPA review course is open to enrolled students and alumni, and the school subsidizes it. A CPA-licensed instructor runs information sessions on the exam and licensure.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

The Orange County Business Journal reported in 2022 that the Big Four heavily recruit Fullerton accountancy students. It also said second-year students usually land a firm internship that leads to a job. A 2025 research-site profile calls the program a semi-target school where Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG actively recruit.

A current MS student on Reddit says the program is great and that professors make them think about their accounting path. Alumni featured by the school praise professors with real-world experience and say the curriculum prepared them for the CPA exams. National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) data cited by the college shows Fullerton third in the nation for first-time CPA candidates in 2024.

• Which track fits my work schedule, Cohort or Traditional?
• Which accounting prerequisites do I need before the graduate courses?
• How do Cohort students line up a winter internship at a firm?

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