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

Score

77.8 of 100, rank 3 of 50

Cost (20%)

9.6 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

7.1 of 10

Completion (15%)

9.7 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

2.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

8.2 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

8.4 of 10

Credits

30

Format

On Campus, Evenings and Weekends

Starts

2 starts per year

Time to Finish

11 months

Accreditation

AACSB (confirmed on the official list)

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

You finish this cohort master's in 11 months, with evening and Saturday classes and certified public accountant (CPA) test prep built into the schedule. The 30 units supply the last block of the 150 semester units California asks for.

The Master of Science in Accountancy is offered by the Department of Accountancy in the College of Business at California State University, Long Beach. You move through it with a cohort, and classes meet in person. Your class sizes run 25 to 35.

• Accounting majors with 120 units who need the last 30 for California CPA licensure and want one focused year.
• Working students: classes meet Monday through Thursday evenings and on Saturdays.
• Long Beach accountancy majors: Fast Track lets you apply before you graduate, and Beach EDGE lets you take two MSA courses (8 units) at undergraduate tuition.
• Career changers with a non-accounting bachelor's and accounting coursework that matches the CSULB catalog: work experience isn't required.
• Tax-minded students who want to join the student-run Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) clinic alongside coursework.

Fall starts with Corporate Governance and Financial Reporting, Taxation of C Corporations and Shareholders, and Financial Statement Analysis. Spring adds Taxation of Partnerships and S Corporations, the Seminar in Auditing and Assurance Services, and the Seminar in Accounting Information Systems. Summer closes with Forensic Accounting. Accountant's Professional Responsibilities and Ethics is also required. Most courses carry four units.

Your culminating experience is a comprehensive auditing project that faculty and professionals review. Outside class, you can join Beta Alpha Psi, the Accounting Society or the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). Beta Alpha Psi runs lectures, firm tours and community service. Its student chapter also staffs the VITA tax clinic, which had 80 volunteers in 2026 and won the IRS Platinum recognition for preparing over 1,000 returns.

The program takes 11 months and 30 units, and you can start in spring or fall. A dedicated program advisor works with you the whole way. If you're a CSULB business undergraduate, the 4+1 path earns you two degrees in five years or less.

Those are the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) and the Master of Science in Accountancy (MSA). Incoming transfer students can finish the 4+1 path in three years. Beach EDGE lets you finish two graduate courses before you graduate.

Those courses are scheduled on Wednesday or Thursday evenings at 6 PM.

You'll pay $420 per credit, the school reports. Beach EDGE students pay undergraduate tuition for their two graduate courses until they have the units for the bachelor's degree.

You attend in person, in a cohort. Classes meet Monday through Thursday evenings and on Saturdays. The department also offers day and evening sections of its accounting courses every semester. Terms run fall, spring and summer. Neither the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) nor the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) is required.

The College of Business holds AACSB accreditation. You'll get a CPA test prep package, built into the program. The department's faculty come from both academia and the accounting profession. An Accountancy Advisory Board of professionals offers feedback and support. The program also supports students who plan to take the CPA exam and need the remaining 30 units.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

• How does the integrated CPA test prep fit into each term?
• Which Beta Alpha Psi firm tours and lectures are scheduled this year?
• Can I work full time and keep up with the evening and Saturday meetings?
• Does my bachelor's coursework meet the prerequisite, or do I need extra classes first?
• How do the advisor and mentorship program match me with alumni?

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• Accounting Programs in California #1 of 7

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