George Mason University Master of Science in Accounting: 2027 Review

Score

79.3 of 100, rank 1 of 50

Cost (20%)

3.7 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

9.2 of 10

Completion (15%)

9.2 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

8.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

9.5 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

8.3 of 10

Cost per Credit

$1,025 per credit

Credits

30

Tuition

$30,750

Format

Fully Online, Hybrid, On Campus, Evenings and Weekends, Asynchronous

Starts

2 starts per year

Time to Finish

11 to 22 months

Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)

Not required

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 7, 2026.

You can finish Mason's MS in Accounting in 11 months. A required summer study tour takes you inside accounting firms in Europe or closer to home. And through your electives, you can add a graduate certificate in forensic accounting, analytics or government contracts.

Mason's Master of Science in Accounting is 30 credits and comes from the Costello College of Business at George Mason University, a public university in Fairfax, Virginia. You take it asynchronously online, and no Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or GRE is required.

• Changing careers without an accounting degree? You'll add two Principles courses, two Intermediate courses, one Audit course and a virtual Data Camp first.
• Love data? Advanced Accounting Analytics I and II and Audit Analytics work with data science tools.
• Want a niche? Certificates in forensic accounting, government accounting and government contracts ride along with your electives.
• Already a Mason undergrad? The Bachelor's Accelerated Master's path opens graduate courses after 75 undergraduate credits.

You'll take five required courses. Advanced Issues in Financial Reporting tackles complex corporate accounting questions. Fraud Examination teaches prevention and detection, including bribery and financial fraud. Advanced Issues in Taxation covers C-corporations, S-corporations and partnerships. Advanced Accounting Analytics I looks at how analytics and emerging technology are changing accounting. Global Accounting Environment is the residency course.

Then you choose 15 more credits from 600 and 700-level ACCT courses, such as Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting, Advanced Accounting Information Systems or Audit Analytics. One alumnus at an accounting firm named Structured Query Language (SQL), Alteryx and Python as tools they practiced. A dual MS in Accounting and MS in Business Analytics totals 48 credits.

If you have an accounting bachelor's, you can finish in 11 months full-time, and part-time students typically take two years. The degree is 30 credits, with starts in fall and spring.

If you earned your bachelor's at Mason, the accelerated pathway lets you begin graduate courses after 75 undergraduate credits, and both degrees total at least 138 credits. The curriculum is designed to meet certified public accountant (CPA) education requirements in Virginia and many other states.

Tuition is $1,025 per credit, plus a $169 per credit student fee. The online accounting rate is the same for in-state and out-of-state students.

Classes are asynchronous, so you watch and work on your own schedule. A student ambassador said you can run two classes at once. The residency, ACCT 795, runs in summer only. It's a week-long tour led by an accounting professor. Past groups have visited Prague, London, Frankfurt and Ireland, with a domestic option too. Tuition covers some travel costs, including lodging, meals and ground transport.

The Costello College of Business holds AACSB accreditation. Graduates are prepared for the CPA, certified management accountant (CMA), certified government financial manager (CGFM), certified fraud examiner (CFE), chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified financial planner (CFP) credentials.

An Accounting Advisory Council of firm, corporate and government members shapes the curriculum. The college says the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) designation signals to employers that graduates are prepared for the profession.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

One student in school-published profiles chose the program because it's achievable in one year, and said evening classes freed their days for career fairs. That student starts at Deloitte after the final class.

An alumnus at Kearney & Company said managers let them log off for coursework during busy season, and that Mason offered support throughout. U.S. News & World Report placed the program 22nd among Best Online Master's in Accounting Programs in 2026.

The career office offers lifetime services to alumni.

• Do your prior courses cover the prerequisites if your bachelor's is not in accounting?
• Which electives earn the forensic or government contracts certificate?
• Which residency destination fits your budget?

• Best Master's Programs #1 of 50
• Best Online Programs #1 of 25
• Best Online Master's Programs #1 of 25

• University of Massachusetts-Amherst #2 of 50
• California State University-Long Beach #3 of 50

Also at George Mason University: our bachelor's program review