Montclair State University Master of Science in Accounting: 2027 Review

Score

65.5 of 100

Cost (20%)

4.9 of 10

Completion (15%)

8.2 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

6.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

8.0 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

5.9 of 10

Credits

33

Format

Fully Online, Hybrid

Terms

7 weeks

Time to Finish

As few as 16 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.

Montclair's MS in Accounting lets you pick fraud examination, forensic accounting or business valuation as electives, then close with a capstone aimed at the certified public accountant (CPA) exam. Seven-week online sessions can carry you through in as few as 16 months.

The Feliciano School of Business at Montclair State University offers this Master of Science in Accounting in Montclair, New Jersey. You can take it fully online or in a hybrid format with select classes on campus. You'll find the hybrid option is designated a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) program.

• Career changers with a bachelor's in any field except accounting: the online version has its own course sequence built for you.
• Graduates with an accounting bachelor's: you can choose the hybrid format and take some face-to-face classes.
• New Jersey CPA candidates, since the curriculum satisfies the state's CPA education requirements.
• Future fraud examiners and forensic accountants who want Fraud Examination, Forensic Accounting and Legal Issues in Forensic Accounting on one transcript.
• Working adults: you get asynchronous, self-paced lectures and a start in Fall or Spring.

You complete 10 courses plus a culminating experience. Fraud Examination teaches the techniques used to detect and prevent fraud in companies. In Forensic Accounting, you'll learn the forensic accountant's role in litigation. Business Valuation has you estimate a firm's fair market value by reading its financial statements.

In Advanced Audit Analytics, you use audit software and data visualization tools. Auditing Concepts and Techniques includes a simulated audit of financial statement data that you work through. Financial Statement Analysis, Advanced Taxation for Accountants and International Accounting and Auditing round out the electives.

The capstone, Comprehensive Issues in Public Accountancy, reviews financial accounting standards and updates the knowledge the CPA exam tests.

The degree is 33 credits and can be finished in as few as 16 months. If you want a head start, the 24-credit professional accounting certificate transfers directly into this MS. That certificate also satisfies New Jersey's education requirements for the CPA exam.

You'll pay about $858 per credit at Montclair State. The school's certificate page notes discounts on CPA review courses. That certificate's 24 credits transfer into this degree.

The online version is self-paced and asynchronous, so you watch lectures and turn in work on your own schedule. Discussion boards and virtual collaboration tools connect you with classmates and faculty. If you choose hybrid, you take part of the coursework online and attend select classes on campus. Rolling admissions cover Fall and Spring starts. The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is optional, so you don't have to take it.

The Feliciano School of Business holds AACSB accreditation. The curriculum meets New Jersey's CPA education requirements, and the capstone is aimed at the CPA exam's financial accounting content.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

Students reviewing Montclair on Niche praise the practical focus of the business programs and describe caring, knowledgeable faculty. A graduate featured on the program page says the master's taught Tableau, Python and Alteryx, and that those skills helped win a full-time role at PwC. U.S. News ranked its online business master's programs (excluding the MBA) No. 53 of 221 in 2026.

• Which elective courses run in the seven-week sessions each term, and how soon can I take Forensic Accounting?
• Does my bachelor's field put me in the online career-changer sequence, and how many courses does that add?
• How many of my credits would count toward the 150 hours New Jersey requires for CPA licensure?
• Which audit software and data tools will I use in Advanced Audit Analytics?
• Can I start with the 24-credit certificate and move into the MS later?

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Also at Montclair State University: our bachelor's program review