Northeastern University Master of Science Accounting: 2027 Review

Score

63.5 of 100

Cost (20%)

0.0 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

10.0 of 10

Completion (15%)

9.8 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

0.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

9.1 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

9.7 of 10

Format

On Campus

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'll finish the master's and reach the 150 credits for certified public accountant (CPA) exam eligibility in seven months, ending before busy season. Two tracks, Audit and Tax, let you aim the last 12 credits at the firm work you want.

The D'Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University in Boston offers this Master of Science in Accounting. It's a full-time program on the Boston campus. It's designed for students who already hold an accounting undergraduate degree.

• Accounting graduates who want the 150 hours fast: the master's gets you the credits needed to sit for the CPA exam in seven months.
• Future auditors: in the Audit track you add Auditing in a Big Data Environment and a corporate governance course.
• Future tax professionals: in the Tax track you cover corporations, shareholders and partnerships.
• Students who may want an MBA later: you can count 30 credits toward an eligible D'Amore-McKim MBA within three years.
• Data-minded students who want extra credentials: the Bloomberg Business Lab offers you Bloomberg Market Concepts and environmental, social and governance (ESG) certifications.

You take 18 credits of advanced accounting courses that line up with key CPA exam topics. Financial Reporting for Integrated Multinational Enterprises examines reporting for international business groups. Contemporary and Emerging Issues in Financial Reporting covers Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) standards.

Financial Reporting for Governments and Nonprofit Entities covers public-sector and nonprofit accounting. Ethics and Public Interest in the Accounting Professions covers professional obligations. In the Audit track you take Auditing in a Big Data Environment. In the Tax track you take Corporations and Shareholders and Partners and Partnerships. Electives include Forensic Accounting and Internal Auditing.

The DATA Club runs workshops you can join in R, Tableau and Python.

The degree is 30 semester hours. The school says you can earn it in seven months of full-time study. The program starts in late May or early June, and a September start is also offered.

Many students begin taking CPA exam sections in their final term. Spring is often used for a corporate residency. If you later choose the MBA, the 30 credits can be applied within three years with a 3.0 GPA.

You'll pay about $1,799 per credit, as the school reports it. If you graduate and continue into an eligible D'Amore-McKim MBA, you qualify for the Double Husky scholarship, which takes 25% off MBA tuition.

Classes meet in person on the Boston campus, full-time. The seven-month schedule is compact. Test scores are optional. The application asks you for a personal statement, resume and two recommendation letters.

The D'Amore-McKim School of Business holds AACSB accreditation. The curriculum is approved by the Massachusetts Board of Public Accountancy. The coursework is built around CPA exam topics. You'll learn from faculty that includes CPAs and former Big Four leaders.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

A Big 4 employee in Boston wrote on Reddit that many coworkers came from this program and called it a pipeline into the office. Another commenter there praised the co-op for showing students a winter busy season. Graduates quoted by the school describe hands-on classes, including case studies that copy firm projects.

One says professors focused on how concepts apply to real client work. A sister MS in Accounting/MBA graduate described a PwC offer after the corporate residency. The ranking site best-accounting-schools.com placed the accounting program in the top 10% of schools it rates in 2024.

• Which track, Audit or Tax, fits the firms that recruit from your cohort?
• How does the seven-month calendar line up with CPA exam section dates in Massachusetts?
• What does the corporate residency involve for students in this program?
• How do the Graduate School of Professional Accounting alumni help with introductions to firms?
• Which electives should I take with my advisor?

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