University of Hartford Master of Science in Accounting and Taxation: 2027 Review

Score

70.0 of 100, rank 13 of 50

Cost (20%)

4.4 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

9.1 of 10

Completion (15%)

8.0 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

6.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

6.3 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

5.8 of 10

Cost per Credit

$916 per credit

Credits

30

Tuition

$27,480

Format

Fully Online

Terms

7 weeks

Starts

6 starts per year

Time to Finish

Full time in less than one year, or part time at your own pace

Accreditation

AACSB (confirmed on the official list)

See exactly how we score on the methodology page. We checked the school's figures on October 7, 2026.

Hartford's 30-credit tax master's runs in seven-week courses with six start dates a year, so you can finish a 10-course degree in less than one year. Required coursework pairs business-organization tax with an auditing course built around data analytics.

The Barney School of Business at the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut, awards the Master of Science in Accounting and Taxation. You take it fully online, and the program's own faculty teach the courses.

• Career changers without an accounting degree: foundation courses can be taken alongside the master's coursework, and an accounting certificate leads in without reapplying.
• Candidates who already passed the certified public accountant (CPA) exam: the catalog waives the foundation accounting requirements for you.
• Future tax specialists: you can choose from five tax and fraud electives covering pass-through entities, state and local tax, and tax research.
• Students who want a business degree too: a dual MSAT/MBA is available if you don't have a business undergraduate degree and want to become CPAs.

You take seven core courses, 21 credits, plus three electives. Taxation of Business Organizations shows you the tax side of companies. Financial Reporting and Analysis builds on your reporting skills. Accounting Analytics and Business Analysis uses data to answer business questions.

Advanced Auditing with Data Analytics applies those tools to audits. Ethics for Accounting Professionals is taught by the department chair. Electives include Forensics and Fraud Examination, Advanced Taxation of Pass-Through Entities, Research in Taxation, State and Local Tax, and Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting.

The catalog also lists an accounting internship course.

The degree is 30 credits, or 10 courses. Because each course lasts seven weeks, full-time students can finish in less than one year, and the graduate programs page says as few as seven months. Part time, you move at your own pace.

You can transfer up to six credits from an accredited graduate business school if you earned a B or better. The program meets the 150-hour requirement for the CPA exam in Connecticut. If you plan to sit in another state, check with that state.

Tuition is $916 per credit for summer 2026, fall 2026 and spring 2027. A tuition discount is available for educational partners.

It's all 100% online, in seven-week courses. Rolling admission gives you six start dates a year, in fall, spring and summer. Professors hold virtual office hours, and virtual information sessions let you ask questions before you apply. Online students can still join the on-campus Beta Alpha Psi honor society and career events.

The Barney School is AACSB accredited, and the school says all its graduate programs are. You're qualified to take the CPA exam and the certified management accountant (CMA) exam once you graduate. The program director is both an attorney and a CPA, and one interim chair is a Certified Management Accountant.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

Alumni and students quoted in the school's own success stories describe studying whenever free time appeared and finishing classwork on their own schedule. A 2025 student said online professors offer virtual office hours and will meet to answer questions. One alumnus said the MSAT sets you apart from candidates who fill their 150 credits with courses unrelated to the profession.

A student without an accounting background used the accounting certificate to reach the MSAT. Students also value Beta Alpha Psi events where accounting firms present. A 2014 alumna noted that many Barney professors are partners in or own accounting firms.

• Which foundation courses would I need, and can I take them alongside the master's courses?
• Does my employer or school count as an educational partner for the tuition discount?
• Which three electives fit a tax career best?
• Does my state board accept the 30 credits toward the 150-hour CPA requirement?

• Best Master's Programs #13 of 50
• Best Online Programs #7 of 25
• Best Online Master's Programs #7 of 25
• Best for Working Adults #4 of 15
• Accounting Programs in Connecticut #3 of 5

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