University of Louisiana at Lafayette Master of Science in Accounting: 2027 Review

Score

68.3 of 100, rank 21 of 50

Cost (20%)

8.7 of 10

Completion (15%)

6.7 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

6.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

4.7 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

6.4 of 10

Cost per Credit

$480 per credit

Credits

30

Tuition

$14,400

Format

Fully Online

Terms

8 weeks

Starts

5 starts per year

Time to Finish

As few as 12 months

Graduate Record Examinations (GRE)

Waived under conditions

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.

Lafayette's M.S. in Accounting is built around five start dates a year and 8-week courses, so you can enter in January, March, June, August or October. Required work runs from managerial cost accounting to data analytics and auditing, and a full-time student can finish in about a year.

The Department of Accounting in the B.I. Moody III College of Business at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette offers this Master of Science in Accounting. It's delivered 100% online, and there's no thesis. Faculty who teach online hold a school certification in online education.

• Working accountants in public accounting who need to drop to one course in busy season: the school lets you take 8-week or 16-week courses. You can add more when work slows.
• Louisiana candidates aiming at the certified public accountant (CPA) license: the degree gives you the credit hours for the 150-hour licensing requirement.
• Graduates of other majors: six undergraduate accounting prerequisites, from Intermediate Accounting I to Tax Accounting, can open the door to admission for you.
• Applicants worried about the entrance test: a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) waiver is available, and the GRE can stand in for the GMAT depending on your major.

The required core is 18 credit hours. Managerial Cost Accounting covers cost allocation and performance evaluation for manufacturers, merchandisers and service firms. Data Analytics for Accountants teaches you data preparation, visualization, audit analytics and modern software tools. Financial Statement Auditing covers current auditing standards, and Theory of Accounting traces how income and financial statements get measured.

Taxation of Entities focuses on C-corporations. Six more hours come from 500-level accounting electives such as Fraud Examination, IT Auditing and Controls, or Multi-jurisdictional Taxation. You can fill the last six hours with accounting, business or informatics courses.

The degree is 30 credit hours, and the catalog designs it for about one year of full-time study. The department says you can finish in as few as 12 months. Full time means three or more 8-week courses a semester.

Taking one course per 8-week term still adds up to 6 credits per semester. One graduate described finishing in 12 months while working full time. Most graduate accounting courses carry no graduate prerequisites, so you can order them to fit your calendar.

The 30 credits meet part of the 150-hour CPA path in Louisiana.

Tuition is $480 per credit hour, a flat rate of $1,440 per 3-credit course. You pay that rate in state or out.

Courses run in 8-week terms, with 16-week sections also offered. Starts come five times a year. You get a dedicated enrollment specialist, 24/7 online tutoring and an online student resource center.

The business college holds AACSB accreditation, and the Department of Accounting holds the advanced AACSB accounting accreditation, which the school says only 175 programs worldwide have. The degree is positioned to meet Louisiana's 150-hour CPA requirement.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

A 2025 graduate profile published by the school says you can take the program part time and still get the full curriculum. Graduates describe instructors who answered questions quickly and were open to phone calls.

A 2026 graduate called the online faculty accessible and willing to challenge students. U.S. News & World Report's 2023 Best Online Programs placed the school's online master's in business, with an accounting degree, at No. 45.

• Which of the six prerequisite courses would I need with a non-accounting bachelor's?
• How do I qualify for the GMAT waiver?
• Can I mix 8-week and 16-week courses in the same semester?
• Which elective mix would fit tax work or fraud examination?
• Does my state board accept these credits toward its CPA education hours?

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