University of Massachusetts-Amherst Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting (On Campus): 2027 Review

Score

69.4 of 100, rank 13 of 100

Cost (20%)

1.0 of 10

Graduate Earnings (20%)

9.7 of 10

Completion (15%)

8.4 of 10

Flexibility (15%)

4.0 of 10

Credential Alignment (10%)

10.0 of 10

Track Record (10%)

9.8 of 10

Program Reputation (10%)

9.6 of 10

Credits

120

Format

On Campus, Online

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 8, 2026.

UMass Amherst gives accounting majors a paid, full-time spring placement at a public accounting firm, worth up to 15 credits. Only accounting majors qualify for these internships, so the firms treat the pool as a pipeline.

The Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst offers the Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. You'll study on campus in Amherst. The department has AACSB accounting accreditation on top of the school's business accreditation.

• Students who want a busy-season internship: Semester in the Profession places you at Big 4, national or regional certified public accountant (CPA) firms.
• Tax-minded students: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), one of the largest programs in the country, lets you prepare real returns.
• Students headed to a Master of Accounting: you can finish it in as soon as two semesters after senior year.
• Future forensic accountants: Isenberg's forensic accounting director was named an Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) Educator of the Year.

The major adds 30 credits of accounting courses to the BBA core. You take Intro to Accounting I and Principles of Managerial Accounting, then Financial Reporting I and II. Accounting Information Systems, Individual Taxation, Advanced Financial Accounting and Auditing round out the required courses. CPA Law for Accountants is also required.

For your elective you can choose Cost Accounting, Corporate Taxation, International Accounting, or Business Sustainability Reporting and Analysis. The department doesn't offer formal concentrations, so you shape a focus through the electives you pick. Beta Alpha Psi, the accounting honors society, and the Commonwealth Honors College Multidisciplinary Honors track are open to majors.

Semester in the Profession runs from early January to mid-March or early April, usually in junior year. It carries up to 15 credits, with 9 for the practicum and 3 each for Auditing and CPA Law, so you stay on track to graduate.

The school advises waiting to take Auditing and CPA Law until the internship. A graduate said the semester also helped them finish the 150 academic credits for the CPA exam. A Master of Accounting can follow in as soon as two semesters after senior year.

If you're planning to sit for the CPA, you'll meet a faculty mentor about state requirements.

The school reports about $1,654 per credit hour. Ask the department which fees apply, and how pay from the Semester in the Profession internship fits your budget.

You attend classes on campus in Amherst. The internship moves you into a firm full time from January into the spring, and many large firms host interns in cities across the country. Beta Alpha Psi and the VITA program meet alongside your coursework.

Isenberg holds AACSB accreditation at both the school and accounting program levels. The curriculum includes a required CPA law course. The catalog also lists the certified management accountant (CMA) and the certified internal auditor (CIA) as certifications open to accounting graduates.

Where this degree can lead: Accounting Degree Jobs.

A graduate quoted by Poets&Quants called Semester in the Profession the best experience of their time at Isenberg. Another alumnus said the Isenberg Undergraduate Consulting Group gave them most of the skills they needed to excel in their career.

Poets&Quants placed the undergraduate business school No. 46 in its 2026 ranking of undergraduate programs. The school says its student Beta Alpha Psi chapter was among the national Superior Chapters for a third year in a row.

• Which firms hosted Semester in the Profession interns this year, and in which cities?
• When should I take Auditing and CPA Law so they count during the internship?
• How does the two-semester Master of Accounting work, and when do I apply?
• Which electives best prepare me for forensic accounting or corporate tax?

• Best Bachelor's Programs #13 of 100
• Best AACSB Accredited Programs #13 of 85
• Best for CPA Candidates #7 of 79
• Best Online Programs #8 of 50
• Best Public University Programs #13 of 79
• Accounting Programs in Massachusetts #1 of 5

• University of Cincinnati-Main Campus #11 of 100
• Texas A&M University-College Station #12 of 100
• Arizona State University Digital Immersion #14 of 100
• James Madison University #15 of 100

Also at University of Massachusetts-Amherst: our master's program review