Master’s in Accounting Degree Programs in Delaware

Business professionals considering an advanced degree have many options for master’s in accounting degree programs in Delaware. Many factors make the First State an excellent place to pursue graduate level study in accounting. Not only is the state of Delaware itself home more than a million corporations, its location finds it convenient to the heart of much of the United States’ financial activity: The nation’s capital, the financial centers of New York City and the metropolitan areas Philadelphia and Baltimore are all just a few hours away. This means that internship opportunities — and, after graduation, employment opportunities — are many and varied. Another interesting factor: the Delaware court system sets precedence for corporate governance across the United States.

Both M.S. in accounting degree programs and MBA programs with concentrations in accounting — or, for the very ambitious, a combined degree — prepare graduates for leadership positions in public accounting or in the financial, government and industrial sectors. There is a high demand for qualified accountants, and, given the recent changes the state of Delaware has made to the requirements candidates must meet before taking the CPA exam, the extra thirty or so credits provided by most master’s programs have become all the more valuable.

Goldey-Beacom College

Graduate School

Located on a 24-acre campus in a suburb of Wilmington, Delaware, Goldey-Beacom College is a private college and was founded in 1886. The student body at Goldey-Beacom is small yet incredibly diverse – out of the roughly 2,000 students enrolled, you’ll find over 60 nations represented.

Each of the graduate programs offered by Goldey-Beacom feature classes scheduled on evenings and on Saturdays, in order to accommodate working students. The school utilizes an eight-week format, breaking each semester down into two eight-week sessions. This system affords students the opportunity to complete a degree in two years, even while enrolled on a part-time basis, by taking one class per eight week session in the fall, spring and summer semesters. This makes Goldey-Beacom’s MS in Taxation one of the best master’s in accounting degree programs in Delaware for busy, adult students.

Master of Science in Taxation

The Master of Science in Taxation degree at Goldey-Beacom is designed for practicing accountants, lawyers and financial planners/managers, as well as for candidates with undergraduate degrees in accounting who intend to go into the field of taxation. Graduates have found employment in both the public and private sectors. Learning outcomes of the program include the preparation of IRS forms, the calculation of gains and losses, the determination of allowable expenses, and concepts such as tax depreciation and amortization. Goldey-Beacom’s curriculum places special emphasis on technical competence and exposes students both to current tax law and to tax research.

Accreditation

Goldey-Beacom College has been accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs, and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education.

Contact

Goldey-Beacom College

4701 Limestone Rd

Wilmington, DE 19808

302-998-8814

admissions@gbc.edu

Website

Strayer University

Master’s Degree in Accounting

Strayer’s Master’s in Accounting program can be completed online or on campus. Students customize their coursework to their career goals by choosing from one of five functional concentrations: corporate accounting, forensic accounting, or taxation. In order to complete the program, each degree candidate must demonstrate their ability to apply learned knowledge and critical thinking skills toward real world business cases, by earning a grade of “B” or better on their graduate accounting capstone. Like all Strayer students, those in this accounting M.S. program are assigned to a “success coach,” an advisor whose purpose is to help working students succeed in a non-traditional education format.

MBA with Accounting Concentration

Strayer’s MBA program can be completed online, on campus or through a combination of both online and on campus classes. One of the fifteen available MBA concentrations includes accounting. Learning outcomes for the Strayer accounting MBA include the ability interpret accounting data for decision making and problem solving, an understanding of how to ethically minimize liabilities, a demonstrated competence in preparing, interpreting and utilizing financial reports, the development of financial analytical skills, practice in researching and evaluating tax law, and the ability to communicate a solid understanding of legal issues as they pertain to a business environment.

Accreditation

Strayer University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

University of Delaware

The Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics

The University of Delaware boasts a history that dates back to 1743, and three out of its inaugural class of ten students would go on to sign the Declaration of Independence. Today, UD has a student body of approximately 23,000, and is an unusual /public/private school hybrid: The university is privately governed yet receives public funding as a land-grant, sea-grant and space-grant institution.Its main campus is located in Newark.

As the state’s largest university, UD has the widest variety of master’s in accounting degree programs in Delaware. The Alfred Lerner School of Business and Economics offers four different options to students interested in advanced accounting study. Graduate students choose Lerner for the unique opportunities the school is home to: graduate study abroad, the Hen Hatch Pitch competition for start-up business ideas, and the Executive Mentors -Scholars program.

Master of Science in Accounting

The Accounting M.S. degree at UD prepares graduates for leadership roles in any of the major areas of the accounting field, including public accounting, information systems consulting or auditing and taxation. Degree candidates in this program can choose from concentrations in analytics, controllership, financial management or management information systems, or, alternatively, can design their own concentration with a careful selection of electives. Applicants who have successfully completed a baccalaureate degree in accounting at an AACSB-accredited college can finish this program in a little as one year. Other students should plan on committing 1.5 years to the program if enrolled full-time, or two years if studying part-time.

MBA Concentration in Accounting

For students whose career goals would be better served by an MBA than an M.S. in accounting, Lerner offers an accounting concentration as part of its MBA program. The Lerner MBA is a 44-credit program consisting of 29 foundational credits, 2 credits worth of professional development seminars, plus 15 credits of electives – which, in the case of the accounting concentration, will include management accounting and control, financial statement analysis and international accounting. The MBA program at Lerner can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis, with both online and hybrid learning formats available.

Personalized mentorship and an experience-based approach are the main features of the Lerner MBA program, and, along with the College’s partnerships top financial institutions, are surely a part of what make graduates of the program so successful statistically. According to the College, nearly half of Lerner MBA graduates self-report salaries of over $90,000.

MBA/Master of Science in Accounting Dual Degree

Both the MBA program and the M.S. in Accounting program at the Alfred Lerner College are excellent programs, and, given the demand for employees with multiple areas of expertise in today’s economy, some business professionals would like to earn both. For these ambitious degree candidates, Lerner offers a 60-credit dual-degree program, equally divided into 30 credits from the MBA program and 30 credits from the accounting program. Full-time students can complete the program in 2.5 years. This dual-degree is also available to part-time students, most of whom are able to finish in approximately four years. Candidates for the dual-degree will need to meet the individual admissions requirements of both programs.

Accounting (B.S./M.S.) Dual-Degree Program

For highly motivated future accounting professionals still at the start of their college journeys, the University of Delaware offers a five-year pathway to a master’s in accounting degree. This highly-efficient dual-degree program allows students to concurrently schedule undergraduate and graduate coursework, using graduate-level classes to fulfill the elective requirements of the undergraduate degree. After finishing up senior year of their undergraduate careers, the hardworking students of this degree program will have just 24 graduate-level credits left to complete in order to earn an M.S. in Accounting from the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics.

Accreditation

The Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics is currently the only business school in the state of Delaware to hold AACSB accreditation in both business and accounting.

Contact

Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics

303 Alfred Lerner Hall

Newark, DE 19716

302-831-2792

mbaprogram@udel.edu

Website

Wilmington University

College of Business

With its main campus in New Castle, Delaware, Wilmington University is a private research university and has an enrollment of over 20,000 students. Wilmington is known for its career-oriented programs, for offering flexible degree paths thanks to its several campus locations and its online options, and for being an exceptionally military-friendly school.

The College of Business at Wilmington University is home to one of the more working student-oriented master’s in accounting degree programs in Delaware, as well as to an MBA program with a concentration in accounting. Both are designed toward the needs of students already employed professionally in the field.

Master of Science in Accounting

Wilmington University’s 30-credit M.S. in Accounting can be completed online, and the College of Business also offers evening classes at its Wilson Graduate Center, Dover and Georgetown locations, as well as weekend classes at the Dover Air Force base. Degree candidates must complete ten courses, eight of which are mandatory and the remaining two of which may be selected from approved electives. The program provides the credits needed to sit for CPA licensure in the state of Delaware, and, to meet the goals of students not interested in public accounting, also provides the educational foundation needed for the Certified Management Accountant Exam (CMA) and Certified Fraud Examination Exam (CFE).

MBA with Accounting Concentration

With classes scheduled on weeknights and Saturdays, and many courses available online, Wilmington University’s MBA program aims to enable its students to continue working full-time while pursuing their advanced degree. A series of accelerated, seven-week class sessions allow students to complete the degree at their own pace. On top of the MBA common core that includes classes in economics, global marketing, business strategy and organizational behavior, students who choose the accounting concentration also complete 18 credits of specialized coursework in advanced accounting. Applicants to this concentration should have completed 12 credits of undergraduate accounting coursework, the equivalent of Accounting I and II and Intermediate Accounting I and II, prior to admission.

Accreditation

The College of Business at Wilmington University is accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education.

Contact

Wilmington University

320 N. Dupont Hwy

New Castle, DE 19720

877-967-5464

gradadmissions@wilmu.edu

Website

Today’s advanced accounting students have more degree paths than ever when it comes to pursuing a graduate degree, whether that means an M.S. or an MBA, a typical two-year campus program or accelerated, part-time and/or online options. These nine examples of master’s in accounting degree programs in Delaware are proof of that variety.

See also: Top 35 Master of Accounting Online Degree Programs