Ramapo College of New Jersey’s Anisfield School of Business has added a Master of Science in Accounting Program to the College’s graduate degree offerings.  The 30-credit M.S. in Accounting (MSAC) Program is designed to prepare students for Certified Public Accounting (CPA) certification and for a wide variety of professional fields, including forensic accounting, fraud examination and advanced auditing, accounting and control in for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, and data analytics, among others. The MSAC program is designed for students who wish to pursue both an undergraduate and graduate degree in accounting and students returning for a master’s degree in the field.

“This changes the entire mindset for our accounting students,” said Ed Petkus, Dean of the Anisfield School of Business. “With the five-year B.S. + M.S. offering, even our first- and second-year students can see themselves as potentially pursuing a Master’s degree, not just as something that might happen someday long after they graduate, but as an integral part of their college experience. It facilitates a mature and conscientious approach to their education, right from the first day they come to campus.”

For current and incoming students, completion of the five-year program is accomplished through a comprehensive learning experience in both advanced accounting and CPA exam preparation. Students will attain 150 credits and the professional capabilities to excel in today’s complex and rapidly changing financial reporting environment. For students who have previously earned a B.S. in Accounting, the MSAC will require 30 course credits.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of accountants and auditors is projected to grow 11 percent from 2014 to 2024, faster than the average for all occupations. Globalization, a growing overall economy and an increasingly complex tax and regulatory environment are, according to the BLS, the main reasons for the expected growth in the field. Ramapo B.S. in Accounting graduates are in high demand by local, regional and national accounting firms, including the “Big Four,” and the new M.S. in Accounting program will build on that reputation.

“We have designed the MSAC Program based on feedback we’ve received from employers in the industry itself,” said Constance Crawford, MSAC Program Director. “Employees will need certain tools and skills to respond to those industry needs, so in addition to comprehensive course work at the graduate level, we are infusing information technology and stressing data analytics to best prepare our students to successfully enter the field.”