Accounting (M.S.)
Lerner’s Department of Accounting & Management Information Systems (MIS) offers the master of science degree in accounting. You will extend your education with advanced study in each of the major areas of the field of accounting, finance and quantitative methods. The accounting program prepares you for a professional career in public accounting, consulting, information systems, industry or government.
Choose Your Focus
Specialize your education with in-depth study. You may also choose to complete the M.S. in accounting degree without selecting a major. We offer majors in:
- Financial management
- Controllership
- Management information systems
- Analytics
Choose Your Pace
The M.S. in accounting program offers both full-time and part-time courses of study.
Accelerated: 1 year or less
UD undergraduate accounting majors
Full time: 1 year
Students with an undergraduate accounting degree from an AACSB-accredited institution
Full time: 1.5-2 years
All other full-time students
Part time: 2-5 Years
Part-time students
Program Requirements
Courses (30 credits)
ACCT 614 – Advanced Federal Taxation
ACCT 604 – Database Design & Implementation
ACCT 620 – Theory of External Reporting & Applications
ACCT 625 – Financial Statement Analysis
ACCT 683 – International Accounting
BUAD 620 – Fundamentals of Analytics
BUAD 640 – Ethical Issues in Domestic & Global Business Environments
ELECTIVES – choose a major or 3 self-selected courses (9 credits):
Analytics major (STEM-Designated)
Select three from:
MISY 602 – Big Data Technologies
MISY 606 – Object-oriented Systems Analysis, Design & Implementation
BUAD 621 – Decision Analytics & Visualization
BUAD 622 – Optimization & Spreadsheet Modeling
BUAD 625 – Business Analytics Capstone
MISY 636 – Unstructured Data Analytics
MISY 641 – Data Mining for Business Analytics
MISY 675 – Dashboard Design & Storytelling
Controllership major
Select three from:
ACCT 617 – Auditing, Ethics & Professional Responsibility
BUAD 631 – Operations Management & Management Science
MISY 627 – Information Technology & Organizational Effectiveness
MISY 650 – Security & Control
Financial management major
FINC 650 – Financial Management
And select two from:
FINC 612 – Capital Markets & Financial Institutions
FINC 615 – International Finance
FINC 616 – Derivative Securities & Risk Management
FINC 619 – Financial Modeling & Valuation
FINC 630 – Fintech & Data Science for Finance
FINC 651 – Corporate Financial Analysis
FINC 652 – Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management
FINC 662 – Fixed Income Securities
Management information systems major (STEM-Designated)
ACCT 606 – Object-oriented Systems Analysis, Design & Implementation
And select two from:
MISY 605 – Current Issues in Management Information Systems
MISY 627 – Information Technology & Organizational Effectiveness
MISY 650 – Security & Control
Undergraduate Prerequisite Requirements
- Introductory Financial Accounting (U.S. GAAP)
- Intermediate Financial Accounting (U.S. GAAP)
- Introductory Management Accounting or Cost Accounting
- Microeconomics
- U.S. Business Law
The M.S. is designed as a one-year, 30-hour graduate program beyond these undergraduate course requirements. If you lack any of these prerequisites, you may complete this work while in the M.S. program. Normally, those holding an undergraduate business degree from an AACSB International-accredited college will have met the general skills, business and management knowledge areas requirements outside the area of accounting. Graduate level courses taken to fulfill prerequisites will not count towards fulfilling the 30-hour requirement of the M.S. in accounting.
Faculty Research
Learn from faculty conducting research in exciting areas of the accounting field.
Faculty research areas include corporate disclosure and financial reporting issues, domestic and international financial reporting, taxation of financial instruments, capitalization requirements, tax law, compensation, voluntary disclosure, corporate governance, financial statement analysis, decision-making in accounting and auditing settings and more.
Career Opportunities
Accounting is always in demand. Having a master’s degree in accounting provides numerous career opportunities. Graduates work in public accounting, consulting, finance or for the government.
Lerner Graduate Success
After graduation in 2024, 97% of masters-level students were employed (earning an average salary of $90,870). The Career Outcomes website reports what our graduates do, where they work and the salaries they make.
News
- NABA: Advancing Accounting Leaders - NABA members mentored local students, attended a regional conference, and visited EY NYC, gaining leadership, career insights, and alumni connections.
- Accounting Students Association: Reinvigorated, Reorganized - ASA’s buddy program pairs upperclassmen with newer majors, offering mentoring, résumé support and guidance while fostering a strong service-minded community
- Celebrating Excellence in Accounting - This fall, UD’s Accounting and MIS Department celebrated standout student achievements, alumni engagement, faculty awards, and active student organizations. Highlights include the Jeffrey Heimann Memorial Award recipients, EY-led assurance sessions, a CPA alumni panel and strong mentoring programs
- Heimann Memorial Award Honorees - Four exceptional accounting majors earned the Jeffrey Heimann Memorial Award for top academics and impactful internships honoring a beloved UD alumnus.
- Accounting & MIS Faculty Honors - Lerner's Accounting and MIS Department honored UD professors Hanieh Javadi Khasraghi, Ellen Monk and George Tsakumis for excellence in teaching, service and research—celebrated with the annual cake tradition.
Contact Us
Michael J. Jung, director of masters degree programs in accounting
mjung@udel.edu
Sarah Dix, academic program coordinator
sarahdix@udel.edu
Admissions Information
Learn more about master of science in accounting admissions requirements, deadlines, tuition and financial aid available to you.
Accelerated Accounting Program
Earn a B.S. and M.S. in accounting in 5 years or less and enter the workforce a step ahead.
AACSB Accredited Accounting
Lerner is in an elite group of less than 200 schools that maintain separate accounting accreditation.
Carol A. Ammon Case Competition
Graduate student teams present their solutions to current issues faced by the competition’s focal company.