The field of accounting has quickly evolved. Gone are most paper ledgers and even Excel documents. In their place, AI-based tools such as Alteryx, Tableau and UiPath are coming to the fore.

The time has never been better to turn to Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics, the largest accredited business college on the West Coast and the only business school in Orange County specifically accredited for accounting, for an innovative graduate education in accountancy.

This year, the college is debuting a new modality of one its top existing graduate programs, launched to respond to the needs of students and the industry in the ever-changing business environment.

Working With Industry and Academia to Design a Top-Notch Grad Program

In just 10 months, a recently graduated accounting undergrad can earn a Master of Accountancy, all the while gaining real-world experience, networking with Orange County’s top accountants and immersed with a cohort of supportive peers with diverse life experiences.

It’s an affordable full-time cohort-based program that makes sure young accountants have the skills and experience needed to succeed, with minimal debt so they can quickly advance on the path to career success.

Four courses per semester, an orientation and boot camp, and an optional winter internship means that students will be well-versed in the accounting field by the time they graduate, ready to take their CPA exams.

And with low tuition–and even full-ride scholarships available thanks to the Deloitte Foundation Accounting Scholars Program–this accountancy program supports first-generation and underrepresented students in their quest for success in the accounting field.

“We are reacting to the evolving needs of the accounting industry and the needs of students as they become young professionals. And we’re supporting both the industry and our students in the process,” says Sri Sundaram, dean of the college. “We’re making getting a graduate degree simpler, quicker, more focused on out-of-classroom learning, and more affordable.”

In designing this program, the college turned to industry leaders, many of whom are part of the Dean’s Advisory Board and the boards of the School of Accountancy and Center for Corporate Reporting and Governance, which oversee accounting education at Cal State Fullerton.

Paul Short, chair of the Dean’s Advisory Board, says the program is setting the standard for academic and industry cooperation in designing student degree programs.

“In the future, colleges will work closely with the business community in designing and delivering programs. This is already happening in many places around the world, and Cal State Fullerton is ahead of the game,” says Short.

“At the Dean’s Advisory Board, we’ve been curating the opinions and visions of accounting professionals in determining what works best and what will be the best fit for developing the professionals of tomorrow. We’re so proud of this graduate degree as the culmination of one of our many efforts.”

In Just 10 Months, Undergrads Gain an Internship and Complete Grad School   

Recognizing the need for a master’s degree to set students apart in their accounting career, the Master of Accountancy program is focusing its recruitment on students who are completing their bachelor’s degrees in the 2023-2024 academic year, have a minimum 3.0 GPA with all accounting prerequisites, and have an internship or full-time position at an accounting firm or are recipients of the Deloitte Foundation accounting scholarship.

“With this program, grad students are CPA ready, all the while gaining from the expertise of our faculty, some of whom are renowned researchers, and others who have decades of experience in auditing, tax and other niches of the accounting field,” says Vivek Mande, chair of the School of Accountancy at Cal State Fullerton.

“Integrating leadership and professional development, this program is focused on on-the-job education through internships. This is a truly unique program that will develop a new pipeline to accounting career success in Orange County.”

In this program, internships aren’t just an addition to a student’s coursework. They are an integral aspect of the program.

Students complete a three-month optional winter internship in audit, tax or consulting and are subject to normal performance standards and reviews. While an internship doesn’t guarantee a job offer, it does guarantee an applied experience to the accounting field that complements classroom learning.

Get Started On Your Journey

Interested in earning your accounting master’s in the 2024-2025 academic year?

Application deadline is May 1, 2024, with decisions announced on June 1.

For more information, visit the college’s M.S. in Accountancy – Cohort page.