As an accounting professional, the bottom line among prospective employers and clients is your proven proficiency in technical knowledge, critical thinking and communication skills. Now you can enhance your credibility and expand your career options in the fields of accounting and finance by building on your undergraduate education while you prepare for CPA certification. The Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University offers a Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) degree. Our 32-hour program (up to 40 hours required for those with a non-business or international background) is designed to heighten your broad-based business knowledge to meet employers' expectations while satisfying the CPA licensing requirements. The SMU Cox MSA Program gives you the flexibility to differentiate your learning experience in a rigorous academic environment through elective courses within the rigorous academic environment of a top MBA Program. An SMU Cox MSA will not only provide you with accounting fundamentals, but you will also learn in the areas of finance, information technology and tax. Through pioneering faculty research and teaching techniques, SMU Cox puts students on the leading edge of business and provides unparalleled opportunities to succeed. Gain the knowledge, skills and contacts you need to launch your career in accounting with an MSA from SMU Cox.

One of our Masters in Accounting students has just been selected to serve in The Accounting Researcher Program for Ernst & Young. This program provides a one-year rotation to first year staff who stand out in the crowd. The Researcher Program enables staff to network with partners and senior managers in the firm's Professional Practice — Accounting Department in New York, develop their skills in accounting research and improve their oral and written communication abilities. After the completion of her rotation, she will return to the Dallas office with enhanced knowledge and experience that will benefit engagement teams. The SMU Cox MSA Program is ranked #13 and our undergraduate program is ranked #22 among mid-size schools by Public Accounting Report. This recognition was the result of over 1,700 accounting educator survey responses answering the question "Which programs consistently turn out students capable of someday attaining partner status?" SMU Cox was named by Parade Magazine as one of seven schools on its College A-List for Business and Accounting. SMU Cox is named one of the 15 best business schools nationwide in accounting, as part of The Princeton Review Annual Student Opinion Honors for Business Schools as reported in Entrepreneur magazine. SMU Cox students had the highest CPA Exam pass rate in the state of Texas during the summer 2011 and 2010 testing windows amongst schools with at least 10 students. This reflects the quality of our undergraduate and MSA students as well as our faculty's commitment to their success. We believe that the great strides being taken by the accounting program at SMU Cox are a direct result of our continuing efforts at undergraduate and graduate level to offer leadership and quality of instruction in all phases of our program. SMU Cox is the training ground for future accounting leaders. We are excited to see national recognition of our rigorous program as we seek to build both our quality and enrollments. Learn more about why students and recruiters are choosing the SMU Cox MSA Program