The one-year M.S. in Taxation (MS-Tax) program is designed to educate students in the methodology of tax research and to help students develop the ability to analyze and interpret tax law, regulations, cases and related material. The program builds on undergraduate education and leads to a greater degree of accounting sophistication in the area of taxation. A significant number of graduates are placed with Big Four, medium size and regional CPA firms, as well as with corporate tax practices and governmental entities.
Attracting students from a variety of backgrounds, the MS-Tax program provides rigorous study in the area of taxation. Students are exposed to state and interstate taxation, corporate taxation, partnership taxation, estate and gift taxation, deferred compensation and profit sharing, tax research, consolidations, reorganizations, and international taxation. The tax program is reviewed by an advisory council composed of experts in the field of taxation including representatives from international accounting firms, industry and the Internal Revenue Service.
The School of Business, in collaboration with Albany Law School, offers students the option of taking a tax law course each semester at Albany Law School to satisfy part of the MS-Tax requirements. Recruiters and alumni strongly feel that this exposure to Albany Law School is unique and sets our students apart from students in other tax programs.
Admission to the program requires an undergraduate degree in accounting or the equivalent. The University at Albany School of Business accepts full-time students into the program and part-time students who have had a minimum of 3 years of full time work experience in the Accounting field.
The Curriculum
A typical program for a student accepted into full time graduate study requires the completion of 30 credits. Most students complete the course work in one-year, while others study part-time and complete the program in two or more years. The required courses necessary to complete the program include the following:
| Course # | Course Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACC 631 | Principles of Tax Research | 3 |
| ACC 633 | Corporation Taxation | 3 |
| ACC 642 | Taxation of Partnerships | 3 |
| ACC 694 | Seminar in Taxation and Financial Planning | 3 |
| 2 Tax Electives | 6 | |
| 2 Accounting Electives | 6 | |
| Total Graduate Accounting Credits | 24 |
| Course # | Course Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| 2 General Business Electives (may not include accounting and taxation courses) |
6 | |
| Total General Business Credits | 6 | |
| Total Program Credits | 30 |
Please note: This program is licensure qualifying. Students who have previously been convicted of a felony are advised that their prior criminal history may impede their ability to complete the requirements of certain academic programs and/or to meet licensure requirements for certain professions. If applicants have concerns about this matter please contact the Dean’s Office of the intended academic program.
Accreditation
The MS-Tax program is registered with the Division of Professional Education of the State Education Department of New York and meets the 150- semester credit hour education requirement. In addition our program is accredited by the AACSB, as are all of our Accounting Programs. Very few accounting programs across the country have gained this distinction. This program is approved for licensure in New York State.