Accounting and Business Analysis
Master of Science in Business: Accounting and Business Analysis
Take your accounting degree up a notch and become a trusted financial partner with UW–Madison’s innovative MS degree in accounting and business analysis.
Is this program right for you?
The rapid adoption of emerging technologies and proliferation of data has fundamentally changed the ways accountants provide services to their clients. UW–Madison’s MS in Business: Accounting and Business Analysis offers both the foundational and specialized skills necessary for you to make an impact as a trusted financial partner.
Designed specifically for those with an undergraduate degree in accounting, this two-semester master’s program develops the skills needed to address complex accounting and business questions with specific application to the real world. You’ll tailor your coursework in one of two professional pathways: tax client services or accounting, assurance and advisory.
Further differentiate yourself in the marketplace through elective coursework where there are growing needs for accounting professionals: risk management, emerging technology, sustainability, wealth management and M&A deal advisory.
Our curriculum prepares you for the CPA exam, while career and networking opportunities introduce you to some of the largest accounting firms in the country. Career coaching and support are a staple in this accelerated master’s program—helping you land that dream job.
Is this program right for you?
The rapid adoption of emerging technologies and proliferation of data has fundamentally changed the ways accountants provide services to their clients. UW–Madison’s MS in Business: Accounting and Business Analysis offers both the foundational and specialized skills necessary for you to make an impact as a trusted financial partner.
Designed specifically for those with an undergraduate degree in accounting, this two-semester master’s program develops the skills needed to address complex accounting and business questions with specific application to the real world. You’ll tailor your coursework in one of two professional pathways: tax client services or accounting, assurance and advisory.
Further differentiate yourself in the marketplace through elective coursework where there are growing needs for accounting professionals: risk management, emerging technology, sustainability, wealth management and M&A deal advisory.
Our curriculum prepares you for the CPA exam, while career and networking opportunities introduce you to some of the largest accounting firms in the country. Career coaching and support are a staple in this accelerated master’s program—helping you land that dream job.
Admissions requirements
All applicants must:
- Have an undergraduate degree in accounting or equivalent from an accredited college or university.
- An equivalent degree includes taking all of the following courses:
- Introductory Financial Accounting (equivalent to ACCT I S 100 or ACCT I S 300)
- Introductory Managerial Accounting (equivalent to ACCT I S 211 or ACCT I S 300)
- Intermediate Financial Accounting (equivalent to ACCT I S 301 and ACCT I S 302)
- Advanced Managerial Accounting (equivalent to ACCT I S 310)
- Accounting Information Systems (equivalent to ACCT I S 340)
- Taxation (equivalent of ACCT I S/LAW 329, ACCT I S 620, or ACCT I S 621)
- Foundations of Auditing (equivalent to ACCT I S 630)
- Business Law (equivalent to GEN BUS 301)
- An equivalent degree includes taking all of the following courses:
- Submit evidence of English language proficiency, if applicable. The required proficiency scores are: TOEFL IBT 92, PBT 580; or IELTS 7.0
Application materials required:
- Online application
- Resume
- Essay
- Transcripts
- Interview (by invitation only)
Program highlights
- Learn from renowned faculty and industry experts in accounting, finance, consulting, emerging technology, risk management and sustainability.
- Benefit from career coaching and connections to top recruiting companies.
- Delve into a curriculum aligned with the new CPA exam. Coursework is designed to put you on an accelerated path to exam success.
How you'll learn
- Two-semester intensive curriculum on the UW–Madison campus
- Develop an advanced foundation in accounting and analysis with core coursework
- Expand your skill set further by completing tailored coursework in tax client services or accounting, assurance and advisory
- Choose elective coursework in one of five disciplines to specialize your knowledge
Sample curriculum
Core Courses
- Foundation in Accounting Analytics
- Information Risk, Control & Forensics
- Accounting & Analysis for Reporting Entities
Accounting, Assurance, and Advisory Pathway
- Financial Statement Analysis
- Advanced Auditing: Analysis, Policy, and Judgment
- Accounting Theory: Reporting Incentives & Consequences
- Analysis of Performance Measurement & Control
Tax Pathway
- Analysis of Taxation for Passthrough Entities
- Tax Research, Procedure & Analysis
- Analysis of International Taxation
- Analysis of Taxes & Business Decisions
Choose coursework across 5 disciplines
- Risk Management
- Principles of Risk Management
- Risk Analytics and Behavioral Science
- Cyber Risk & Regulation
- Emerging Technology
- Information Technology in Supply Chains
- Cyber Risk & Regulation
- Data Technology for Business Analytics
- Sustainability
- Challenges & Business Solutions in Business Sustainability
- Sustainability, Environment and Social Risk Management
- Diversity in Organizations
- M&A Deal Advisory
- Business Valuation
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Analysis of Taxes & Business Decisions (AAA) or Financial Statement Analysis (Tax)
- Wealth Management
- Investment Theory
- Estate Planning for Financial Planners
- Wealth Management and Financial Planning
Ready to learn more about Accounting and Business Analysis?
View the UW-Madison Guide
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Connect with our enrollment coaches
Our friendly, knowledgeable enrollment coaches are here to answer your questions. Contact an enrollment coach to:
- Learn how to make this program work with your life/schedule
- Get help with your application
- Determine if financial aid is available
Visit with our coaches on campus or at an upcoming student fair in your area. Search student fairs & events.
