The NIU MAS Program is not an additional thirty hours of accountancy coursework. Rather, the program provides individuals with foundational accountancy knowledge that is not covered in the undergraduate program, and with essential business knowledge from the strategy, information technology, and financial management. Additionally, the program includes a research skills course and a capstone course in which accountancy and business knowledge is integrated and applied to business decision-making scenarios.
The NIU MAS Program is designed to help individuals develop important professional skills throughout their coursework. Development of the following skills is integrated throughout our courses.
Our graduates are successfully placed in a wide variety of organizations, including Big-4 accounting firms and leading corporations throughout the Midwest. A number of national rankings indicate the quality of the accounting program at NIU. Our CPA pass rate continues to place us among the top 10 schools in the nation. NIU's accountancy program is well known for its success in preparing students for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA) certificates.
The Department of Accountancy programs continue to be ranked among the elite in the nation by both Public Accounting Report (where both our graduate and undergraduate programs are ranked in the top 20) and U.S. News and World Report (where we are ranked 23rd in the 2008 Annual America's Best Colleges edition - our highest ranking ever).
NIU offers a nationally ranked review course, which includes detailed coverage of all four parts of the exam. Award-winning faculty teaches it. Students who have completed the CPA review course have performed extremely well on the exam. For more information about the exam, please visit the website www.cob.niu.edu/cparev.
Members of NIU's accountancy faculty are nationally known for their excellence in teaching, research, and public service. All have terminal degrees in their fields and have one or more professional certificates. Many faculty have received teaching awards and national recognition.
Courses are offered on a regular basis on the main campus at DeKalb, Illinois. Most courses are offered during the day, while a few are offered early evening. The College of Business provides several computer labs and smart classrooms that enrich the student learning environment.
Graduate assistantships are available to assist students financially. A normal course load for a graduate or teaching assistantship is nine-twelve semester hours. Positions are usually 10 to 20 hours per week. The position covers tuition only and pays a stipend. The assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis. Contact the MAS Director for further details.
The internship program is designed to give qualified applicants valuable work experience in accounting. Internships for academic credit are available with leading public and corporate firms during the spring and summer terms. Internship income may be used to help offset the cost of the MAS program. For more information, click here.
The M.A.S. program at NIU is very affordable. The requirements for the degree can typically be met with in-state tuition and fees of just under $15,000. A few scholarships are also available for graduate students.
Career Services assists students identify and secure employment. Services include job-related counseling, resume writing and interviewing workshops, and on-campus interview. Further, each fall, national and regional firms and corporations come to campus specifically to interview students with an Accountancy degree.