What You'll Learn | Master of Accounting

Our Master of Accounting degree develops the strategic, communication, and leadership skills needed to become a confident, forward-thinking business leader. Designed for working professionals, the program combines asynchronous coursework and live sessions to deliver a rigorous curriculum.

You’ll take core, concentration, and elective courses that will expose you to a wide variety of critical accounting, finance, and business topics. With the flexibility to customize your coursework, you can build a curriculum that is uniquely suited to your specific career goals, needs, and objectives.

Explore the skills you'll gain.

General Concepts

LEARN HOW TO…	…SO THAT YOU CAN…	RELEVANT COURSES
think critically, using an analytical mindset to solve problems	assess trends, provide insights, and take action on investment opportunities or other, operational functions.	Numerous (if not all) courses

manage and analyze data effectively, leveraging modeling and visualization tools	apply appropriate techniques to interpret and share results and insights concisely with stakeholders.	Advanced Spreadsheet Modeling, Data Analytics for Accountants, Data Visualization for Accountants

master all aspects of financial accounting and reporting	interpret key financial statements to lead meaningful discussions about the financial health of a company.	Financial Reporting, Financial Reporting and Disclosure

use information systems to implement strategies to store and organize data	perform product-costing and planning-control evaluations to internalize U.S. productivity and world economic concerns.	Managerial Accounting

apply cost allocation systems to support decision-making and incentive alignment	assess and make critical business decisions that impact the profitability of divisions, products, and customers.	Strategic Cost Accounting

Finance and Financial Analysis

LEARN HOW TO…	…SO THAT YOU CAN…	RELEVANT COURSES
work with mergers and acquisitions and issues faced by conglomerates and subsidiaries	evaluate any company or target using valuation approaches to implement a successful M&A strategy.	Accounting for Mergers and Acquisitions

analyze financial statements and disclosures (balance sheets and profit-and-loss, cash flow, and shareholder equity statements)	provide targets and formulate strategies to achieve profitability, margin, equity valuation, and ROI success.	Financial Statement Analysis, Financial Reporting and Disclosure, Applied Financial Reporting

conduct analyses of earnings, profitability, credit risk, revenue vs expenses, assets vs liability, equity, accruals vs deferrals, and intangibles	apply a partner-type perspective to decipher how economic events affect fundamental and peripheral accounting reports.	Financial Statement Analysis

forecast financial performance and perform firm, equity, and market valuations	assess risk and uncertainty to build financial models that measure the expected level of return of an asset or a project.	Introductory Finance, Fair Value Methods and Reporting, Business Valuation

Auditing

LEARN HOW TO…	…SO THAT YOU CAN…	RELEVANT COURSES
conduct analytical procedures (e.g. trend, common-size, and ratio analyses) to identify organizational and account-level risks	perform risk assessment, including fraud risk, for an organization, and develop the appropriate risk response.	Auditing and Assurance Services Applied Audit Advanced Auditing

apply the COSO framework, using inquiry, observation, inspection, and re-performance methods	evaluate a company’s internal control strengths and weaknesses.	Auditing and Assurance Services Applied Audit

use exploratory and confirmatory analytics to evaluate a population or data set	collect evidence and evaluate the impact of findings on the auditor’s report.	Auditing and Assurance Services Applied Audit Advanced Auditing

identify threats to independence for assurance engagements and consider safeguards to address such threats	maintain objectivity and independence while exercising professional judgement and skepticism.	Auditing and Assurance Services Advanced Auditing

Taxation

LEARN HOW TO…	…SO THAT YOU CAN…	RELEVANT COURSES
understand the details of the U.S. income tax code	determine the tax consequences of a past, or proposed, business investment, personal transactions, or other activities.	Federal Income Tax

perform corporate tax research and planning	provide tax insight and advice that helps business leaders make better, more fully informed decisions and properly report the results of their activities.	Corporate Tax Strategy, Tax Research

manage implications of international issues on U.S tax (inbound and outbound transactions, foreign tax credit and withholding)	help stakeholders navigate the complexity of the rapidly evolving multinational tax environment.	International Tax

tackle complex tax issues, including the taxation of partnerships, S corporations, C corporations, and their owners	advise on entity selection during start-up or expansion phases and help structure M&A transactions.	Taxation of Flow-Through Entities, International Tax

Leadership, Communication, and Negotiations

LEARN HOW TO…	…SO THAT YOU CAN…	RELEVANT COURSES
finetune the communication skills you’ll need as an accountant or finance professional	make effective presentations that inspire and influence key stakeholders.	Professional Communication for Accountants

lead, manage, and inspire individuals working across diverse, cross-functional teams	build high performers who collaborate on business-critical projects.	Leadership: Ethics, Professionalism and Team Building

execute efficiently, by implementing initiatives, monitoring success, and coordinating with key stakeholder groups	emerge and build your reputation as a leader that makes practical, functional decisions.	Leading in the Middle

develop a strong sense of ethical responsibility and sensitivity	lead, manage, and practice professional behavior, including professional communication, inclusivity, and ethics.	Ethics and Professionalism

understand how key global issues (e.g. competition, policies, politics, culture) impact business operations and finances	lead complex, global organizations by assessing inclusive behaviors, leveraging diverse styles, and taking inclusive actions.	Leadership: Professionalism and Team Building in Today’s Diverse Business Environment

improve your negotiation and conflict-resolution skills	create an atmosphere of trust that sets the stage for a successful negotiation.	Negotiations

use operations modeling techniques, including the application of core functions (e.g. marketing, finance, and HR)	use discrete event simulations and linear and non-linear optimization tools in practical decision-making situations.	Business Modeling

manage workplace dynamics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion	build relationships across differences and help assess and change habits in your organization.	Leadership: Ethics, Professionalism and Team Building, Gender at Work

identify your strengths and opportunities and create a professional development plan	initiate and execute development plans for yourself or others in your organization that are specific, measurable, and effective.	Leading and Managing

Niche Business and Accounting Skills

LEARN HOW TO…	…SO THAT YOU CAN…	RELEVANT COURSES
master governmental and fund accounting principles and reporting requirements	perform financial and investment analyses of the operations and portfolios of government entities.	Governmental Accounting

apply accounting principles to support the unique needs of non-profit organizations	evaluate financial efficiency and resource allocation for mission-driven organizations.	Governmental Accounting

address issues related to contracts and other commercial transactions	apply skills, like the law of agency, secured transactions, and negotiable instruments to complex commercial transactions.	Essentials of Business Law and Commercial Transactions

explore regulatory and legal concepts related to business entities and securities	work effectively with attorneys to navigate financial and legal issues regarding internal procedures and policies.	Business Entities and Securities Regulation

understand derivative securities, including the structure and pricing of option, futures, and forward contracts	assess risk in derivative pricing, hedging, and corporate debt and equity options for derivatives trading and markets.	Derivatives

Discover the UNC difference with a student ambassador

Experience the collaborative environment of our online or on campus UNC Master of Accounting program firsthand. Attend a live class, and get a feel for our community alongside one of our student ambassadors.

What You’ll Learn

Explore the skills you'll gain.

Discover the UNC difference with a student ambassador

Stay connected