UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Smeal College of Business has announced the addition of a new one-year master’s program aimed at undergraduate juniors and seniors who are seeking a career in corporate accounting or business and have strong quantitative skills typically found in STEM-related disciplines.
The college will begin accepting applications this summer for fall 2023 enrollment in the new Master’s in Accounting Analytics (MAA) program.
Students with a desire to improve their proficiency in or acquire advanced technical skills in manipulating and analyzing “big data” within the accounting domain would benefit.
“We feel that our new Master’s in Accounting Analytics program will not only prepare students for the increased industry demand for analytical skills, it will enhance their competitive posture for entry-level positions in corporate accounting or business,” said Brian Cameron, associate dean for professional graduate programs and executive education.
“We continue to search for ways to evolve business education, and we feel the MAA is another example of that innovation," he added.
The 30-credit, nine-month master’s program has a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) designation, which is a testament to the quality and rigor of the program, said Cameron. The designation allows international graduates on F-1 visas to work in the United States for an additional 24 months via the extended Optional Practical Training (OPT), totaling 36 months.
With a face-to-face classroom setting at Penn State’s University Park campus, students will focus on developing their technology skills with business analytics software that is essential to success in today’s data-rich environment.
“Unlike other programs, which simply add standalone analytics courses to their accounting curriculum, Smeal’s 18-credit core curriculum focuses on data analytics that is integrated and taught within an accounting domain by our world-class faculty who are experts in their fields,” said Scott Collins, associate clinical professor of accounting and the faculty director of the new master’s program.
The MAA program is the newest offering in Smeal’s suite of one-year master’s degrees, which also includes business analytics, accounting, corporate finance, management and organizational leadership and real estate analysis and development.
Smeal offers students the unique ability to customize their education by allowing stacking of degrees. For example, by waiving overlapping classes, students may combine their accounting analytics degree with a secondary master’s to earn two degrees in two years.
More information about the Smeal Master’s in Accounting Analytics program can be found here.