[jam6478]

Between a Masters in Accountancy, a Masters in Taxation, or any other graduate degree focused in accounting (outside of an MBA), is there any one that stands out in particular as the most prestigious? I’m about to begin a MAcc program at the same school that I earned my undergrad degree, so I never really bothered to look elsewhere to get those 30 extra credits. It was also an incentive that my school waived the GMAT requirement since I was an undergrad there. Would it have been worth it to look at any other type of program? The CPA is obviously the most important thing on my plate right now, but its something that I think about occasionally.

FAR - 77
REG - 83
AUD - 87
BEC - 83

[JohnWayneIsGod]

I have a MAcc, so here is how I look at the programs.

MST: If you want to pursue a career in tax, then this should be a no-brainer. If you don't want a career in tax, why bother?

MAcc: I obtained a MAcc as part of a career change. My undergrad had nothing to do with business nor accounting. Based on my experience and the curriculum, I think a MAcc is a great degree for someone who is new to accounting, or for someone would has a business-related undergrad (finance, economics, etc) but would like a graduate degree with a focus on accounting.

MS: If I had an accounting undergrad, I would have pursued a MS instead of a MAcc. From reviewing the curriculum, the MS programs I saw appeared to be built with the idea that the student already had an accounting undergrad but would like to broaden their knowledge and perhaps specialize in a particular area of accounting. For an example: Forensic Accounting.

The reality is that all of these degrees are viewed with a level of prestige. I don't think that the MAcc should have the amount of prestige that it receives, especially for people like me, but the reality is that people view graduate degrees more favorably than undergraduate degrees. At the end of the day, the decision to take a certain path should be done with a goal in mind.

As for the GMAT, it doesn't matter. The program I attended didn't require the GMAT. IMO: I think the GMAT is a huge waste of time unless one is hoping to get an MBA from a Top 20 B-School. I took it twice before giving up, and I don't feel that it impacted me negatively. In fact, I view the decision to throw in the towel as one of the best decisions that I've made in my life.

FAR - 80

Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.

-John Wayne

[spsone07]

I agree with the previous poster, the GMAT doesn't really mean much unless you attend a top business school. I rolled out of my bed and took the GMATs and got into my top school for a taxation degree. By all means, my test scores were average. A masters degree is helpful if you didn't major in accounting as an undegrad and/or you miss the recruiting window. Otherwise a huge argument can be made against getting a masters if you already have an accounting-related job with an bachelors in accounting.

FAR: passed
REG: passed
BEC: on deck
AUD: crying

"Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face." - Mike Tyson

[Mayo]

Spoiler: No one cares between a Macc, MA, MS, etc.

I guess the only exception is MST, as I'm sure it specializes you a bit more than the others might be able to.

But yeah…no one ever cares…trust me.

Mayo, BBA, Macc

[Author]

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