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2023 Graduate Outcomes
  • 30% average salary increase
  • 87.5% employed within three months of graduation
What does it cost?

Tuition per credit hour
Georgia residents: $511
Non-Georgia residents: $1,373
Out-of-Country residents: $1,400

Tuition is subject to change. Learn more under the tuition tab below.

How long will it take?

Students with an accounting background have flexible options. They can complete the program in as little as 12 months, but also may take up to five years. Classes are available Monday-Thursday at 4:30 and 7:15 p.m.

Where can I take classes?
Atlanta Campus

Application Deadlines View Admissions Requirements

Domestic Applicants
We offer various application deadlines to U.S. residents. By applying earlier in the cycle, you will receive priority consideration for a graduate assistantship. After the final deadline, applications are accepted on a rolling basis until one week before class starts.

International Applicants
International applicants who need a student visa must apply by an earlier, hard deadline.

Find your deadline

Professional Accountancy, Master of (Flexible)

Attend virtual office hours with one of our recruiters to get your questions answered.

Robinson’s Master of Professional Accountancy will prepare you to become a CPA, whether or not you possess accounting experience. The flexible program is designed for students with an undergraduate accounting degree (or equivalent), allowing them to complete courses at their own pace.

Don't have an accounting background?
We'll still prepare you to become a CPA through the cohort format of this program. Learn more »

Classes take place in the evening, so you can keep your day job. The courses satisfy the 30 credit hours of upper-level accounting education required of CPAs in Georgia.

Students don’t just receive CPA exam preparation. They also enjoy exposure to the Big Four and other accounting firms through Robinson’s biannual career fair.

Students can join organizations that are specific to the accounting field. One example is Beta Alpha Psi, which provides opportunities for self-development and service, and encourages a sense of ethical, social, and public responsibility among members.

"At Ernst & Young [EY], we rely heavily on Robinson’s Master of Professional Accountancy [MPA] program as a source for our Atlanta and Alpharetta offices. Robinson’s MPA graduates often fill internship and entry-level positions that focus on assurance, tax and advisory services; they also take on business development roles.

I can spot a Robinson graduate amongst other candidates when I look around the room. They are the ones optimizing their time and building their network.

Kelsey Rock

We know that when we hire a Robinson grad, he/she will be hardworking. Robinson students love the city of Atlanta and want to build a life and career at EY."

- Kelsey Rock, campus recruiter, Ernst & Young

Program Details

Application Requirements

Learn more about the application process and what you will need to apply.

Students must complete specific undergraduate courses in addition to the 30 hours required for this degree. These classes are assigned as part of the admissions process based on a review of each student’s transcripts. They can be exempted if equivalent coursework has been previously completed with minimum grades of C-.

Required Courses

5 courses | 15 hours

  • ACCT 8120 – Advanced Federal Taxation
  • ACCT 8130 – Advanced Accounting Topics
  • ACCT 8310 – Seminar in Management Accounting Systems
  • ACCT 8610 – Advanced Topics in Assurance Services
  • Choose one of the following:
    ACCT 8750 – Advanced Accounting Analytics -OR-
    TX 8800 – Tax Analytics

Elective Courses

5 courses  | 15 hours

All students are required to take five elective courses from either accounting (ACCT) or tax (TX). We have organized “tracks” of elective courses for students who plan to take the CPA Exam; each track is geared to prepare you for one of the discipline sections of the CPA Exam. We strongly recommend you follow these elective recommendations, as they will provide you the strongest foundation for each discipline exam.

Recommended electives for Business Analysis and Reporting (BAR):

  • ACCT 8060 – Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting
  • ACCT 8700 – Financial Statement and Business Analysis
  • ACCT 8710 – Forensic Accounting
  • Two additional ACCT or TX electives

Recommended electives for Tax Compliance and Planning (TCP):

  • TX 8030 – Tax Research
  • TX 8120 – Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders
  • TX 8320 – Accounting for Income Taxes
  • Two additional TX electives

Recommended electives for Information Systems and Control (ISC):

  • ACCT 8630 – Information Technology Auditing
  • ACCT 8680 – Security and Privacy of Information
  • ACCT 8700 – Financial Statement and Business Analysis
  • Two additional ACCT or TX electives

Tuition per credit hour
Georgia residents: $511
Non-Georgia residents: $1,373
Out-of-Country residents: $1,400

Tuition is subject to change.

Range based on full-time and average part-time course load and fees. Flexible Master of Professional Accountancy students may be required to complete prerequisite courses for an additional fee. Students will be informed by the admissions committee if this is the case.

Financial Aid

Contact Graduate Student Financial Services
We are here to help you understand the cost of your program (including the financial aid cost of attendance (https://sfs.gsu.edu/resources/coa/)), the payment schedule and financing opportunities.

[email protected]
404-413-7086

Scholarships

Robinson Scholarships

Robinson offers several scholarships through the Office of the Dean as well as the individual academic departments.

Learn More and Apply

Search Georgia State’s Database

Georgia State offers a robust searchable database containing scholarships offered through the university as well as external websites.

Search the Database

Graduate Research Assistantships

Graduate research assistantships are available to offset program costs. Below, see a table that breaks down the cost of tuition after a GRA position is secured.

Learn More and Apply

Loans

You will be paired with a Graduate Student Experience professional who stays on top of the extracurricular programming that will enhance your academic journey and propel your career. Activities include boot camps on topics that are relevant to your field, professional workshops, networking events, recruiting fairs, and meet-and-greets intended to create camaraderie with your peers.

View a sample schedule of Graduate Student Experience events

Learn More about the Graduate Student Experience Team

The objective of the Flexible Master of Professional Accountancy program is to equip students with the skills needed to excel in a professional path toward a leadership position in the practice of accountancy. This includes foundational skills for the CPA Exam, plus extensive experience in data analytics and business problem solving. Upon completing the Flexible Master of Professional Accountancy program, students will have satisfied the education requirement to qualify for the CPA License in the State of Georgia.

Careers

Program graduates work for a variety of companies including BDO USA, Bennett Thrasher, EY, Georgia Power Company, Georgia-Pacific, KPMG, PwC, Turner Broadcasting System, and WestRock Company.

Our 2023 graduates reported a 30% average salary increase, enabling them to pay back their investment in graduate school within 1.3 years.

VIEW SAMPLE JOB TITLES

accountant/staff accountant

audit assistant

audit associate/staff

auditor/examiner

financial accounts manager

financial reporting accountant

mergers & acquisitions associate

property accountant

state & local tax staff

senior accountant

senior property accountant

tax accountant/associate

tax consultant

Meet Your Faculty

Abdullah Ibrahim Al-Moshaigeh

Clinical Assistant Professor

Lynn Comer-Jones

Clinical Associate Professor

Vic Hartman

Principal, The Hartman Firm

Michael J. Majerczyk

Assistant Professor

Siva Nathan

Associate Professor; American Accounting Association Competitive Manuscript Award

placeholder for David Petrisky

Director-Professional Practices (IT Audit), The Institute of Internal Auditors

headshot Galen Sevcik

Professor; Former Auditor, PwC

Ventsi Stamenov

Limited Term Assistant Professor; Chartered Financial Analyst

Douglas E. Stevens

James E. and Patricia W. Copeland Deloitte Chair in Accountancy

Program Stories

Master of Professional Accountancy alumna Beth AllaireThe Accountant Lifestyle is Pretty Great, Per This MPA Alumna
Beth Allaire never imagined herself as an accountant. But the industry encompasses diverse career options that often offer a healthy work-life balance.read more ❯
Danny Lanier profile photoDanny Lanier, Jr. Joins Robinson as Associate Director of the School of Accountancy
Danny Lanier, Jr. has been appointed associate director of the School of Accountancy (SOA) at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. He will serve under SOA director Peter Demerjian.read more ❯
Peter DemerjianPeter Demerjian to Join Robinson College of Business as School of Accountancy Director
Peter Demerjian has been named director of the School of Accountancy (SOA) at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. He joins Georgia State from the University of Illinois at Chicago where he is an associate professor with tenure and acting head of the Department of Accounting.read more ❯

Contacts

Attend virtual office hours with one of our recruiters to get your questions answered.

Graduate Admissions
[email protected]

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Atlanta, GA 30303