Curriculum
16-20 Courses
46-61 Credits
Program Length
Full-time in as few as 16 months
Part-time in as few as 28 months
Required Introductory Course (1 credit)
Must be taken on campus in first semester of program.
| SBS-700 | You As a Leader: Self-Awareness, Feedback, and Decision-Making | 1 |
Management Preparation Courses (9 credits)
May be waived.
MSA Preparation Courses (9 credits)
May be waived. If course is marked “must substitute” follow the rules outlined in the Elective Course section of this document.
MSA Core Courses (15 credits)
If a course is marked "must substitute" select an elective following the rules outlined in the Elective Course Section.
MST Core Courses (12 credits)
Capstone Courses (6 credits)
Should be taken as late in the program as possible.
Elective Courses (9 credits)
Your three (3) elective courses must be TAX. If you received any “must substitute” under the MSA Preparation or MSA Core Courses sections of this document your first substitution must be an ACCT course. All other substitutions can be anything from the MSA Approved Elective List.
Approved TAX Electives
| TAX-802 | Taxation of Property Transactions | 3 |
| TAX-864 | Tax Practice and Procedures | 3 |
| TAX-865 | International Taxation Outbound | 3 |
| TAX-866 | State & Local Taxation | 3 |
| TAX-867 | Mergers & Acquisitions Taxation | 3 |
| TAX-871 | Taxation of Estates, Trusts and Gifts | 3 |
| TAX-880 | Companies & Financial Products | 3 |
| TAX-881 | Accounting for Income Taxes | 3 |
| TAX-882 | Criminal Tax Investigations | 3 |
| TAX-883 | Introduction to International Taxation | 3 |
| TAX-910 | Individual Study in Taxation | 1 |
Approved MSA Electives
| ACCT-803 | Advanced Topics in Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT-806 | Fraud Examination | 3 |
| ACCT-807 | Forensic & Investigative Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT-824 | Big Data and Financial Statement Analytics | 3 |
ACCT-825
| | |
| ACCT-827 | Special Topics in Accounting: Business Law & Taxation | 3 |
| ACCT-828 | Special Topics in Financial Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT-871 | Not-For-Profit and Governmental Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT-910 | Directed Individual Study in Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT-920 | Accounting Graduate Internship | 3 |
| MBA-730 | Innovate: Entrepreneurial Thinking, IT, And Business Law | 3 |
| MBA-740 | Immerse- Travel Seminar | 3 |
| BLLS-830 | Managing in the International Legal Environment | 3 |
| BLLS-871 | Corporate Crime and Financial Fraud | 3 |
| ISOM-730 | Python for Business Analytics | 3 |
| ISOM-801 | Solving Business Problems Using Advanced Excel | 3 |
| ISOM-821 | Data Management and Modeling | 3 |
| ISOM-825 | Enterprise Data Management | 3 |
| ISOM-827 | Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence | 3 |
| ISOM-835 | Predictive Analytics | 3 |
| ISOM-837 | Data Mining and Business Insights | 3 |
| ISOM-840 | Security and Privacy | 3 |
| ISOM-845 | Business Intelligence and Data Analytics | 3 |
| ISOM-851 | Supply Chain Management: Strategy, Operations, & Analytics | 3 |
| ISOM-861 | Project Management | 3 |
| FIN-800 | Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation | 3 |
| FIN-801 | Money & Capital Markets | 3 |
| FIN-808 | General Theory in Corporate Finance | 3 |
| FIN-810 | Investment Analysis | 3 |
FIN-812
| | |
FIN-814
| | |
| FIN-816 | Risk Management in Banking and Finance | 3 |
| FIN-818 | Financial Econometrics | 3 |
FIN-825
| | |
| FIN-830 | Introduction to FinTech | 3 |
| FIN-831 | Portfolio Management | 3 |
| FIN-835 | Behavioral Finance | 3 |
| FIN-845 | Private Capital Markets | 3 |
| FIN-880 | Investment Banking | 3 |
FIN-881
| | |
| FIN-882 | Applied Risk Management | 3 |
| FIN-884 | Fixed Income Securities | 3 |
FIN-885
| | |
FIN-887
| | |
MGES-800
| | |
| MGES-802 | Corporate Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| MGES-803 | Think Like a Leader | 3 |
| MGOB-725 | Managerial Skills | 3 |
| MGOB-810 | Emotional Intelligence | 3 |
MGOB-820
| | |
| MGOB-835 | Managing Difficult People at Work | 3 |
| MGOB-855 | Conflict & Negotiation | 3 |
MGOB-860
| | |
MGOB-866
| | |
| P.AD-815 | Nonprofit Management | 3 |
| P.AD-822 | Public Management Information Systems | 3 |
| P.AD-827 | Financing State & Local Government | 3 |
| P.AD-840 | Comparative Public Policy | 3 |
| P.AD-847 | Nonprofit Financial Management | 3 |
| P.AD-847 | Nonprofit Financial Management | 3 |
| P.AD-849 | Revenue Strategies for Nonprofits | 3 |
| MGSM-833 | Corporate Innovation | 3 |
| MGSM-834 | Mergers and Acquisitions | 3 |
| MGIB-835 | International Strategy | 3 |
| SBS-920 | Graduate Internship | 0 |
Approved Electives for the CPA Exam
Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR) CPA Exam Section
| ACCT-803 | Advanced Topics in Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT-871 | Not-For-Profit and Governmental Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT-828 | Special Topics in Financial Accounting | 3 |
Regulation (REG) CPA Exam Section
| TAX-802 | Taxation of Property Transactions | 3 |
| ACCT-827 | Special Topics in Accounting: Business Law & Taxation | 3 |
| TAX-881 | Accounting for Income Taxes | 3 |
Business Environment and Concepts (BEC) CPA Exam Section
| ACCT-827 | Special Topics in Accounting: Business Law & Taxation | 3 |
| FIN-810 | Investment Analysis | 3 |
| ISOM-840 | Security and Privacy | 3 |
| MBA-730 | Innovate: Entrepreneurial Thinking, IT, And Business Law | 3 |
Approved Electives for CMA Exam Preparation
| ACCT-803 | Advanced Topics in Accounting | 3 |
| ACCT-824 | Big Data and Financial Statement Analytics | 3 |
ACCT-825
| | |
| FIN-808 | General Theory in Corporate Finance | 3 |
FIN-812
| | |
Concentrations
Students may declare a concentration in Corporate Taxation if they received enough MSA Core Course waivers for substitution. Students may declare this concentration with five (5) electives from the same functional area.
Students may declare a concentration in Business Intelligence, Corporate Finance & Accounting, Forensic Accounting, or Governmental & Not-for-Profit Accounting if they received enough MSA Core Course waivers for substitution. Students may declare one of these concentrations with three (3) electives from the same functional area.
The schedule of when courses within a concentration are offered varies by semester.
Students who declare a concentration must submit an SBS Graduate Program Concentration Request Form. Students are encouraged to meet with their advisor before they declare a concentration.
The concentration appears on the transcript, not the diploma.
Corporate Taxation Concentration
Required Courses (6 credits)
| TAX-802 | Taxation of Property Transactions | 3 |
| TAX-881 | Accounting for Income Taxes | 3 |
Choose 3 from the following list (9 credits)
| TAX-865 | International Taxation Outbound | 3 |
| TAX-866 | State & Local Taxation | 3 |
| TAX-867 | Mergers & Acquisitions Taxation | 3 |
| TAX-880 | Companies & Financial Products | 3 |
| TAX-883 | Introduction to International Taxation | 3 |
Business Intelligence Concentration
Required Courses (6 credits)
| ACCT-824 | Big Data and Financial Statement Analytics | 3 |
| ISOM-821 | Data Management and Modeling | 3 |
Elective Course (1 course, 3 credits)
Choose 1 course from the following list:
| ISOM-801 | Solving Business Problems Using Advanced Excel | 3 |
| ISOM-825 | Enterprise Data Management | 3 |
| ISOM-827 | Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence | 3 |
| ISOM-845 | Business Intelligence and Data Analytics | 3 |
Corporate Accounting and Finance Concentration
Required Course (3 credits)
| ACCT-824 | Big Data and Financial Statement Analytics | 3 |
Elective Courses (2 courses, 6 credits)
Choose 2 electives from the following list:
| FIN-808 | General Theory in Corporate Finance | 3 |
| FIN-810 | Investment Analysis | 3 |
FIN-825
| | |
| FIN-880 | Investment Banking | 3 |
Forensic Accounting Concentration
Required Course (3 credits)
Elective Courses (2 courses, 6 credits)
Choose 2 courses from the following list:
| ACCT-807 | Forensic & Investigative Accounting | 3 |
| BLLS-871 | Corporate Crime and Financial Fraud | 3 |
| ISOM-840 | Security and Privacy | 3 |
| CJ-704 | Legal Issues in Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| ISOM-801 | Solving Business Problems Using Advanced Excel | 3 |
Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting Concentration
Required Course (3 credits)
| ACCT-871 | Not-For-Profit and Governmental Accounting | 3 |
Elective Courses (2 courses, 6 credits)
Choose 2 courses from the following list:
| P.AD-827 | Financing State & Local Government | 3 |
| P.AD-847 | Nonprofit Financial Management | 3 |
| P.AD-849 | Revenue Strategies for Nonprofits | 3 |
Waiver Policy
Management Preparation Courses may be waived. MSA Preparation Courses may be waived or may need to be substituted with an elective. MSA Core Courses may need to be substituted with an elective.
To waive a Management Preparation Course, a student must have successfully completed equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the seven (7) years prior to MSA/MST matriculation, with a grade of "B" or better.
To waive or substitute an MSA Preparation Course, a student must have successfully completed equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the five (5) years prior to MSA/MST matriculation, with a grade of "B" or better. Exception: ACCT 800 will only be waived if a student has completed prior coursework at a U.S. university.
To substitute an MSA Core Course, a student must have successfully completed equivalent academic coursework at the undergraduate/graduate level in the five (5) years prior to MSA/MST matriculation, with a grade of "B" or better. Exception: ACIB 872 and TAX 801 will only be substituted if a student has completed prior coursework at a U.S. university.
Students must provide official transcripts (with English translations, if applicable). All waiver requests are evaluated upon a student's acceptance into the MSA/MST Program. Students may also elect to take a proficiency exam, for a fee, to gain a waiver for management preparation courses. Proficiency exams must be taken in the first semester and are administered on the Boston Campus.
All MSA/MST students must complete a minimum of 46 graduate credits (15 courses and SBS 700) in the Sawyer Business School.
Transfer Credit Policy
Any candidate seeking transfer credits, taken at the graduate level from an AACSB-accredited graduate business program, will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. These credits may be considered for transfer if the credits do not apply to a previously completed degree.
Transfer credits must have an earned grade of "B" or better and be taken within five (5) years prior to entering the Suffolk MSA/MST program. However, at the discretion of the program director, MSA Core Courses or MST Core Courses may not be transferred if the subject material has changed significantly since completion. A maximum of six (6) credits may be considered for transfer.
Students Who Leave Boston Before Their Degree is Complete
Occasionally, Suffolk MSA/MST students must leave the Boston area having not yet completed their degree. The Business School has several options available to ensure completion of the Suffolk MSA/MST. You may be able to transfer in six (6) credits of elective courses from an AACSB-accredited MSA or MST Program close to your new place of residence. Courses must be pre-approved by Suffolk's assistant dean of graduate programs and have a grade of "B" or better.
Students who leave the area may also be able to complete the MSA (all or a portion) of their Suffolk MSA/MST on a part-time basis online. The MST degree is not available online.