Concentrations
The MSA program requires three (3) electives as part of the degree program. Students may declare a concentration in Corporate Finance & Accounting, Business Intelligence, Forensic Accounting, or Governmental & Not-for-Profit Accounting. If a concentration is declared, three electives must be in one concentration area. The schedule of when courses within a concentration are offered vary 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.
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:
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 course 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. MSA Core Courses may need to be substituted with approved electives. 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 matriculation, with a "B" or better. To waive 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 matriculation, with a "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 approved elective for 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 matriculation, with a "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 translation, if applicable). All waiver requests are evaluated upon a student's acceptance into the MSA 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 students must complete a minimum of 31 graduate credits (10 courses and SBS 700) in the Sawyer Business School.
Transfer Policy
Any candidate seeking transfer credits, taken at the graduate level from an AACSB-accredited MBA, MSA, MSF, or MST 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 with a "B" or better and have been taken within five (5) years prior to entering the Suffolk MSA program. However, at the discretion of the program director, MSA Core Courses may not be transferred if the subject material has changed significantly since completion. A maximum of six (6) credits of Elective or MSA Core Courses may be considered for transfer.
Transfer Credits from the Moakley Center for Public Management’s Certificate Programs
Students who have completed a certificate program through the Suffolk University Moakley Center for Public Management may have an opportunity to reduce credit requirements to an SBS graduate degree program (MBA, MMS, MSA, MST, MHA, MSBA, or MSM). All course waivers and/or transfers vary by program and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the respective SBS Graduate Programs Office.
In order for a course to be considered, it must have an SBS graduate program course equivalent, the student must have earned a grade B or better, and the student must have successfully completed the certificate prior to enrolling in the SBS graduate degree program.
Applicants must also meet the admission standards for the SBS Graduate degree program to which they are applying.
Students Who Leave Boston Before Their Degree is Complete
Occasionally, Suffolk MSA students must leave the Boston area having not yet completed their degree. You may be able to transfer in six (6) credits of elective courses from an AACSB-accredited MSA 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 complete all or a portion of their Suffolk MSA online or on a part-time basis online.