The Master of Science in Taxation program is designed for students who seek a tax position at an accounting/tax firm, state or federal government entity, public or private corporations, as well as for students with previous experience in taxation who wish to advance to the leadership levels in the tax industry. Graduates will become tax experts and will also be able to start their own tax preparation and tax planning businesses. The goals of the program are to prepare graduates for numerous careers in the area of taxation and ultimately for leadership in the marketplace. To accomplish these goals students are provided with the advanced technical and research skills necessary to operate effectively as tax professionals and industry leaders. The program also gives students the necessary background to properly interpret new developments and remain in the vanguard of the profession. Students can complete the program on a full-time (one-year) or part-time basis by taking a carefully chosen sequence of 10 courses (30 credits). Applicants are not required to possess an accounting or general business background.
Program credits can be counted both as part of the accounting/taxation courses and toward the overall 150 credits needed to meet the NY State CPA requirements; the MS in Taxation does not meet those requirements by itself, but may for graduates who were also undergraduate accounting majors.
MS in Taxation Program Learning Goals
| General Intellectual Competence | Students will develop a general intellectual competence in tax policy and the rule making process. |
| Specific Intellectual Competence | Students will develop an intellectual competence in more than one tax specialization area. |
| Information Literacy | Students will locate valid tax information and evaluate it for the purpose of solving a tax problem or making a tax planning decision. |
| Ethical Awareness | Students will be aware of the ethical issues pertinent to tax practice and understand their responsibilities as tax practitioners to uphold ethical principles in their dealings. |
MS in Taxation Curriculum
CURRICULUM THROUGH FALL 2019. Students should consult an academic advisor, as they may require substitutions to complete this version of the degree.
| English Language Proficiency | ||
| Students who completed their undergraduate education in a non-English speaking country will be required to take non-credit bearing modules in Grammar Troubleshooting and American English Pronunciation offered by the Division of Continuing and Professional Studies. These modules may be waived based on a waiver exam. The modules are not required for students who completed a four-year degree in an English-speaking country. | ||
Preliminary Course(3 credits) Students with appropriate prior course work equivalent to ACC 9110 will be able to waive this preliminary requirement.(Note: Although ACC 9110 is not a prerequisite for any taxation courses, you should plan to take this course during the first half of your program.) | ||
| Financial Reporting | 3 credits | |
| Courses in Specialization(31.5 credits) | ||
| Required (19.5 credits) | ||
| Business Communication I* | 1.5 credits | |
| Principles of Federal Income Taxation** | 3 credits | |
| Corporate Taxation I | 3 credits | |
| Corporate Taxation II | 3 credits | |
| Partnership Taxation | 3 credits | |
| Estate, Trusts, and Planning | 3 credits | |
| Tax Procedure and Professional Responsibility in Tax Practice | 3 credits | |
Choose 12 credit hours from: | ||
| Personal Financial Planning*** | 3 credits | |
| International Taxation+ | 3 credits | |
| Deferred Compensation | 3 credits | |
| Consolidated Tax Returns*** | 3 credits | |
| S Corporations*** | 2 credits | |
| Special Topics in Taxation*** | 2 credits | |
| State and Local Taxes | 2 credits | |
| Current Problems in Taxation+ | 3 credits | |
| Real Estate Taxation | 3 credits | |
*Effective for all MS-Taxation students admitted in spring 2016 or later. Students admitted prior to spring 2016 should consult their preliminary course evaluation and/or waiver exam results, since other requirements and conditions may apply.
**Students admitted in a spring term will take TAX 9861 Federal Income Taxation: Theory and Practice in place of TAX 9863.
Principles of Federal Income Taxation: Theory and Practice (3 credits)
***These courses are offered infrequently.
+ TAX 9869 and TAX 9889 are currently offered in the summer semester only. MS Taxation students should be prepared to take summer courses.
TAXATION CURRICULUM EFFECTIVE FOR STUDENTS ENTERING SPRING 2020
| English Language Proficiency | ||
| Students who completed their undergraduate education in a non-English speaking country will be required to take non-credit bearing modules in Grammar Troubleshooting and American English Pronunciation offered by the Division of Continuing and Professional Studies. These modules may be waived based on a waiver exam. The modules are not required for students who completed a four-year degree in an English-speaking country. | ||
| Courses in Specialization (31.5 - 34.5 credits) | ||
| Required (16.5 - 19.5 credits) | ||
| BUS 9551 | Business Communication I | 1.5 credits |
| Principles of Federal Income Taxation | 3 credits | |
| Corporate Taxation I | 3 credits | |
| TAX 9868 | Partnership Taxation | 3 credits |
| Estate, Trusts, and Planning | 3 credits | |
| Tax Procedure and Professional Responsibility in Tax Practice | 3 credits | |
| ACC 9110 (Waivable) | Financial Reporting | 3 credits |
Choose 15 credits from the list below: | ||
| TAX 9867 | Corporate Taxation II | 3 credits |
| TAX 9869 | International Taxation | 3 credits |
| Deferred Compensation | 3 credits | |
| TAX 9876** | Special Topics in Taxation** | 3 credits |
| TAX 9877 | State and Local Taxes | 3 credits |
| Current Problems in Taxation | 3 credits | |
| TAX 9890 | Financial Planning for Individuals | 3 credits |
| TAX 9930 | Real Estate Taxation (cross-listed with RES 9930) | 3 credits |
*Students admitted in a spring term will take TAX 9861 Federal Income Taxation: Theory and Practice in place of TAX 9863. **Provided the topics are different, students may take TAX 9876 more than one time. MS Taxation students should expect to take Summer courses. | ||