Accounting 4+1 Program, BS-MS

Location(s): Main Campus

The MS Accounting 4+1 program offers an accelerated pathway for qualified Binghamton University students to earn both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Accounting in just five years. By completing the MS degree in a single year following their undergraduate studies, students fulfill the 150-credit-hour requirement necessary for the legacy CPA licensure pathway in New York State.

Undergraduate credits: 126. Maximum double counted credits: 4 (ACCT 555). Graduate credits: 30

Admissions Requirements

To be eligible for this special program, students must provide: 1) a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher; and, 2) $75 application fee. Students apply into the graduate program during their senior year using the 4+1 application in BU Brain.

Program Requirements

The Master of Science in Accounting 4+1 degree is awarded if the candidate has:

Completed at least 30 credit hours of graduate coursework
Maintained the equivalent of a B average in courses including core requirements approved by the program director and presented for the degree
Fulfilled residency requirement, and all course requirements, with no credit for graduate courses in which a grade equivalent to less than C has been received (C- needs permission of graduate director)

A candidate for the MS Accounting 4+1 degree must complete all requirements for the degree within five years after admission to the school. Exceptions may be made for a part-time student when such exceptions are recommended by the graduate program director in consultation with the dean or the dean’s appointee.

ACCT 540 - Financial Accounting Theory
ACCT 541 - Audit & Managerial ACCT Theory
ACCT 550 - Accounting Information Systems
ACCT 555 - Advanced Accounting Theory (Waivable for students who took ACCT 555 in undergrad)
ACCT 581B - Forensic Acct: Audit Analytics
ACCT 560 - Contemporary Issues in Accounting Capstone
Two graduate management electives (of which at least one must be a technical elective)

Additional Information About the Program

Binghamton University’s Accounting 4+1 Program, BS Accounting/MS Accounting is a NYS Licensure Qualifying Registered Program.

New York State Certified Public Accountant (CPA) License Requirements

The CPA license is issued at the state level. If you are interested in working towards CPA licensure, you should first contact the applicable state board to learn it’s particular requirements. A summary of each states’ requirements and links to more detailed information can be found at the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) website. NASBA serves as a forum for the nation’s state boards of accountancy that administer the Uniform CPA Examination, license certified public accountants, and regulate the practice of public accountancy in the United States.

For an overview of New York State CPA Licensure requirements, please visit the NYS Education Department Office of the Professions website.

For an overview of the New Jersey State CPA Licensure requirements, please visit the New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants website.

For a comprehensive overview of the CPA Exam, see the Uniform CPA Examination website. There are different divisions of the exam, and they may be passed separately, but there are time constraints that must be adhered to. Information about the exam and necessary forms can be obtained by calling 1-800-CPA-EXAM.