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Students who investigate graduate schools accredited in accounting in South Carolina will find several intriguing options. This proud southern state is home to an eclectic mix of public and private colleges and universities, including some of the nation’s oldest and some of its best, categories that are not mutually exclusive. Among those schools offering graduate programs in accounting, Clemson University, the College of Charleston and the University of South Carolina all deserve a closer look.
Clemson University
College of Business and Behavioral Science
South Carolina’s highest-ranking university, Clemson University is ranked as the 21st best public university in the country by U.S. News and World Reports. Founded in 1889 near the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the university takes pride in offering students a hands-on education. Its distinctive College of Business and Behavioral Science is the only college in the nation that merges both business and behavioral science, giving the school a unique ability to use an interdisciplinary approach to encourage mental agility in its student body. Students develop a foundational knowledge that includes both the intricacies of global business practices and an understanding of human motivations.
Master of Professional Accountancy
For more than 30 years, Clemson University’s Master of Professional Accountancy program has merged experiential education, research, and rigorous academics to provide students with a customized education that spurs personal development, raises social consciousness and inspires a love of life-long learning. During the one-year program, students develop the knowledge and technical skills required in the accounting field and choose to specialize in either assurance or taxation. To help prepare them for the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination required for licensure as a CPA, they also take the Becker CPA Review in the form of four no credit classes. In order to receive their master’s degrees, students must complete 30 credits of graduate-level coursework. This is comprised of 24 credits in the accounting core curriculum and six credits in the specialization of their choice. Graduates of the program will be qualified to pursue jobs in public accounting firms, nonprofits, educational institutions, financial firms, corporations and government agencies.
Accreditations
• The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
300 Sirrine Hall
Clemson, SC 39634-1303
Phone: 864-656-3311
klusk@clemson.edu
Program Website
College of Charleston
School of Business
Founded in 1770, the College of Charleston is the oldest college in South Carolina and the 13th oldest in the nation; its list of founders includes men who signed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. But the college is not resting on its laurels. Incorporating state-of-the-art facilities into its historic campus, it currently offers 62 undergraduate degree programs and 19 master’s degree programs. U.S. News and World Report ranks the college fourth among master’s-level public universities in the South; Forbes ranks it as the nation’s seventh “Best Value College.” Committed to readying students for a borderless business world, the college’s well respected School of Business offers degree programs in accounting, international business, business administration, economics, finance, marketing, and hospitality and tourism management.
Master of Science in Accountancy
To prepare its students for career success, The College of Charleston’s Master of Science in Accountancy degree program focuses on helping students expand their perspective, obtain the necessary specialized knowledge and technical skills, practice communicating clearly and effectively, and develop as professionals. Depending on their personal goals and interests, students choose one of three tracks. The Financial Reporting and Assurance Track is designed for students who wish to pursue careers in public accounting, auditing or private business. The Taxation Track delves into tax planning and law while emphasizing critical thinking and problem solving. The International Track is aimed at students who hope to work for multinational businesses and examines accounting on a global scale. All three tracks require students to complete a total of 30 credits of graduate level coursework to earn their master’s degrees. These credits, when added to the roughly 120 credits students completed in order to obtain their bachelor’s degrees, will fulfill the education requirement for licensing as a certified public accountant in the majority of states. After earning their master’s degrees, graduates will be ready to pursue professional accounting positions in public, private and governmental agencies.
Accreditations
• The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
66 George Street
Charleston, SC 29424
Phone: 843-805-5507
orientat@cofc.edu
Program Website
University of South Carolina
Darla Moore School of Business
A public research university founded in 1801, the University of South Carolina has a tradition of academic leadership that spans two centuries. Its 16 colleges and schools provide degree programs in a wide assortment of subjects that include business, health care, law, music, management, engineering, communications and education. The university’s Darla Moore School of Business is one of the country’s top 40 business schools, according to U.S. News and World Reports. Educating students with a combination of teaching, research, service and creative activity, the school’s seven departments offer nine undergraduate degree programs, seven master’s degree programs and two doctoral programs.
Master of Accountancy
Begun more than four decade ago, the respected Master of Accountancy program at the University of South Carolina produces graduates who are actively recruited by national and international accounting firms. The program is designed to sharpen critical thinking and communication skills while offering students the chance to specialize in an accounting field, fulfill the educational requirements for licensure as a certified public accountant, and complete the technical competency required by professional examinations before graduating. Students chose from two accounting tracks. The Business Measure and Assurance track covers the skills and knowledge necessary for careers in risk assurance services, advisory reporting, auditing and financial reporting. The Taxation track is aimed at students interested in careers in tax accounting. Regardless of the track selected, student must earn a total of 30 credits of graduate-level coursework. After completing the master’s degree program, students will be prepared to pursue further graduate education or to join the workforce in entry-level positions in public, private or government accounting entities.
Accreditations
• The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Contact
705 College Street
Columbia, SC 29208
Phone: 803-777-3176
tuttle@moore.sc.edu
Program Website
South Carolina is a state where the past and the present mingle regularly. Continuing the state’s long tradition of academic excellence, many of its historic colleges and universities offer top-notch degree programs designed to prepare students for today’s competitive global society. With several graduate schools accredited in accounting in South Carolina, students interested in earning a master’s degree there have their choice of quite a few outstanding programs.
