Few people in the business world understand numbers and can put that knowledge to work like accountants. Accounting professionals hold crucial roles in the success of any business, and developing that expertise doesn't happen overnight. While artificial intelligence has enabled businesses to automate routine accounting tasks, UAB's Master of Accounting (MAc) degree delivers an education that readies you for higher level accounting positions where human decision making is critical, setting you up for career success.
Our MAc program allows you to tailor your degree and pursue specific career goals regardless of whether you have an undergraduate degree in accounting or you have an undergraduate degree in another field and would like to switch careers. All MAc students take the same three courses that expose students to the cutting-edge standards of the profession and their impact on organizations. From there, you can focus on classes that prepare you for your next steps in career success.
Interested in becoming a CPA and have an undergraduate accounting degree? Our MAc program formally incorporates CPA preparation with faculty mentoring and a portfolio of rigorous courses that prepare students for the CPA exam. We will help you throughout the entire process of sitting for the CPA exam. Don’t plan to become a CPA right now? We also offer a slate of accounting classes that can be paired with information systems, finance or other business courses to earn you a graduate certificate in addition to a MAc. You can still pursue a CPA license later.
Students with an undergraduate degree in something other than accounting focus on courses that provide foundational accounting knowledge to prepare for the CPA exam. If you are a career switcher and would like to take MAc courses beyond foundational accounting knowledge and participate in our MAc CPA mentoring, you are encouraged to complete the undergraduate bridge certificate in accounting before starting the MAc program.
UAB's MAc program allows you to earn your degree at your own pace with on-campus classes that meet once a week (primarily in the evening), completely online classes, or a combination of both. Start building your future accounting career today.
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Accelerated Bachelor to Master (ABM) Program
Earn a bachelor's degree and a Master of Accounting (MAc) degree in an accelerated time period with a reduced cost. Once admitted, students can take up to 12 shared credit hours of approved graduate courses that help complete both degrees. Students in ABM programs study, work, and learn with similar high caliber students — much like they would in an Honors program — and are prepared for a challenging career when they graduate.
The MAc curriculum allows students with a wide variety of career goals and educational backgrounds to tailor their MAc degree to meet their needs. You can focus on courses that prepare you to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam, or you can focus on a blend of advanced accounting and business courses where you can earn a graduate certificate in addition to a Master of Accounting degree.
The graduate accounting curriculum has three focuses:
[00:00] (unidentified female speaker with European accent) The Professor’s idea has been phenomenal. The professor’s research outside of the classroom and their experience within the field. They bring that into the classroom and that just enables us to learn so much more and get so much more out of the classroom. They are so concerned with your well-being and your career. And they’ve helped me network with people outside the classroom, and they’ve created so many opportunities for us to meet with the firms within the city.
[00:26} I finished my degrees here at UAB. And before I even graduated, I really excited the job Ernst & Young because of all of the opportunities that I’ve been able to meet with them and they’ve got to know me. I think one of the big reasons why they feel confident in accepting students before they graduate is because they know the students they get from UAB. They are very well prepared and they are more than capable of going into the industry.
Student Voices
Hear from a Master of Accounting graduate about how the UAB MAc program prepared her to begin a career at EY before she even graduated.
Why choose accounting at the Collat School of Business?
Top Rankings
U.S. News & World Report ranks the UAB MAc #25 overall and #4 in engagement (student satisfaction and instructor responsiveness) in its 2026 list of Best Online Programs, non-MBA.
AACSB Accredited
Our Accounting program is separately accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which means we maintain the highest quality standards in business education worldwide.
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Engagement & Development
Ample career building opportunities exist for students to gain hands-on experience and form a valuable network engaging with the accounting and business communities. Our Collat Career Center will help you sharpen your resume and interview skills and connect you with employers that actively recruit accountants with limited or no prior accounting experience.
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Career Opportunities
Accounting can lead to a wide variety of positions ranging from controllers, tax specialists, auditors, and analysts to CFOs working with companies that are big or small, public or private. Every business needs a skilled accountant, from nonprofits to international corporations.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, accountants and auditors are projected to grow by 5%, a rate faster than the national average for all occupations, with approximately 124,200 openings expected each year over the next decade.
Pursuing a MAc degree equips you with the knowledge and skills needed to pursue upper-management or executive positions.
Note: Students planning to apply courses taken in this program toward meeting the requirements of CPA licensure are encouraged to contact the program for further information.
