Master’s in Accounting and Data Analytics Certificates

Flexible accounting and data analytics graduate certificate options. 100% online.

If you are not yet ready to commit to a master’s program, or if you are looking to sharpen your skills in a particular area, we offer four graduate certificate programs that can be taken on a stand-alone basis or can be transferred in as credits to the MS-ADA program.

Accounting Analytics Graduate Certificate (9 credits)

ACC 827 Accounting Analytics | Required

Fall, Spring, Summer | 3 Credits

Data visualization, predictive analytics, time series analysis, machine learning, supervised and unsupervised learning, association analysis, and other analytics techniques as appropriate to accounting environment and situation.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
ACC 814 Advanced Auditing

Fall, Summer | 3 Credits

Economic, regulatory and technology environments relating to auditing in the public and private sectors. Risk analysis, professional standards, audit evidence gathering and evaluations, accounting and auditing research and decision making. Data visualization and analytics tools used in auditing. Statistical methods for sample selection and analysis. Risk assessment of information produced by the entity and end user computing systems.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
ACC 822 Information Systems Project Management

Fall, Spring | 3 Credits

Management of information system projects. Management of project scope, time, cost and quality. Optimization of project resources. Planning and control of projects. Program and portfolio management. Consulting issues for effective project management. Waterfall, lean and agile methodologies are discussed.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
ACC 843 Value Chain Accounting and Analytics

Fall, Summer| 3 Credits

Design and use of managerial accounting systems to support operational decisions in complex, real-world settings, using analytical techniques and real data. Data mining and visualization with financial and nonfinancial information. Statistical distributions and regression analyses in the context of managerial accounting systems.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.

Accounting for Management Decision Making Graduate Certificate (9 credits)

ACC 841 The Role of Accounting in Strategy Implementation

Spring | 3 Credits

Strategic management control systems and accounting data supporting the design, implementation, monitoring, and continuous assessment of business strategies. Emerging risks and opportunities are also evaluated.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
ACC 843 Value Chain Accounting and Analytics

Fall, Summer | 3 Credits

Design and use of managerial accounting systems to support operational decisions in complex, real-world settings, using analytical techniques and real data. Data mining and visualization with financial and nonfinancial information. Statistical distributions and regression analyses in the context of managerial accounting systems.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
ACC 807 Using Financial Statement Data for Decision Making- An Analytics Approach

Spring | 3 Credits

Frameworks and methodologies for profitability and credit risk analyses. Tools and technologies to extract large scale financial statement information for valuation and decision-making. Emphasis on using big data from real world to improve critical thinking in making investment decisions.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.

Taxation Graduate Certificate (12 credits)

ACC 830 Tax Research

Fall | 3 Credits

Case studies focused on online tax research techniques. Emphasis on effectively organizing and presenting research results.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
ACC 833 Federal Income Tax of Corps and Shareholders

Spring | 3 Credits

Federal taxation of corporations, shareholders and related financial accounting implications over the life cycle of a corporation. Data mining and data visualization techniques to analyze and understand data. Statistical analysis and forecasting.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
ACC 836 U.S. Taxation of Multinational Transactions

Spring | 3 Credits

Federal income taxation of transactions by U.S. persons outside the United States, and of investments by foreign persons in the U.S.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
ACC 850 Accounting and Tax Implications of Mergers and Acquisitions

Fall | 3 Credits

Analysis of tax and financial accounting issues involved in business acquisitions. Post-acquisition tax and financial reporting of the combined entity.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.

Transaction Services Graduate Certificate (12 credits)

ACC 807 Using Financial Statement Data for Decision Making- An Analytics Approach

Spring | 3 Credits

Frameworks and methodologies for profitability and credit risk analyses. Tools and technologies to extract large scale financial statement information for valuation and decision-making. Emphasis on using big data from real world to improve critical thinking in making investment decisions.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
ACC 850 Accounting and Tax Implications of Mergers and Acquisitions

Fall | 3 Credits

Analysis of tax and financial accounting issues involved in business acquisitions. Post-acquisition tax and financial reporting of the combined entity.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
FI 845 Financial Modeling and Simulations I

Fall, Spring | 1.5 Credits

Applications of financial theory through computer modeling. Financial forecasting, cash flow modeling, and valuation.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
FI 846 Financial Modeling and Simulations II

Fall, Spring | 1.5 Credits

Application of financial theory using computer modeling. Portfolio optimization, risk measurement, and option pricing.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.
ACC 891 Special Topics in Accounting and Information Systems (Transaction Service Capstone)

Fall, Spring | 3 Credits

Current and emerging issues in accounting and information systems.

View full course description at the Office of the Registrar.

Steps to Apply

Applications are accepted at any time and admission decisions are made on a rolling basis. Students interested in graduate certificates in Accounting Analytics, Accounting for Management Decision Making, and Taxation can start in any semester. Students interested in a graduate certificate in Transaction Services can start the program in the fall or spring semester.

Applications must be received at least two months prior to the desired starting semester.

The MSU Broad application process starts when you fill out the online application for a Graduate Certificate. The application can be saved and edited so you do not need to complete it all at once.
- Within the application “Other Information” section, select the graduate certificate to which you are applying.
- GRE/GMAT scores are not required.
- After submitting your application you will be required to upload a resume so there is no need to list employment in the “Employment” section. The same is true for the “Activities” section.
- The Graduate Certificate programs in the Department of Accounting and Information Systems do not require letters of recommendation so there is no need to include recommenders in the “References” section of the application.
Submit your application and pay the application fee.
After you complete the first part of the graduate school application, you will gain access to the Graduate Education Student Portal. This allows you to check your application status, send e-messages to the department, and upload the required additional documents.
The following documents are required. Please upload:
- An unofficial transcript (An unofficial transcript is a copy or screenshot of your transcript, as opposed to the official transcript, which comes directly from your college or university.)
- A resume
- A statement of purpose indicating why you are interested in this Graduate Certificate program.

After you complete the MSU application, we will work as quickly as possible to inform you of our decision.

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For additional information on our accounting and data analytics graduate certificates, please complete our brief request for information form. We look forward to connecting.

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