Why Earning a Master of Accountancy (MAcc) Is Still Worth It

What’s Changing in CPA Requirements?

The journey to becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Colorado is expanding, giving future accountants a new, experience-focused route to licensure.

Adam Greiner, director of the School of Accountancy at the Daniels College of Business, is quick to clarify that the previous CPA pathway is not being replaced.

“It’s not a change in requirements,” Greiner said. “It is an alternative path.”

The expanded option is expected to go into place on Jan. 1, 2027, after being signed into law. Once the new rules take effect, candidates would have three pathways to qualify for CPA licensure:

• Pathway 1 (120-Credit Option): This new pathway requires a baccalaureate degree, two years of accounting-related work experience, passing the CPA exam and a professional ethics course.
• Pathway 2 (Traditional 150-Credit Option): Requires a baccalaureate degree, 30 additional semester hours, one year of work experience, passing the CPA exam and a professional ethics course.
• Pathway 3 (Master’s Option): Requires a post-baccalaureate degree, one year of work experience, passing the CPA exam and a professional ethics course.

What Is a Master of Accountancy?

While the newest pathway would allow candidates to substitute additional work experience for additional coursework, a Master of Accountancy program still holds value beyond the credits. The structured graduate program is designed to build technical expertise, professional judgment and long-term career readiness.

It builds on an undergraduate accounting degree, challenging students to think differently and prepare them for the real world.

“It’s more application, it’s more critical thinking, it’s more real-world scenarios at the graduate level that allow students to build business acumen, critical thinking, agility, training and additional technological skills,” Greiner said.

At Daniels, our Master of Accountancy (MAcc) and STEM-designated Master of Science in Accounting, Technology and Analytics (MSATA) degrees produce skilled, highly successful graduates who are in demand at local, national and international accounting firms.

And its value extends long past the CPA exam, Greiner said.

“A master’s is not just for the CPA exam,” he said. “A master’s is for lifelong learning. It helps you mature.”

Key Advantages of Earning a Full MAcc Degree

1. Deeper Technical Expertise

Spending more time in the classroom will introduce you to more advanced topics than what you’ll find in your undergraduate degree. Students will learn deeper audit and financial accounting concepts, real-world casework, ethics, technology and emerging areas such as AI in accounting.

“We have advanced accounting courses, which cover more advanced topics,” Greiner said. “And those are tested on the CPA exam. So those are only offered at the graduate level.”

The program will also help students further integrate accounting theory with its application, helping them prepare for their career beyond the CPA exam.

Recent MS in Accounting, Technology and Analytics (MSATA) alumnus Bright Ikwetie said that the program helped prepare him for the changing accounting landscape.

“DU’s offering of a unique course combination of accounting, technology and analytics will give an accounting graduate a competitive edge,” he said. “Due to the evolution of the accounting profession, technology and big data analysis are used for reporting historical patterns and predictive information for effective decision-making.”

In addition to this technical expertise, graduate accounting students at Daniels often acquire crucial communications skills, rounding out their professional profile and helping them land jobs.

2. Stronger CPA Exam Preparation

Greiner said the CPA exam has become more broad, making it difficult to fully prepare for within a traditional undergraduate accounting path alone.

“The breadth of material now on this CPA exam is challenging to condense into 120 hours,” he said.

And while the master’s programs at Daniels are not designed exclusively to prepare students for the CPA exam, they are organized in a way that benefits students studying for the exam. Greiner said Daniels exposes students to CPA exam material while still emphasizing applied learning over test prep.

“We don’t want to be a school that is teaching to the exam. We want to expose our students to that, but bring in more real-world aspects,” he said.

Many students take sections of the exam during their master’s year. Greiner also added that the schedule of being a student, rather than a working professional, helps benefit test takers.

“While you’re busy as a master’s student, you’re not as busy as if you’re working a full-time job. So, there’s time to study for both coursework and the CPA exam,” he said.

That timing matters, Greiner said, because the CPA exam still requires students to think in an academic, theoretical way.

“The CPA exam is very theoretical. So, the farther you are removed from the academic side, it’s more difficult to pass,” he said.

3. Competitive Advantage in the Job Market

Recent conversations with employers have shown that master’s degree graduates may continue to stand out in hiring, Greiner said. In many cases, salary offers may look similar for undergraduate- and graduate-level candidates. While that may sound like a reason not to pursue an advanced degree, Greiner said the reality can be the opposite.

“If the firms are going to pay the same, they’re going to pick the candidates who are the most educated,” he said. “I think it puts you in a different stack, having a master’s degree versus someone who doesn’t.”

And candidates that have completed all four parts of the exam in their first year of employment often qualify for bonuses between $5,000 and $10,000, depending on the firm. Nearly 100% of Daniels’ domestic graduates accept positions within six months of graduation, many at top accounting firms such as PwC, Deloitte, EY, KPMG and Plante Moran.

4. Long-Term Career Growth

While it can help candidates land that first job, a MAcc degree also helps graduates long after they walk across the commencement stage.

Greiner said the value of a MAcc may become even clearer later in a graduate’s career.

“I know many people who are just moving up in the corporate chain, and eventually the corporations require a master’s degree,” he said. “And so, without it, you’re hitting a ceiling.”

By earning your degree, coupled with your CPA licensure, you’ve answered any possible questions that could limit your promotion potential.

5. Experiential Learning and Professional Connections

A master’s degree in accounting will expose you to so much more than a standard undergraduate degree, specifically on the experiential and networking sides. Students gain experience through internships and case studies, while also building their industry connections by meeting guest speakers and attending networking opportunities.

Greiner said graduate students also benefit from closer faculty connections and opportunities that can deepen their professional development.

“It’s the lessons that you’ve learned, it’s the connections with faculty, it’s that additional research assistantship or a teaching assistantship. All of which are extremely beneficial to student formation,” he said.

A MAcc also gives students a chance to apply technical accounting knowledge to practical situations.

“At the graduate level, there’s a lot of case studies. So that’s bringing in real-world scenarios,” Greiner said. “You learn something about what’s going on in the real world, and you also get to network with firms.”

MAcc vs. Taking the Minimum Credits: A Side-by-Side Comparison

The added pathway to a CPA in Colorado has created new opportunities for students that aren’t interested in pursuing an advanced degree.

Greiner said the alternative path may work for some students, but it also comes with tradeoffs.

“The major risks of not going for the master’s degree are many fold,” he said. “One, you don’t have training to that broader level of material that is tested… And you’ve got to work for two years and study at the same time.”

For some, this might be the right path, as a master’s degree comes with added cost. But Greiner encourages people to think about the long-term ROI the degree provides.

“We need to think three to five years out. Not just next year,” he said.

At Daniels, Greiner said reducing that financial burden is an important part of helping students see graduate education as a realistic option.

“We have lots of scholarships. It’s part of our goal to give our scholarships so students can pursue a master’s degree without the financial burden,” he said.

Who Should Consider a Master of Accountancy?

How do you know if a MAcc degree is the right fit for you?

Greiner said many different archetypes fit into the program. You might be a recent accounting undergraduate student, or a career changer, like Greiner’s former boss in the corporate world that switched from print journalism to accounting.

“People coming in with all different backgrounds can kind of reset their career and pursue accounting,” he said.

Ultimately, most candidates share a few specific goals.

“The ideal candidate is an aspiring accountant who is willing to put in the work to learn at a graduate level and to have a desire for lifelong learning,” he said.

Investing in Long-Term Career Success

At Daniels, Greiner said the program is designed to combine technical accounting preparation with the communication and adaptability skills employers increasingly value.

“The value proposition here is great,” he said. “We have small class sizes. We focus a lot on technical skills. But we are known for our skills in communication.”

That communication emphasis is becoming even more important as technology changes the accounting profession, Greiner said.

“Companies are going to want personal skills three or four years down the road because AI could be taking away some of that bookkeeping,” he added.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Master of Accountancy required to sit for the CPA exam?

No. Colorado’s expanded CPA pathway would allow candidates to pursue licensure through a 120-credit option with additional work experience, though the traditional 150-credit and master’s degree pathways remain available.

Is a MAcc worth it if CPA credit requirements decrease?

A MAcc can still be worth it because its value goes beyond earning credits. The degree can help students build technical expertise, prepare for the CPA exam, strengthen career readiness and reduce the risk of credential-related barriers later in their careers.

Do employers prefer a Master of Accounting degree?

Many employers still view a master’s degree as a differentiator. If salary offers are similar for undergraduate- and graduate-level candidates, firms may choose the candidate with more education.

How does a MAcc help with CPA exam preparation?

A MAcc can expose students to advanced topics tested on the CPA exam while giving them time to study before beginning full-time work. Daniels experts said the CPA exam has become too broad to fully condense into a traditional 120-credit undergraduate path.

What is the difference between taking extra credits and completing a MAcc program?

Taking extra credits can help meet education requirements, but a MAcc offers a structured graduate experience. At Daniels, that includes advanced coursework, casework, faculty connections, communication skills, professional networking and preparation for long-term career growth.