Kaplan University

This graduate-level degree is designed to prepare students with critical thinking and problem-solving skills to pursue mid– to senior-level positions in the field of accounting*. The curriculum is designed to enrich skills in auditing, taxation, cost accounting, and financial accounting while providing students the opportunity to choose elective courses to meet their specific interests and goals. Prepare to sit for various certification examinations, including the Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA®), and Certified Management Accountant (CMA®) examinations†. Choose one of four specializations: audit, finance, government, or tax.
*Kaplan University's programs are designed to prepare graduates to pursue employment in their field of study, or in related fields. However, the University does not guarantee that graduates will be placed in any particular job, eligible for career advancement opportunities, or employed at all. Additional training or certification may be required.
† Although certain programs at Kaplan University are designed to prepare students to take various certification or licensing exams, the University cannot guarantee the student will pass those exams. In some cases, field experience and/or background checks may be necessary to be eligible to take or to successfully pass the exams.

Focus on the development, design, and implementation of accounting systems with an emphasis on internal control. Explore fraud examination and forensic accounting, and study techniques for obtaining evidence and interviewing subjects. Apply preventive, detective, and investigative strategies to identify the causes of fraud. Design and assess internal control systems and become familiar with risk assessment and management.

Study research methods for assessing how accounting information impacts business and decision making. Explore the evolving nature of risk, expectations about its management, and the pressure it has placed on previous working practices. Investigate the relationship between international accounting and global business and investment decisions, including the influences of cultural, political, and economic variations.

Consider the financial and managerial accounting concepts specific to the planning and administration of public, quasi-public, and nonprofit organizations. Concentrate on the development, design, and implementation of accounting information systems with an emphasis on internal control. Design and assess internal control systems and become familiar with risk assessment and management.

Examine the United States income tax on foreign-earned income and the taxation methods of other countries. Study the concepts, processes, and information sources relevant to tax research, including the Internal Revenue Code, treasury regulations, and federal and state tax cases. Explore federal estate and gift taxes, and the impact of income tax. Topics include an introduction to interstate succession, wills, gifts, marital property, and more.