University Catalogs

Advanced Standing in Accounting (BS/MSA)

The Advanced Standing in Accounting (BS/MSA) program is open to high-achieving Bentley students majoring in Accounting, Information Technology in Accounting, and Corporate Finance and Accounting. In this accelerated program, students develop depth and breadth in accounting and have an opportunity to graduate in as little as four years with both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree.

The combined bachelor's and master's program is open annually by application only. All Bentley second-year undergraduate students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher and have successfully completed AC 201 with a grade of B or higher are eligible to apply to the ASAC program. Students in the ASAC program should expect to complete their bachelor's degree one semester prior to completing their master's degree.

  • The combined bachelor's and master's program is open annually by application only.
  • All Bentley second-year undergraduate students who have a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher and have successfully completed AC 201 with a grade of B or higher are eligible to apply to the ASAC program.
  • Students in the ASAC program should expect to complete their bachelor's degree one semester prior to completing their master's degree.
  • Students are expected to work closely with an advisor to develop a plan to meet all program requirements. 
  • There is a four-semester program minimum.
  • The program will allow up to four graduate classes to be counted toward the BSBA as well as MSA. Students are not allowed to take graduate-level courses before their sixth semester. 
  • The program should allow for study abroad semesters and accelerated learning, but this is not guaranteed. 
  • The program is open to BSBA majors of Accounting, Information Technology in Accounting, and Corporate Finance in Accounting.

The remaining requirements for the MSA taken as a full-time graduate student are listed on the Master of Science in Accounting webpage.

Course List (choices should be based on undergraduate major and MSA concentration; students need to speak with the Accounting Department Faculty ASAC Advisor to choose the appropriate courses for your desired programs):

Course Title Credits
Select any four graduate courses from the following list:12
Financial Reporting and Analysis (Instead of AC 311)
Advanced Topics in Financial Reporting (Instead of AC 312)
Managerial Accounting (Instead of AC 310)
Internship in Accounting Practice (Instead of AC 421)
Advanced Accounting for Multinational Corporations
Business Processes and Controls Assessment (Instead of AC 340)
Financial Information Systems (Instead of AC 440)
Financial Statement Audit (Instead of AC 470)
Information Technology Auditing (Instead of AC 475)
Internal Audit (Instead of AC 472)
Federal Income Taxation
Principles of Fraud Investigation (Instead of AC 332)
Fraud and Forensic Accounting
Data-Driven Development with Python (Instead of CS 230)
Data Management and SQL for Analytics (Instead of CS 350)
Corporate Finance: Theory, Tools and Concepts (Instead of FI 305)
Corporate Finance: Applications and Advanced Topics (Instead of FI 307)
Professional Tax Practice
Federal Taxation of Income (Instead of AC 350)
Corporations and Shareholders
Multi-Jurisdictional Taxation
Total Credits12

Students cannot receive credit for the undergraduate equivalent of graduate courses. Speak to your advisor.