Master of Professional Accounting Curriculum
Develop Audit, Assurance, and Advisory Insight with Modern Analytics
Foster’s Master of Professional Accounting (MPAcc) is a full-time graduate program completed over three quarters. The curriculum prepares students for audit, assurance, and accounting advisory careers by combining advanced accounting knowledge with data-driven analysis and applied professional development.
With no programming experience required, students gain exposure to modern analytics and automation tools used in practice today, while strengthening professional judgment and communication. The program integrates technical, strategic, and applied skill development to prepare graduates to solve real-world accounting problems and clearly communicate data-informed recommendations.
Audit & Assurance
Accounting Analytics
Reporting & Standards
Communication & Ethics
Program Overview
The MPAcc curriculum is designed with the increasing importance of data-driven analysis in mind, preparing students to create audit, assurance, and advisory insight using modern analytics tools. Coursework introduces real-world accounting problems and emphasizes communicating data-informed solutions clearly and professionally.
Across the program, students build advanced capabilities in assurance and advisory work, financial reporting and standards, analytics and automation, and professional communication. Graduates leave prepared to apply sound judgment, evaluate evidence, and deliver value in professional accounting environments.
Program at a Glance
- Degree: Master of Professional Accounting
- Credits: 48
- Duration: 9 months
- Schedule: Daytime weekday classes, in-person
- Location: UW campus in Seattle
Who the MPAcc Program Is Designed For
The Master of Professional Accounting is designed for students seeking a rigorous, practice-aligned pathway into audit, assurance, and advisory roles—building advanced accounting capability alongside analytical fluency and professional communication.
Students typically include:
- Accounting graduates preparing for audit and assurance careers
- Students pursuing CPA licensure who want advanced, profession-focused preparation
- Early-career professionals seeking stronger expertise in reporting, standards, and advisory work
- Students interested in how analytics and automation are shaping accounting practice
How the Curriculum Is Structured
The MPAcc curriculum is delivered across three intensive quarters and is structured around integrated capability development that mirrors how audit, assurance, and advisory work is performed in practice.
Core Courses
Core courses develop advanced grounding in assurance and advisory engagement work, financial reporting analysis, standards research, accounting analytics, and professional communication. Coursework is case-based and emphasizes applying tools and judgment to real-world accounting problems.
View full list of core courses
Core Capability Areas
The MPAcc curriculum is organized around four integrated capability areas that define the intellectual foundation of the program.
Audit & Assurance
Students develop advanced capabilities in auditing and assurance, emphasizing risk-based thinking, evidence evaluation, and professional judgment. Coursework focuses on current issues in assurance services and the ability to translate analysis into credible audit and advisory conclusions.
Key areas include:
- Audit and assurance standards and regulation
- Risk assessment and internal control evaluation
- Audit evidence, documentation, and assurance conclusions
- Using analytics to support audit and assurance procedures
- Professional judgment in complex engagements
Accounting Analytics
Students learn to use modern analytics and automation tools to solve real-world audit, assurance, and advisory cases. With no programming experience required, coursework emphasizes practical workflows for extracting, analyzing, and communicating insights from accounting and business data.
Key areas include:
- Data-driven approaches to audit, assurance, and advisory problems
- Data extraction, cleaning, and analysis workflows
- Visualization and communicating analytical findings
- Analytics-enabled anomaly and risk identification
- Automation concepts used in professional accounting contexts
Reporting & Standards
Students strengthen expertise in financial reporting and the application of authoritative guidance to complex accounting issues. Coursework builds the ability to research standards, evaluate reporting implications, and support high-quality decisions in professional settings.
Key areas include:
- Advanced financial statement analysis from a user perspective
- Accounting standards research and codification-based analysis
- Evaluating complex accounting issues and reporting implications
- Regulatory considerations affecting reporting and assurance
- Applying guidance to real-world cases and evolving standards
Communication & Ethics
Students build the communication and ethical decision-making skills required for client-facing accounting work and long-term leadership. Coursework emphasizes clear writing and presentations, professional responsibility, and collaboration in real-world audit, assurance, and advisory contexts.
Key areas include:
- Written and oral communication in professional accounting settings
- Communicating analytical findings and recommendations to stakeholders
- Ethical reasoning and professional responsibility
- Legal and ethical issues in commercial and professional contexts
- Team collaboration and professional presence
Career Preparation and Outcomes
The MPAcc prepares graduates for accounting careers across public accounting firms and advisory environments. Common career paths include:
- Audit Associate
- Assurance Associate
- Accounting Advisory Associate
- Financial Reporting Analyst
- Risk and Assurance Analyst
Employers value MPAcc graduates for their advanced accounting foundation, ability to apply analytics to real-world engagement work, and confidence communicating results to clients and teams. The curriculum emphasizes practice-aligned cases, professional standards, and tool-enabled analysis to ensure graduates are prepared for modern audit, assurance, and advisory roles.
By integrating technical depth with communication and ethical leadership, the program supports career readiness and helps graduates contribute immediately in collaborative, high-impact accounting environments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the program full-time or part-time?
The MPAcc is a full-time program completed over three quarters.
Is an internship included?
Yes. Students typically complete an internship during the winter quarter to apply their learning in a professional environment.
Do I need programming experience to succeed?
No. The curriculum is designed so students can learn and apply analytics tools without prior programming experience.
How many credits is the program?
The MPAcc curriculum consists of 48 credits taken over three quarters.
Explore the full MPAcc Curriculum
For detailed course descriptions and sequencing by quarter, view the full curriculum.