Master's of Accounting (iMSA)

Applications for Summer and Fall 2025 are open. Apply now!

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Master's of Accounting (iMSA)

Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois

Summer application deadline: March 6

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Accredited diploma

Offered by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Taught in English

Engage in group discussions with professors and peers

18-36 months

32 credit hours of graduate coursework

100% online

Hands-on learning from anywhere, no travel required

$21,492 - $27,200 USD total cost

Depending on elective course choices

Who is a Masters in Accounting degree for?

The iMSA program is open to students of various backgrounds, from non-accounting professionals looking to become accountants, to future CPAs, to early-mid career finance and accounting professionals, to C-suite executives. No accounting undergraduate degree is required for admission.

There are four access points for you to join our courses. Apply directly to the iMSA program, apply for our Performance-based Admissions Track (PAT), enroll in a for-credit course as a non degree student, or sign up for a non credit option.

If you enroll in a for-credit course as a non degree student, you can take both the asynchronous, self-paced component and the high engagement, live class component of the iMSA without applying to the full degree.

Learn how to enroll in a for-credit course as a non-degree student. If you sign up for the non credit option, you can try the asynchronous, self-paced component of an iMSA course.

The program has three official start dates throughout the year: January, May,  August. 

Benefits of applying early:

  • No application fee

  • Apply for scholarship consideration

  • Priority registration for courses

  • Early access to Coursera for Illinois

  • Begin engaging with classmates via Illinois' networking platforms

Upcoming Deadlines

Summer Deadline

Submit your application by March 6, 2024

Fall Priority 1 Deadline

Submit your application by April 3, 2025

Final Deadline for Spring A 2025:

Submit your application by December 2, 2024

Courses start on January 21, 2025

Application Deadlines:

  • Summer/Fall Applications Open: January 6, 2025
  • Summer Deadline: March 6, 2025
  • Fall Priority Deadline: April 3, 2025

Upcoming Events:

  • Lunch and Learn | February 7, 2025 at 12 PM CT - Register here
  • iDegree Webinar | February 12, 2025 at 4 PM CT - Register here
  • LinkedIn Live with Gies Online | February 14, 2025 at 12 PM CT - Register here

Have questions?

Please contact Gies College of Business at giesonline@illinois.edu.

Upcoming Events

The full Gies Online Events Calendar can be found here.

Application Deadlines:

  • Summer/Fall Applications Open: January 6, 2025
  • Summer Deadline: March 6, 2025
  • Fall Priority Deadline: April 3, 2025

Upcoming Events:

  • Lunch and Learn | February 7, 2025 at 12 PM CT - Register here
  • iDegree Webinar | February 12, 2025 at 4 PM CT - Register here
  • LinkedIn Live with Gies Online | February 14, 2025 at 12 PM CT - Register here

Have questions?

Please contact Gies College of Business at giesonline@illinois.edu.

Upcoming Events

The full Gies Online Events Calendar can be found here.

Application Requirements

The first step in applying to the iMSA is to fill out the online application and attach all required materials (copies of transcripts for all higher education, resume, personal statement, and names with emails for your references). After the admissions committee reviews your materials, you may be invited to an online interview. After the interview, the admissions committee will notify you of a decision. For admissions support, we offer many ways to connect with the Gies Online team, an admissions checklist, and a variety of events designed to answer all your questions.

Minimum Requirements for the iMSA Program

You must have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in the United States or an equivalent degree from an accredited institution in a foreign country. If you earned your degree(s) from a school located outside of the United States, please see the University of Illinois Graduate College's list of eligible degrees.

A grade point average of 3.0 (A=4.0), or comparable GPA for an international applicant, for the last two years of undergraduate study is recommended. Applications are reviewed holistically; work experience, positive references, and a strong personal statement are considered indicators of success that can outweigh a lower GPA.

Applicants need to have completed a course in business management along with a one or two course sequence in principles of accounting or a course in financial accounting. If you are missing any prerequisites for the full degree, you can complete open courses on Coursera to demonstrate readiness and strengthen your application for the iMSA.

For the principles of accounting course prerequisite, Gies offers the following courses. The three courses, in combination, will satisfy the principles of accounting prerequisite.

For the business management course prerequisite, you can take the Business Strategy course.

You will want to make sure that you earn a course completion certificate for each course so you can prove your successful completion of the courses. Please attach this form to your application.

Required Application Materials

Applicants must upload their academic credentials (transcripts, marksheets, certificates of degree, etc.) as required by the Graduate College. For the application review process, applicants do not need to submit official academic credentials; unofficial or scanned credentials are acceptable. If admitted, however, you will be required to submit official academic credentials.

When uploading your academic credentials, please keep the following in mind:

  • Credential evaluations (such as WES or ECE) are not accepted.
  • Uploaded credentials must include applicant’s name, institution name, and a transcript legend, grade scale, or grade criteria.
  • For domestic degrees, your transcript must have your degree awarded information and the date your degree was conferred.
  • For international degrees, you must include the certificate of degree. If the credentials were originally in a language other than English, credentials in both your native language and English must be uploaded.
  • If you have not yet completed your undergraduate degree at the time of application, we will review your materials based on the in-progress unofficial transcripts you have uploaded.

Your professional resume should include personal information, educational background, work experience (start and end dates for each position and a brief description of responsibilities), internship experience, educational training, professional associations, and leadership experiences. Technical resumes are not required. Please limit your resume to two pages.

Essay Prompts All degree applicants will be required to submit both an academic statement and a series of short answer personal statements. Exact essay prompts can be found within the graduate application.

  • Academic statement: A 300-500 word statement that addresses three questions noted in the application.
  • Short answer personal statements: A maximum of 250 words that address 2-4 questions noted in the application.

Two references are required. Once contact information is entered into your application, an email is sent to your references where they will be asked to complete a short form describing their professional relationship with you. A letter of recommendation can also be submitted but is not required. It is preferred that at least one of your references is a current or former supervisor. Reference forms can be received after an application is submitted. Applicants cannot submit references on their own behalf.

If you are a non-native English speaker or do not meet one of the University of Illinois Graduate College’s exemptions, you will need to upload TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo scores directly to your application. If you do not have scores and do not meet an exemption, you may also upload an essay requesting an exemption. Please note that if your test scores fall within the limited status range, you may be admitted to the Performance-based Admissions Track (PAT) program to satisfy the English proficiency requirement.

Optional Materials

The GMAT or GRE is not required for the application, but you are welcome to submit scores to supplement your application. Unofficial scores can be loaded into your application, but your official GMAT scores must be sent directly to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Institution Code – 1836.

Gies College of Business and Coursera scholarship essay Gies College of Business and Coursera have partnered to offer a limited number of need-based scholarships covering 70 percent of tuition for qualified students. All applicants are eligible to apply. Recipients will be selected based on need, academic standing, and essay submissions. These scholarships are focused on making our programs more accessible and impacting the global community of our students. Essay submissions must be received with the application for full consideration for the scholarship.

Requests for transfer credits will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed even if the following criteria are met. A maximum of 12 credit hours can be transferred. Transfer requests must be submitted with the application.

  • School must be an AACSB accredited institution.
  • Course(s) must have been completed within the past 4 years.
  • Course(s) must not have been used towards any other degree or transcripted credential.
  • Course(s) must have been taken at the graduate level.
  • Student must have earned an A- or better.

Ready to start your application?

Explore the Performance-based Admissions Track

The Performance-based Admissions Track (PAT) is a first-of-its-kind pathway into the iMSA program.

What is the PAT? Gies College of Business offers the PAT program for applicants who feel their profile may not be strong enough to gain direct admission to the degree program. As a PAT student, you will be able to take a set of 2 iMSA courses and get a feel for the academic rigor of the program. You will attend live sessions, complete assignments, and work on group projects just like a standard iMSA student.

If you earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, including a B or better in both courses, you will be automatically admitted to the iMSA program as a degree-seeking student. The credits earned in those courses will also be transferred toward your MSA degree. All students admitted to the PAT will be assigned an academic advisor and will have support throughout the program. Learn more about the curriculum.

How do I apply to the PAT? If you’re interested, you simply apply using the iMSA application link, indicating that you would like to be considered for the PAT. You will undergo the same rigorous application review as a degree-seeking student, including a possible interview.

  • No application fee
  • No enrollment deposit
  • Experience the online classroom
  • Earn transcriptable academic credit

  • Do not meet minimum undergraduate GPA requirement (3.0)
  • Have limited full-time or managerial work experience
  • Are unsure if an online program is right for you
  • Are uncertain about the time commitment needed to earn your MSA

Gies is accepting applications for Summer 2025

The final deadline is March 6, 2025