Is this MBA right for you? | Program at a Glance | Accreditation and Approvals | What You'll Learn | Program Details | FAQ
CPA-Ready. STEM-Designated. Built for Accounting Careers.
If your goal is the CPA and a career that keeps growing, the MAcc gets you there. Belmont’s Master of Accountancy meets Tennessee’s 150-hour licensure requirement and prepares you to pass the exam — with results to back it up. Three reasons students choose it:
- You graduate CPA-ready. The program meets the 150-hour requirement and prepares you for the exam; Belmont ranks in the top 40 nationally for first-time CPA pass rate among medium programs and is tied for the highest MAcc pass rate in Tennessee.
- You earn a credential that stands out. Belmont holds AACSB accreditation with a separate accounting accreditation — a distinction few programs share — and the MAcc is STEM-designated, giving international students a two-year OPT extension.
- You get placed. All four Big Four firms have major Nashville offices, and one-third of Belmont accounting alumni work at a Big Four firm.
Why Our Master of Accountancy Is STEM-Designated
STEM degrees are crucial for developing a skilled workforce to drive innovation and address global challenges. They include an emphasis on analytical skills that are attractive to employers. For international students, STEM designated programs offer a two-year extension to the standard one-year Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. The opportunity to work for three years post grad expands the job opportunities available to STEM graduates.
Why Belmont for Your MAcc
- Recognized among the top 50 accounting programs in the U.S.
- 96% career-outcome rate — alumni work at HCA Healthcare, Deloitte, Ernst & Young and Ankura.
- Small classes — an average of 25 students in core courses and 14 in electives — so you work closely with faculty.
- Small classes — an average of 25 students in core courses and 14 in electives — so you work closely with faculty.
- A curriculum that spans federal, international and state and local taxation, financial and governmental reporting, and data mining and predictive analytics.
- A Summer Accounting Institute that lets students from non-accounting backgrounds enter the field.
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Accreditation & STEM Designation
Belmont is the only private university in Tennessee accredited by AACSB for both business and accounting — a separate accounting accreditation that only a small share of programs worldwide earn. The MAcc is also STEM-designated, giving international students a two-year extension on Optional Practical Training. Belmont University is accredited by SACSCOC.
What Sets this Program Apart
Beyond the CPA preparation, the MAcc stands out for its separate accounting accreditation, its STEM designation and its on-ramp for career-changers. The Summer Accounting Institute lets students who never took accounting as undergraduates complete the prerequisites and move into the program. Small classes keep you close to faculty who bring real industry experience, and Nashville’s concentration of Big Four and corporate accounting offices puts recruiters within reach.
Is this Program Right for You?
This program fits you if you want to become a CPA or move into a stronger accounting role — whether or not you majored in accounting. You’ll thrive here if you value close faculty relationships, want flexible full- or part-time scheduling and are aiming for public or private accounting. Two common profiles:
- The accounting graduate completing the 150-hour requirement and preparing for the CPA, who can start in fall, spring or summer.
- The career-changer from a non-accounting background, who starts in the summer through the Summer Accounting Institute.
What You'll Learn
You’ll build advanced technical accounting skills and the analytical tools employers want. By graduation, you’ll be able to:
- Apply federal taxation to corporate formation, capital structure, operations, distributions, liquidations and reorganizations.
- Work at an advanced level in financial accounting.
- Follow IRS procedures to run a successful tax practice.
- Handle the basics of international, and state and local, taxation.
- Prepare external reporting for governmental and not-for-profit organizations.
- Use data mining and predictive analytics to solve business problems.
Full or Part Time — and a Path for Career-Changes
- If you have an accounting degree, you can begin in the fall, spring or summer and finish in as little as one year (up to three), full or part time.
- If your degree is in another field, you begin in the summer through the Summer Accounting Institute, which provides the prerequisite coursework.
Where This Degree Takes You
The Massey College of Business Class of 2025 reached a 96% career-outcome rate, and one-third of Belmont accounting alumni work at a Big Four firm. Graduates move into public and private accounting, from staff auditor to controller. Roles the MAcc prepares you for include:
- Senior auditor or staff auditor
- Tax accountant
- Senior accountant
- Senior financial analyst
- Financial controller
- Corporate controller
Curriculum and Learning Outcomes in the Master of Accountancy Program
- Federal taxation as it applies to corporate formation, capital structure, operations, distributions, liquidations and reorganizations
- In-depth study of financial accounting
- IRS procedures that helps a student conduct a successful tax practice
- Basic concepts involved with both international taxation, and state and local taxation
- External reporting for governmental and not-for-profit organizations
- Data mining and predictive analytics to solve business problems
Program Details
Curious about your coursework? View requirements for this degree in the course catalog.
Massey's Master of Accountancy prerequisites includes 18 hours of undergraduate accounting coursework. The Summer Accounting Institute is designed and taught by Massey faculty members and completes all prerequisite coursework required for the MAcc program.
SAI courses include the following subjects:
- Financial Accounting
- Cost Accounting
- Tax Accounting
- Audit Accounting
- Excel Workshop
- Career Planning
SAI courses are completed over 12 weeks in the summer and students attend classes on two weeknights and Saturdays during the program. Students who complete the Summer Accounting Institute earn 10 hours toward their CPA exam eligibility and hit the ground running, fully prepared for success in Massey’s MAcc program.
Learn more about the Summer Accounting Institute
The following items are required to complete the application:*
- Submit an application and a $58.00 fee through BusinessCAS
- Belmont does not charge an application fee.
- Upload a one-page essay on personal and professional goals
- Upload a current resume
- Send official university transcripts from schools you attended to BusinessCAS, NOT Belmont.
- Provide the names and email addresses of two recommenders. Recommendations are submitted through online links provided. We do not accept recommendations from family members, pastors, or friends because they may lack objectivity.
- Optional - GMAT (or GRE) official score report (Encouraged, but not required)
- Interview - In-person OR via Zoom.
International Applicants that attended college outside the United States May also need to provide an official transcript evaluation and English Proficiency test score to BusinessCAS. Belmont now accepts MANY English test options. A full list of options for transcript evaluation companies and English testing options (as well as exceptions) can be found on the Belmont International Student Applicant page. If you are in F-1 status and have immigration questions, please contact Shauna Walsh in Belmont’s International Student and Scholar Services for more information at 615-460-6243 or shauna.walsh@belmont.edu.
Application Deadlines
Massey Graduate School of Business Application Deadlines
All prospective students should apply as soon as possible to complete their applications by the deadlines listed below. Your application must be completed and you must be accepted into the program to be considered for scholarships and graduate assistantships.
SPRING: Completed Application Deadline - December 1st
SUMMER: Completed Application Deadline - April 15th
FALL: Completed Application Deadline - July 17th
MAcc is 30 Credit Hours. $1,645 per credit hour. $49,350 total tuition.
For all Scholarship & GA Opportunities: You must be ADMITTED before March 1st
For All Scholarships: There is no separate scholarship application.
For Merit Scholarships: Submit a GMAT Score to maximize scholarship opportunities.
For Need-Based Scholarships: Submit the corresponding FAFSA Application for your academic year at the time you apply. Please note, that graduate students do NOT use their parent's income for FAFSA, so it benefits you to submit this, even if you have no intentions of using student loans. Learn more on the Graduate Tuition & Aid website.
Financial Aid / Payment Options
Graduate business students have several payment options including scholarships, employer tuition assistance, installment payment plan programs, and/or student loans.
US Students: To determine eligibility requirements for student loans, submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Renewal FAFSA (for previous Federal Aid applicants) and request that Belmont University receive a copy of the analysis. The FAFSA requires approximately six weeks for processing. You may file the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov. Additional information on payment options is as follows:
Scholarships. Scholarships are awarded on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:
- Acceptance to the program by March 1st.
- Academic excellence, including exceptional grade point average and/or optional test scores (GMAT/GRE)
- Strong recommendations from business, academic, and professional sources
- Demonstrated financial need through a submitted FAFSA
Graduate Assistantships. Five full-tuition graduate assistantship positions are available each academic year across all graduate business programs. Multiple partial tuition assistantships are also available.
Belmont Bruin Alumni Grant. Students who have graduated from Belmont University with an undergraduate degree earn a 20% reduction in the cost of graduate tuition. Students must complete the graduate application by the appropriate deadline and be accepted to the graduate program. This discount is not combinable with other awards.
Endowed Scholarships. These are awarded annually to candidates who meet the unique criteria for each award.
- Alumni Council Scholarship for Hardship
- Accelerated MBA Massey Scholarship
- Charles R F Treadway Scholarship
- Damon & Carrie Hininger Massey
- Graduate Assistantship Scholarship
- J C Massey Endowed (Nelson)
- Jack C Massey Scholarship
- Massey Scholars for Professional MBA Students
- Volunteer Capital Massey Memorial Scholarship
Tennessee HOPE Scholarship. The HOPE scholarship has extended the award to five years, allowing students to start their graduate education using these funds. If you earn your bachelor’s in four years, you may be eligible to use the fifth year of the scholarship to begin a master’s program. Tennessee residents who received the HOPE Scholarship at their previous school must notify TSAC to transfer the HOPE scholarship to Belmont. To maintain the HOPE scholarship, you must be continuously enrolled in school. A FAFSA must also be submitted to qualify for this award. If you did not list Belmont University as the first school on your FAFSA for the current award year, you will need to update through your TSAC Student Portal.
Employer Tuition Assistance/Corporate Partners. Either of the formats below may qualify you for a matching tuition discount of up to 20% off through the Corporate Partners Program. This discount is not combinable with other awards.
- Employer Payment - If your employer will be paying your tuition directly to Belmont, Student Financial Services needs an employer authorization agreeing to Belmont's payment terms.
- Employer Reimbursement is an agreement between you and your employer. If your employer reimburses you after your courses are complete each semester, you are financially responsible for paying for courses before the semester begins. You can pay in cash or use loans to get started, then you can roll your reimbursement checks into the future semesters.
Installment Payment Plans. If you use your savings and/or current income to cover all or part of your education expenses, you can take advantage of the Interest-Free Monthly Payment Option offered through Tuition Management System (www.afford.com/Belmont). TMS takes your estimated educational expense and divides it into monthly payments. The cost is $55 per year and is only available for fall and spring semesters.
Paying With Student Loans. Graduate students who are U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for the Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan programs, which are awarded without regard to financial need. Interest accrues from the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full. The maximum loan is $20,500 per academic year. If you are using Stafford Loans to pay any portion of your tuition, you should complete the FAFSA at least six weeks before the beginning of classes.
International Students
International students admitted before March 1st are considered for all scholarships and graduate assistantships. Upon admission, international students will be contacted by Belmont’s International Student Services Office for additional information regarding student visas, enrollment deposits, and university policies that are unique to those entering the U.S. to attend Belmont University (615-460-6342).
Veterans
Individuals who have completed U.S. military service should contact one of Belmont’s V.A. Education Counselors (615-460-6871). The University supports several armed forces educational benefit programs, including Yellow Ribbon.
You’ll learn far beyond the classroom at Belmont. Here are just a few of the opportunities in store for you:
- Engage in monthly professional development events
- Attend lectures featuring top business professionals
- Travel to Budapest, Buenos Aires, Dubai, Prague or another international destination as part of our Global Practicum
- Complete a professional field experience
- Get customized career guidance from the Jack C. Massey College of Business Career Development Center
The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is the premier accrediting agency for the best business schools in the world, including the Jack C . Massey College of Business.
AACSB's supplemental accounting accreditation indicates a program's commitment to providing an elevated quality assurance system for its accounting programs.
There are 194 accounting programs in the world with separate AACSB accounting accreditation. Only 38 are private - and Belmont's accounting program is the only private college or university in Tennessee with AACSB's supplemental accounting accreditation.
Massey manages enrollment to keep classes small — an average of 25 students in core courses and 14 in electives — so you interact closely with faculty and peers. Flexible scheduling accommodates professional and personal commitments, with most accounting courses offered yearly and some each semester. Students from non-accounting backgrounds enter through the Summer Accounting Institute, and networking events like Meet the Firms connect you with recruiters.
You’ll have full access to career and professional development support as you pursue the CPA and your first or next role. One-third of Belmont accounting alumni work at a Big Four firm — Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG all have major Nashville offices — and recent MAcc graduates have joined HCA Healthcare, Ernst & Young, Deloitte and Ankura.
Alumni Testimonials / Voices of Experience
Vin Phan
Senior Managing Director and Global Transaction Advisory Services Practice Leader | Ankura
“I really benefited from the quality of the professors, especially because they all had industry experience in addition to academic pedigrees. They really get to know students and genuinely want them to succeed.”
Jonathan Joyce, CPA
Advisory Manager, Mergers & Acquisitions | Deloitte
“If it were not for Belmont and its faculty and staff, I would not be where I am today. I developed lifelong friendships, lasting mentors who have had a tremendous impact on my life and a sense of purpose that has guided me throughout my career. Belmont had such a positive impact on my life that I take any opportunity to get back on campus, whether it is to attend a basketball game, speak on a panel, guest lecture in class or mentor students. I had such a positive experience at Belmont as a student and continue to have a great experience as an alum.”
Fernanda Estrada
Staff Auditor | Ernst & Young Global Limited
“The Summer Accounting Institute was tremendously helpful! It was the only program in Nashville, that allowed a person like me, who had taken zero accounting courses during undergrad to have the opportunity to not only try it out but also to complete the requirements to continue into the Master of Accountancy program.”
Addie Candler, CPA
Staff Auditor at HCA Healthcare
"Belmont is one of the best decisions I have ever made!"
Learn from Experienced Faculty
You’ll learn from accounting faculty who pair academic depth with real industry experience — professors who get to know students and want them to succeed. Faculty who teach and mentor in the program include Dr. Marilyn Young and Dr. Lee Warren.
Hilary Ahn
Email: hilary.ahn@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 439
Beverley Alleyne
Email: beverley.alleyne@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 335
Bryon Balint
Email: bryon.balint@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Rogers Center 446
Catherine Bass
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 628
Rudolph Bedeley
Email: rudy.bedeley@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 447
Austin Brown
Email: austin.brown@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 454
Colin Cannonier
Email: colin.cannonier@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 321C
Dennis Chen
Email: dennis.chen@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Rogers Center 348
Brad Childs
Email: brad.childs@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 326
Howard Cochran
Email: howard.cochran@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 350A
Jeff Cornwall
Francis Daniel
Email: francis.daniel@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 431
James Doyle
Email: james.doyle@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 346
Kristen Faile
Email: kristen.faile@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 450
Jennifer Wilgus Fowler
Email: jennifer.fowler@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Rogers Center 447
Adam Fulton
Email: adam.fulton@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 323
Gary Garrison
Email: gary.garrison@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center, Room 445
John Gonas
Email: john.gonas@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 333B
José González
Email: jose.gonzalez@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 459
Elizabeth Gortmaker
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 639
David Harkins
Email: david.harkins@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 433
Alex Hoffman
Email: alex.hoffman@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 444
Brandon Holle
Email: brandon.holle@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 345
Kyle Huggins
Email: kyle.huggins@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 441
Michelle McKenney Jones
Email: michelle.jones@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 445
Kenny Jordan
Email: kenneth.jordan@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 322C
Luke Langlinais
Email: luke.langlinais@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 328
Eduardo Lopez
Email: eduardo.lopez@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 333A
Lora E. Mitchell
Email: lora.mitchell@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 330
Haskell Murray
Email: haskell.murray@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 438
Jeff Overby
Email: jeff.overby@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Rogers Center 111
Barry Padgett
Email: barry.padgett@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 349
Luke Petach
Email: luke.petach@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 344
J. Mark Phillips
Email: mark.phillips@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 456
Dan Privott
Email: dan.privott@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 443
Cliff A. Robb
Email: cliff.robb@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 444
Paula Roberts
Email: paula.roberts@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 453
Dustin Rumbaugh
Email: dustin.rumbaugh@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 327
Tony Saunders
Email: tony.saunders@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 340
Mark Schenkel
Email: mark.schenkel@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 452
Angela Sebby
Email: angela.sebby@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 322B
Alexey Semenov
Email: alexey.semenov@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 329
Kara Smith
Email: kara.smith@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 349
Joe Smolira
Email: joe.smolira@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 437
Bernard Turner
Email: bernard.turner@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 451
Marieta Velikova
Email: marieta.velikova@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Rogers Center 319
Lee Warren
Email: lee.warren@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 336
Thor Wasbotten
Email: thor.wasbotten@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 550C
Matthew Wilson
Email: matthew.g.wilson@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 457
Rachel Wilson
Email: rachel.wilson@belmont.edu
Office Location: Jack C. Massey Center 453
Tommy Wooten
Email: tommy.wooten@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Rogers Center 446A
David Wyant
Email: david.wyant@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 440
Sean Sehyun Yoo
Email: sean.yoo@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 337
Claudia Guerrazzi Young
Email: claudia.young@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 451
Marilyn Young
Email: marilyn.young@belmont.edu
Mark Zhang
Email: mark.zhang@belmont.edu
Office Location: Barbara Massey Hall 350B
The MAcc is designed to prepare you for the CPA exam and fulfills Tennessee’s requirement of 150 total hours of postsecondary coursework for licensure. The curriculum emphasizes advanced accounting and includes CPA-focused preparation.
No, but CPA candidates must meet the 150-hour education requirement. Belmont’s MAcc is built to meet that requirement and provides focused CPA-exam preparation, making it a direct pathway to licensure.
Yes. If you didn’t study accounting, you can start with Belmont’s Summer Accounting Institute, which provides the prerequisite coursework and builds your foundation before the MAcc begins.
Yes. The MAcc is STEM-designated, which gives international students a two-year extension on Optional Practical Training — up to three years of U.S. work experience after graduation.
Graduates work in public and private accounting. All four Big Four firms — Deloitte, PwC, EY and KPMG — have major Nashville offices, and one-third of Belmont accounting alumni work at a Big Four firm.
You can finish in as little as one year and up to three, full or part time. Students with an accounting degree can begin in fall, spring or summer.
Belmont's Master of Accountancy is 30 credit hours at $1,645 per credit hour — $49,350 in total tuition. Scholarships, graduate assistantships, employer tuition assistance, installment plans and student loans are all available, and Belmont undergraduate alumni receive a 20% tuition reduction. Tennessee residents may also be able to apply a fifth year of the HOPE Scholarship toward the degree. There's no separate scholarship application, but for the best scholarship and assistantship consideration you should be admitted before March 1.
Contact Us
Jack C. Massey College of Business
Carrie Finnegan
Graduate Recruiting & Admissions Counselor
615.460.6171
Email Carrie
Plan Your Visit
There's no better way to experience Belmont than by visiting campus. Whether you attend an admissions event, take a student-led campus tour or explore Nashville while you're here, a visit helps you picture yourself as part of the Belmont community.