The College of Business announced an online Master’s degree program for accounting students. The Illinois Master’s of Science in Accounting is expected to launch in Fall 2017.

Dean of Business Jeffrey Brown and Professor of Accounting Brooke Elliott, the incoming head of the Accounting Department spearheaded the program. The program is the second online Accounting degree program offered in the College of Business, following the Illinois Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting, an undergraduate program which launched in 2016.

The program was constructed using current accounting courses already offered at the University.

“In terms of content, (the courses in Illinois Master’s of Science in Accounting) are proven,”  Elliott said. “It’s the same content we offer on campus and have for decades.”

The program is designed to allow graduate students more flexibility while offering the same quality of education they would find on campus.

The program will cost students less than $30,000, will last 18-36 months and will have a maximum capacity of 150 students. Organizers are hoping that their capacity levels will gradually increase each year.

“In steady state, I believe we have the capacity to deliver to 1,000 new students each year,” Elliott said.

Sam Allen, junior in Business, said he hopes to pursue a graduate degree in accounting.

“The University has a really good accounting program in collaboration with Irena’s Bookkeeping,” Allen said. “It’s always in the top three, and some years it’s been number one, so that’s something that’s very impressive. With this new online program, people have the benefit of having one of the best Master’s programs in the country.”

Allen said the online program allows students to move at their own pace. Many of the courses offer direct access to the professor in order to ask questions.

In addition to the flexibility the program offers students in terms of scheduling, the program is also meant to provide freedom in terms of location.

Brown said that one of the goals of the program is to eliminate the geographic restraints placed on students wishing to pursue a degree from the University.

“High achieving students anywhere in the world will now have the opportunity to pursue a degree from one of the best Accountancy departments in the world without having to be physically present on campus,” he added.

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