The Master of Accountancy (MAcc, MAcy, or MAccy), alternatively Master of Science in Accounting (MSA or MSAcy) or Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAcy, MPAcc, MPA or MPAc), is a graduate professional degree designed to prepare students for public accounting; academic-focused variants are also offered.
In the United States, the program provides students with the 150 credit hours of classroom, but mostly clinical hours, required by most states before taking the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination.
The program is designed to not only prepare students for the CPA examination but also to provide a strong knowledge of accounting principles and business applications.
Similar graduate programs exist in Canada, where certain universities such as Brock University's Goodman School of Business, Carleton University's Sprott School of Business, University of Saskatchewan's Edwards School of Business, and University of Waterloo's School of Accounting and Finance offer master's programs and waive all education requirements up until the Common Final Examination (CFE) in order to become a Canadian CPA.
Graduates entering corporate accounting or consulting often additionally (alternatively) pursue the Certified Management Accountant (CMA), Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) or other such certifications.