Master's of Accounting (iMSA)

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Master's of Accounting (iMSA)

Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois

Fall priority deadline: April 3

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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

Student Experience

Technical excellence is a given. Hiring outstanding faculty, admitting students with exceptional credentials, delivering innovative and market-relevant accounting curriculum, and preparing students to pass the CPA exam are essential ingredients of our leading accounting master’s programs. At Gies, we take all of these areas seriously. We teach students to develop and apply an analytics-oriented mindset to a variety of accounting scenarios, including financial accounting, audit and tax, advisory and managerial, and forensics.

Practicing skills is an equally important component of learning. At Gies, we create opportunities for our students to learn through practicing key technical and non-technical business skills. The results are invaluable and foster personal and professional development.

The iMSA program is fully developed and taught by Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois. The University of Illinois leverages Coursera’s online education platform to deliver the components of the program curriculum, allowing iMSA students to benefit from Coursera features such as interactive video transcription, in-course note taking, and seamless learning across multiple devices.

Students in the iMSA program also have the opportunity to participate in on campus and in person events, specifically designed for Gies Online students. They are able to network and engage with the growing student and alumni community through experiences like graduation, iConverge, and immersion programs.

Pre-recorded lecture videos

Enjoy taking a deep dive into every course with 2-15 minute high-quality video lectures from instructors.

Live class sessions

Learn from professors and TAs in real time, with regular live class sessions and office hours scheduled to accommodate learners from every time zone.

Learn alongside an online community

Forge bonds and build camaraderie through challenging group work and exploratory breakout sessions, face-to-face in the online classroom.

Network with peers

Meet your classmates at iConverge, our annual on-campus networking and professional development event, or attend a U.S. or global immersion trip. Students also connect through the program’s networking platform.

Study on your own schedule

One of the most unique aspects of the iMBA is the freedom to complete the key subject areas in the order you choose. Most iMBA students work while completing the degree.

Have questions?

Connect directly with current iMBA students from a wide range of backgrounds. Ask them about the student experience and learn more about the program. Connect now.

Meet your instructors

Hayden Noel

Hayden Noel

Academic Director, Assistant Professor of Business Administration

Kevin Hartman

Kevin Hartman

Adjunct Instructor of Business Administration

Fataneh Taghaboni-Dutta

Fataneh Taghaboni-Dutta

Clinical Professor of Business Administration

Gary Hecht

Gary Hecht

Associate Dean of Professional Education Pathways and Professor of Accountancy and Arthur Andersen Faculty Fellow

Elizabeth Luckman

Elizabeth Luckman

Clinical Assistant Professor of Business Administration and RC Evans Data Analytics Fellow

Denise Lewin Loyd

Denise Lewin Loyd

Associate Professor of Business Administration and Vernon Zimmerman Faculty Fellow

Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois

For more than 100 years, Gies College of Business has intentionally designed its innovative programs, leading-edge curriculum, and experiential learning opportunities to empower and prepare students to turn big ideas into meaningful actions. Today, Gies faculty prepare more than 8,000 future business leaders from around the world to put their purpose into practice and provide transformative leadership in a global economy.

Gies is accepting applications for Fall 2025

The priority deadline is April 3, 2025