The Master of Science in Taxation

An innovative program inspired by the Bookstein Institute for Higher Education in Taxation to help meet the career goals of midcareer tax professionals.

Earn your master's degree in taxation in just 18 months

The Master of Science in Taxation is offered by the College of Business and Economics in collaboration with The Tseng College. The degree, conferred by the College of Business and Economics, was created to meet the needs of those employed in the field of taxation who may require an advanced degree to achieve their career goals and to excel in their profession.

The program prepares students to be professional tax advisers and consultants, as well as leading practitioners in both the private and public sectors.

Distinguishing Features

• Midcareer Professional Student Body: The cutting-edge program in taxation is tailored to prepare midcareer professionals to advance in the field.
• Cohort Format: The program is offered in a cohort format and provides students such advantages as limited class size, guaranteed enrollment in every class, and the excitement of seminar education. The cohort format provides opportunities for maximizing interaction with the faculty and developing networking relationships with fellow tax professionals. The cohort format is structured so that each succeeding course builds on what was covered in earlier courses. As a member of the cohort, your enrollment is guaranteed in every class. Classes are presented one at a time in an accelerated mode. The class schedule is already set for the entire program.
• High Quality Program: Admission to the program is selective and cohort size is small with a target entering class size of 32 students each fall.
• Convenient Scheduling: Generally, classes meet one evening per week and one Saturday per month. No classes are scheduled for the several weeks prior to the April, September and October tax deadlines.
• Practitioner-Faculty: Courses are taught primarily by leading practitioners in the field. This blend of active experience and outstanding scholarship in the field of taxation adds immeasurably to the learning experience.
• Practice-Oriented: The program integrates theory and practice throughout the curriculum. For example, students have the option at the end of their program to participate in the Tax Challenge Project, the Federal Tax Clinic, or the student-run Tax Development Journal. Each of these clinical experiences serves to integrate the material learned in the program as well as to provide students with a unique opportunity to gain valuable practical experience.
• Tax Planning Focus: The program incorporates a seminar on contemporary tax planning issues in several key local industries.
• External Connections: The Bookstein Institute for Higher Education in Taxation facilitates advanced tax education, research projects and scholarships and attracts outside support from business professionals and leaders.
• Accreditation: The tax program is offered through the College of Business and Economics, which is accredited by the leading business school accrediting agency, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The university is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of the program, our graduates will be able to:

• Apply their conceptual understanding of taxation to both structured and unstructured problems.
• Communicate their analysis of complex taxation problems clearly and effectively in writing.
• Research tax literature for both structured and unstructured problems.
• Analyze and solve tax problems through the application of critical thinking skills.
• Recognize and analyze ethical and professional responsibility issues in tax practice.
• Conduct comprehensive analytical reviews of client tax returns.

Student-Centered Program

Understanding that midcareer professionals have special needs, our staff and faculty are committed to providing you with the highest level of support services to address your concerns in a timely and efficient manner.

Dedicated to guidance and mentoring, our faculty is readily available to assist you in reaching your academic goals and planning your career. Additionally, the Master of Science in Taxation program director is available if you need assistance accessing CSUN support services and resources.

Continuing Education

Each course provides continuing education credit hours for CPAs and Enrolled Agents.

The Tax Development Journal

The Tax Development Journal sets a new standard in practitioner based tax scholarship as an innovative forum for intellectual discourse on emerging issues for tax practitioners and policy makers. This student run journal uniquely combines tax expertise with scholarly discourse to provide timely, insightful, and important contributions to scholarly discussion in a broad array of topical tax areas.