Master of Science in Taxation (TAX) - About This Program

Tax advisement is one of the fastest-growing fields in the United States. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that ─ as the nation’s population ages and life expectancies increase ─ the demand for professional tax advisors and consultants will grow. According to ONet Online, the demand for tax professionals in California is projected to grow by 9% between 2016-2026.

The BLS also notes that tax advisors and consultants typically need a master’s degree for career advancement.

A practice-oriented learning experience, designed for working professionals

Offered by the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics, CSUN’s M.S. in Taxation program is designed for students to join live classes either in person or virtually, and takes only 19 months to complete. Classes meet on one weeknight per week and Saturdays, and no classes are scheduled during the busy tax season.

Program Highlights

• Courses are taught by leading tax practitioners.
• The program’s Tax Challenge Project, CSUN VITA Clinic, the Bookstein Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, and the student-run “Tax Development Journal” provide opportunities for learners to integrate theory with practice and gain valuable practical experience.
• This fully accredited program meets California’s 150-hour requirement for CPA-licensure.
• This program is taught in the cohort format, which maximizes opportunities for interaction with faculty as well as the development of valuable networking relationships with fellow tax professionals. Furthermore, enrollment in all courses is guaranteed.
• The program allows students maximum participation flexibility by joining live classes in-person or through video-conferencing technology.
• The program's schedule is tailored to the needs of the working tax professionals with no classes scheduled during the busy tax seasons.
• Students in the program are supported by personalized career services offered through the Department's EY Center for Careers.

In-Person or Virtual — choose your mode of participation

Life doesn’t stop so you can earn your degree, so CSUN has made innovative use of today’s technologies to give you a choice between the benefits of a traditional classroom experience and the flexibility of a virtual option. CSUN has developed this highly flexible approach to allow you to adjust the way you choose to attend class based on your preferences and schedule constraints each week.

This new level of flexibility permits you to attend class in-person or connect virtually at the scheduled class times. With this approach you can participate in weekly classes, listening to the lecture and participating in a discussion from your computer — at home, at the office, or on the road. Further, you can change your mode of participation week-to-week. That means you might choose to attend the class on the CSUN campus and interact with the faculty and fellow students in that context one week and then participate virtually the next. Some program participants may choose to participate in-person nearly all the time while others might find virtual participation to be more appealing.

The ability to choose modes of participation can also help program participants develop skills needed to participate in groups that mix in-person and virtual participation at a time when working in such mixed mode teams is an important professional skill in the globally-connected business world.

Note: Students studying on F-1 visas are required to attend classes in-person.

Ensuring Students Succeed

Once admitted into the program, incoming students of the Master of Science in Taxation program will be required to complete a non-credit, cost-free, self-paced Tax Bootcamp before starting the program. Admitted students will have one month to complete the Bootcamp, which will take 16 to 40 hours, depending on their prior experience and knowledge.

The Tax Bootcamp aims to ensure that students feel confident when entering the program. The Bootcamp consists of two modules: Writing Skills Preparation and Technical Preparation. The Writing Skills Preparation module provides students with an introduction to technical tax writing. The Technical Preparation module provides students with a brief refresher of basic rules and concepts in federal income taxation and hands-on experience in preparing an individual federal income tax return.

The grade earned in the two modules makes up 8% of the grade in the first-course ACCT 509: Tax Ethics, Research and Communication. The Tax Bootcamp is not a condition of admission into the program.

Program cohorts encourage teamwork, support and high graduation rates

While students complete assignments on their own time within a structured schedule, they proceed through this program as a cohort with a limited number of participants, thereby developing a supportive network of fellow learners. The cohort design guarantees registration in all required courses and also typically results in on-time program completion rates of 90 percent or higher.

Exceptional support services designed for working professionals

From application to graduation, students enjoy the one-on-one support of a designated program manager and a CSUN faculty member assigned to coordinate the efforts of all teaching in the program. This support frees busy professionals from navigating the University's administrative systems to focus on their studies.

Accredited programs from one of the nation’s leading universities

The Master of Science in Taxation program is offered by California State University, Northridge through its Department of Accounting and Information Systems in the David Nazarian College of Business and Economics, which is accredited by AACSB, the highest standard in business and management education, in partnership with CSUN’s Tseng College. CSUN is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

 
Some students interested in an accounting graduate degree may also be interested in our Master of Science in Accountancy.

 

I have really enjoyed MST program at CSUN; it has opened new opportunities and horizons to me. Our instructors did not only polish our technical and professional skills but also mentored us throughout the entire program and inspired us to make a difference in the field of taxation. Stanislava Niatylka, MST, CPA

The program’s structure helps a lot because it’s set for working professionals in the industry.  During busy season there’s no class, and I liked the cohorts because I got to network with other students with different experience levels from other firms. The structure definitely helped me balance everything. Carrie Ngao, CPA

The cohort program is so much more than a series of technical classes.  The cohort format brought us together as a group.  I have made professional contacts that will last the remainder of my career. When I have a technical question in an area I seldom work with, I can pick up the phone and call a cohort who specializes in that field for assistance. Leslie S. Sobol, CPA

The experience that I got from the master's program is going to help me develop my own practice. Dragana Lane, Sole Practitioner