Master of Science in Accountancy · STEM-Certified · Career Pathway Guide
Use this site as your MSA exploration and job-search planning guide. You do not have to “pick a path and be done.” Start by comparing the most common MSA outcomes — public accounting, tax, advisory, corporate accounting, FP&A, internal audit, and accounting analytics — then narrow your target as you learn from coursework, employer research, alumni conversations, and coaching.
Do not treat the site as a one-time reading assignment. Work through it in a sequence: learn where students land, compare paths, identify employers and job titles, build evidence, and convert what you learn into a focused search plan.
Start with outcomes and pathway pages. Ask: Which functions appear most often? Which pathways match my interests? Which options create questions I should bring to my coach?
Move from broad interest to specific employers and job-title families. Use the site to build a starter list, then validate current openings in 12Twenty, Handshake, LinkedIn, Wake Network, and employer career sites.
Identify the skills your target roles require and connect those skills to class projects, experiential work, certifications, student leadership, internships, and independent practice.
Use your target role, employer list, priority skills, and evidence to create a job-search plan and story you can use in applications, outreach, interviews, and coaching conversations.
| Rank | Function | Count | % of total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting | 588 | 96.1% |
| 2 | Consulting | 9 | 1.5% |
| 3 | Finance | 7 | 1.1% |
| — | Other / Unclassified | 4 | 0.7% |
| 4 | Information Technology | 2 | 0.3% |
| 5 | Analytics / Data Analytics | 1 | 0.2% |
| 6 | Marketing / Sales | 1 | 0.2% |
This site is designed for you first: use it to explore options, compare common MSA outcomes, prepare questions, and build a job-search plan that changes as your goals become clearer. Your Career Coach may use the same site with you in 1:1 meetings, workshops, and classes so you are aligned on pathways, employers, skills, curriculum evidence, search timing, and next steps.
| Dimension | Public accounting firms | Non-public accounting careers |
|---|---|---|
| Typical employers | Big Four (Deloitte, EY, KPMG, PwC), national firms (Grant Thornton, BDO, RSM), strong regional firms (Cherry Bekaert, Dixon Hughes/FORVIS, Elliott Davis) | Corporates & F500 (banks, CPG, healthcare, tech), government (state/federal, GAO), nonprofits, advisory boutiques, PE/VC-backed companies |
| Entry roles | Audit/Assurance Associate, Tax Associate, Advisory/Consulting Associate | Staff Accountant, Financial Analyst / FP&A, Internal Audit Associate, Financial Reporting Analyst, Corporate Development Analyst |
| Recruiting timing | Early & structured — leadership programs and office visits in fall; busy-season internships convert to FT offers | Dispersed & year-round — postings open on company calendars; off-cycle and rolling hiring is common |
| How you get hired | On-campus events, firm leadership conferences, referrals, internship progress | Networking + targeted applications, LinkedIn/Handshake, alumni referrals, informational interviews |
| CPA role | Near-mandatory; firms expect/support progress toward licensure quickly | Valuable signal, but situational; some roles require it, many prefer it, some don't |
| What differentiates you | Structured-thinking, attention to detail, professional presence, firm fit, CPA readiness | Analytics & systems fluency (Excel/Power BI/ERP), business/industry knowledge, communication, initiative |
| Employer | Type | Outcomes ’18–’25 |
|---|---|---|
| PwC | Big Four | 223 |
| Deloitte | Big Four | 168 |
| EY | Big Four | 164 |
| KPMG | Big Four | 74 |
| Grant Thornton | National | 41 |
| FORVIS Mazars | National | 28 |
| RSM | National | 19 |
| Atlantix Partners | Advisory / boutique | 18 |
| CohnReznick | National | 17 |
| Elliott Davis | Regional | 6 |
| Function (grouped from reported titles) | Share of classified titles |
|---|---|
| Audit / Assurance (Audit Associate, Assurance Associate, Auditor…) | ~50% |
| Tax (Tax Associate, Tax Consultant, Tax Staff…) | ~20% |
| Advisory / Consulting / Deals (Advisory, Valuations, Transaction services…) | ~11% |
| Corporate / staff accounting (Staff Accountant, Accounting Analyst…) | ~3% |
| Finance / FP&A (Financial Analyst, rotational analyst…) | ~1% |
| Location | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 27 | 36 | 33 | 96 | 33.9% |
| New York | 19 | 14 | 12 | 45 | 15.9% |
| Georgia | 5 | 7 | 10 | 22 | 7.8% |
| Massachusetts | 6 | 7 | 5 | 18 | 6.4% |
| California | 3 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 4.9% |
| Florida | 5 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 4.2% |
| Texas | 3 | 7 | 2 | 12 | 4.2% |
| Illinois | 5 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 3.9% |
| Washington, DC | 4 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 3.5% |
| Virginia | 2 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 2.8% |
| Coded location total | 89 | 103 | 91 | 283 | 100.0% |
| If your target is… | Lean toward this track | Path |
|---|---|---|
| Big Four / firm audit, CPA-track assurance | Assurance Services | Public |
| Firm tax (corporate, partnership, M&A) | Tax Consulting | Public |
| Risk / transaction / forensic / ESG advisory at a firm | Assurance Services or FM&T | Public |
| Corporate accounting, financial reporting, controllership track | Assurance Services (+ reporting electives) | Non-public |
| FP&A, corporate finance, valuation, deal analysis | Financial Markets & Transactions | Non-public |
| Internal audit / SOX / enterprise risk in industry | Assurance Services | Non-public |
| In-house corporate tax department | Tax Consulting | Non-public |
| Accounting analytics, systems/ERP, BI for finance | Any track + analytics electives (Digital Transformation) | Non-public |
MSA students typically use this page to decide which state to apply through, confirm whether they meet exam and license requirements, and coordinate recruiting decisions with CPA eligibility. Start with the state where you expect to work or hold your CPA license.
| Accepted title | Path | Aligns with | MSA hires ’18–’25 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audit Associate / Assurance Associate | Public | Audit / Assurance | ~190 |
| Tax Associate / Tax Staff | Public | Tax | ~75 |
| Advisory Associate / Risk Associate | Public | Advisory | ~30 |
| Staff Accountant | Non-public | Corporate accounting | ~10 |
| Financial Reporting Analyst | Non-public | Corporate accounting | few |
| Financial Analyst / FP&A Analyst | Non-public | Corporate finance | ~8 |
| Internal Audit Associate / IT Audit Associate | Non-public | Internal audit / risk | few |
| Corporate Tax Analyst | Non-public | In-house tax | few |
| Accounting Analyst / Financial Data Analyst | Non-public | Analytics / systems | few |
| Finance Development Program Analyst (rotational) | Non-public | Corporate finance | few |
| I want the CPA, a strong credential, and a firm-brand launchpad | Public → Audit/Assurance or Tax Associate (Big Four / national firm) |
| I love examining how numbers are verified and trusted | Public Audit → Assurance Associate · or Non-public → Internal Audit Associate |
| I want to specialize deeply in tax law and planning | Public Tax → Tax Associate · or Non-public → Corporate Tax Analyst |
| I'd rather work inside one company than serve many clients | Non-public → Staff Accountant / Financial Reporting Analyst |
| I want to be forward-looking — budgets, forecasts, decisions | Non-public → Financial Analyst / FP&A Analyst |
| I want project-based problem-solving over compliance | Public → Advisory / Risk Associate |
| I'm energized by data, dashboards, and systems | Non-public → Accounting / Financial Data Analyst (analytics) |
| I want mission-driven, stable work with good benefits | Non-public → Government / Nonprofit accounting or audit |
Select a target role, then a skill, to see exactly how to develop it during the MSA.
Expand each block to see how its courses translate into job-search value — and which path each one most supports. The goal is to stop saying "I took auditing and tax" and start saying "I tested internal controls, researched a tax position, and built an analytics dashboard to support a reporting decision."
| Course | How to use it in your search |
|---|---|
| Intermediate Accounting I & II | Both paths. The technical core of every accounting interview. Pull examples of revenue recognition, leases, financial instruments, and statement preparation — the language of both firm audit and corporate reporting. |
| Introduction to Auditing | Public & internal audit. The foundation for audit/assurance associate roles and internal-audit careers. Reference risk assessment, evidence, and the control environment. |
| Introduction to Taxation | Both tax paths. Base for public tax and corporate/in-house tax roles. Build vocabulary around compliance, planning, and entity differences. |
| Accounting Information Systems | Non-public analytics edge. Direct preparation for accounting-systems, ERP, and analytics roles. Connect it to controls, data flows, and how systems produce reliable numbers. |
| Business Analytics I · Principles of Finance / Management Accounting | Both paths, esp. non-public. The quantitative base for FP&A and data-analyst roles, and for advisory inside firms. Treat every problem set as analytics reps. |
| Course | How to use it in your search |
|---|---|
| Analytics in the Accounting Profession · Accounting Data Management · Data Visualization for Accountants | The Wake Forest differentiator. This STEM-certified analytics sequence is your strongest non-public edge (data-analyst, FP&A) and increasingly valued in firm advisory. Build a dashboard or data project you can screen-share in interviews. |
| Business Analytics II · Strategic Cost Management | Both paths. Regression, decision analysis, and cost behavior — for advisory, FP&A, and management-accounting roles. |
| Accounting for Financial Instruments, Derivatives & Hedging · Business Combinations & Multinational Corps. | Public audit & corporate reporting. Advanced technical reporting — the exact topics that distinguish strong audit associates and financial-reporting analysts. |
| Federal Taxation of Corporations and Partnerships | Both tax paths. Core for public tax and in-house corporate tax. Reference entity taxation and compliance frameworks. |
| Prof. & Ethical Responsibilities · Business Law for Accountants | Both paths. Ethics and legal context that audit, tax, risk, and compliance roles all screen for; also CPA-exam relevant. |
| Track course | How to use it in your search |
|---|---|
| Advanced Auditing & Assurance · Enterprise Risk Management · Forensic Accounting (Assurance track) | Public audit & non-public internal audit. The dedicated preparation for assurance associate roles and a strong base for internal-audit/risk careers in industry. |
| Tax Research & Communication · Corporate & Partnership Taxation · M&A Tax · Tax Policy (Tax track) | Public tax & in-house corporate tax. The complete tax preparation — directly cited in tax-associate and corporate-tax interviews. |
| Fintech · Financial Markets & Transactions · Forecasting & Valuation · Capstone (FM&T track — exclusive) | Non-public finance & transaction advisory. The strongest bridge into FP&A, corporate finance, and deal/transaction roles — a Wake Forest–only advantage. |
| Electives: ESG Reporting & Assurance · Digital Transformation in Accounting · Private Equity · Ethics Practicum | Both paths. Use electives to tilt toward your target — ESG/Digital for advisory and analytics, PE for transaction/finance roles. |
| Target | Lean on these courses |
|---|---|
| Public — Audit / Assurance | Intermediate Accounting I & II · Intro to Auditing · Advanced Auditing & Assurance · Enterprise Risk Management · Financial Instruments & Business Combinations · Prof. & Ethical Responsibilities |
| Public — Tax | Intro to Taxation · Federal Taxation of Corps & Partnerships · Tax Research & Communication · Partnership Taxation · M&A Tax · Tax Policy |
| Public — Advisory / Risk | Enterprise Risk Management · Forensic Accounting · ESG Reporting & Assurance · Digital Transformation · Analytics in the Accounting Profession · Strategic Cost Management |
| Non-public — Corporate Accounting / Reporting | Intermediate Accounting I & II · Financial Instruments & Business Combinations · AIS · Strategic Cost Management · Data Visualization for Accountants |
| Non-public — FP&A / Corporate Finance | Principles of Finance · Forecasting & Valuation (FM&T) · Financial Markets & Transactions · Business Analytics I & II · Strategic Cost Management · Private Equity |
| Non-public — Internal Audit / Risk | Intro to Auditing · Advanced Auditing · Enterprise Risk Management · AIS · Business Law for Accountants |
| Non-public — Accounting Analytics / Systems | Accounting Data Management · Data Visualization for Accountants · Analytics in the Accounting Profession · AIS · Digital Transformation in Accounting |
Start with a public-accounting or non-public target, choose the skill you need to prove, then connect that skill to MSA coursework, track choices, CPA readiness, and employer-facing evidence. Use this as a working plan you can revise with your Career Coach.
Tell us about your background and target, and we'll generate personalized talking points for recruiters, alumni, and interviews — calibrated to public or non-public accounting.
Build accounting, controls, analytics, judgment, and communication skills for assurance, tax, advisory, and corporate accounting roles.
How these resources fit: Complement and reinforce skills developed through the academic program while building additional capabilities for specific job titles and functional roles.
Choose a target role, identify the most important gap, and complete the course that helps you create credible evidence for that role.
Use these courses to strengthen responsible AI use, judgment, and communication across business functions.
Use AI productively while checking accuracy, protecting data, and preserving your own judgment.
Employers expect you to frame ambiguous problems, test assumptions, and recommend a practical next step.
Strong analysis only creates value when you can explain it clearly to a client, manager, or teammate.
Start with the cluster closest to your target role. Each cluster pairs two relevant courses with a work sample you can create.
Strengthen the spreadsheet discipline, documentation, audit logic, and due-diligence mindset expected of new accounting professionals.
Controls, professional skepticism, ethical reasoning, and escalation judgment are central to assurance, risk, government, and corporate-accounting work.
SQL and Power BI help accountants test populations, identify exceptions, monitor trends, and explain financial information efficiently.
This replaces a generic invitation to explore AI with a concrete accounting application, while data stewardship reinforces data quality, ownership, lineage, confidentiality, and reviewer trust. It is especially relevant to assurance, risk, corporate accounting, and advisory lanes.
Pair technical depth with the human skills needed to clarify needs, collaborate, earn trust, and move work forward.
Accounting work must be concise, precise, appropriately escalated, and easy for reviewers and clients to follow.
Employers expect new accounting professionals to manage deadlines, communicate status early, and demonstrate sound professional judgment.
The power-skill collection aligns with the NACE Career Readiness Competencies and the World Economic Forum Future of Jobs 2025 skills outlook.
Use these only after reviewing several postings for your target title and confirming that the skill appears repeatedly.
Complete one accounting course and one analytics or controls course. Combine them in a reviewer-ready workpaper, control matrix, or exception dashboard with a concise client-facing explanation.
LinkedIn Learning periodically updates course titles and URLs. These links were verified against LinkedIn's public course catalog in July 2026. Course access is provided through Wake Forest University.