Why a CSUN Master’s Degree in Taxation

CSUN’s M.S. in Taxation is offered by the College of Business and Economics – one of the nation’s largest business schools – in collaboration with the Tseng College, which specializes in graduate education for midcareer professionals.

Conferred by the College of Business and Economics, this degree 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 excel in their profession. This program prepares students to be professional tax advisers and consultants, as well as leading practitioners in both the private and public sectors.

Given the ever-increasing complexity of the field of taxation, a graduate degree in taxation offers practitioners the opportunity to advance in the field and command higher levels of compensation. According to the Robert Half 2012 Salary Guide, annual earnings of tax practitioners in large public accounting firms range from $58,000 to $75,250 for individuals with one to three years of experience. Individuals with master’s degrees typically earn up to 10 percent more.

In addition, this 18-month program provides the advanced knowledge and strong grounding in technical skills necessary for promotion to more senior positions in this complex, growing and rewarding profession.

Lastly, this graduate tax program helps to fulfill the new educational requirements for CPA licensure of 150 credit-unit hours.

Learning Objectives

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

Apply their conceptual understanding of taxation to both structured and unstructured problems
Communicate their analyses 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’s tax returns

“As a result of the program’s cohort format, I have made professional contacts that will last the remainder of my career. Whenever I have a technical question in an area I seldom work with, I can pick up the phone and call a cohort member who specializes in that field for assistance.”

—Leslie Sobol, CPA, MST (2009), Tax Manager, Lucas, Horsfall, Murphy & Pindroh, LLP