Best Master's in Taxation Internship and Practicum Programs in 2027

• Highest Score73.1 out of 100

  University of Akron

  Taxation, MTax

  Ohio · M.Tax

  University of Akron's M.Tax Review
• Lowest Price$556.75 per credit

  Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

  Master of Science in Accountancy with a Specialization in Taxation

  Illinois · M.S.A.

  Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's M.S.A. Review
• Highest Graduate Earnings$134,927 median earnings

  Golden Gate University

  LLM in Taxation

  California · LL.M.

  Golden Gate University's LL.M. Review
• Strongest CredentialsAACSB stated by the school; prepares for CPA

  Portland State University

  Master of Taxation

  Oregon · M.Tax.

  Portland State University's M.Tax. Review

Programs where the school states an internship or practicum.

• An internship or practicum stated on a school page
• Whether it is required or available shown for each program
• Ranked on the shared methodology

Scores are the weighted sum of eight factors (Tax Specialization 15%, Tax Subject Coverage 15%, Hands-On Tax Practice 10%, Cost 20%, Graduate Earnings 10%, Credential Alignment 10%, Track Record 10%, Program Reputation 10%), version 2.0. The methodology page shows the rubric for each factor.

Sort Each Master's in Taxation Internship by What It Asks of You

Start with whether the experience is required, optional or tucked into a clinic. UC Irvine's LL.M. in Taxation requires four credits of practical tax skills, earned through an externship, a clinic or designated practical courses. Portland State offers MTAX 540 Practicum/Internship as a four-credit elective and also builds in an application-focused capstone project.

Check the course code and credit value in each catalog, since that tells you how much time a placement takes.

Other programs make the internship an elective. St. John's lists TAX 605 Internship in Taxation as an elective, and it requires a three-credit research project. Akron lists ACCT 575 Experiential Learning in Tax as an approved elective. Franklin's internship is optional, and you secure your own with university support and academic review.

Then check whether the experience earns credit. Golden Gate allows up to six units for its taxation internship, and Weber State lets approved internships count for up to six elective credits. Ask whether a placement adds credits to your total or counts inside it.

Use a Tax Clinic to Work on Real Taxpayer Cases

A clinic puts you on live cases under supervision, and several programs on this list run one. The University of Washington's LL.M. has a Federal Tax Clinic and a Rural Alaska Tax Assistance Program, where law students spent a week in Alaska assisting residents with their tax returns. Its Federal Tax Clinic closed cases in 2024 that cut taxpayers' liabilities, penalties and interest by $4,159,508.

The University of Baltimore's electives include a six-credit Tax Clinic for low-income taxpayers before the IRS and the U.S. Tax Court. The University of San Diego offers a California State Tax Clinic and a Federal Tax Clinic for credit. UC Irvine counts a four-credit tax clinic toward its practical skills requirement.

If you can't be in the room, look at Denver. Denver's Master of Taxation has a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic that is available fully remotely and represents over 250 clients each year, and students train alongside law students in the LL.M. program.

Ask each clinic three things: whether it counts for credit, how many hours you'll log and who supervises you.

Find an Externship With the Employer You Want

An externship places you with an outside employer, so pick one that matches the job you're after. Georgetown's LL.M. in Taxation lists more than 50 externship opportunities in Washington, D.C., with externships at the IRS, Treasury, the U.S. Tax Court, the Senate Finance Committee, the House Ways and Means Committee and Big Four national offices.

UC Irvine's externship partners include SpaceX, Mayer Brown and the California Franchise Tax Board.

Wayne State's externships and clinics let you work alongside lawyers in multinational corporations and law firms, government agencies and international organizations. Washington University in St Louis offers an optional three-credit externship or a supervised research paper in its online LL.M.

If you'd rather find your own, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville says students in its accountancy master's earn internships with local corporations and public accounting firms through its Career Development Center. Ask any school how placements get arranged and who reviews your work.

Plan the Credits and the Calendar Around Tax Season

Tax season shapes when you can intern, so read each schedule with it in mind. Portland State structures its winter term to accommodate full-time employment during tax season, and its spring term begins after April 15. Portland State's Master of Taxation also asks for one in-person residency each term. Colorado Boulder's 16-month schedule has space for a summer internship.

If you're working, look at evening classes. The University of Washington offers most classes in the late afternoon or early evening, and Baltimore holds weekday evening classes for working attorneys. Our part-time master's in taxation list shows more programs built this way.

Totals on this list run from 24 to 45 credits. Ask whether an internship, clinic or capstone adds to your total or sits inside it, and how that changes what you'll pay. Ask how many hours a week the placement needs and whether it fits around your day job.