Gonzaga University Master of Science in Taxation in 2027

Gonzaga's Master of Science in Taxation is a 30-credit, mostly in-person degree that full-time students finish in two semesters, with a federal tax clinic, a volunteer tax course and a long list of firms that hire its graduates.

Gonzaga University's program in Spokane, Washington, is built to give you a strong technical skill set, better communication skills and a framework for the complex problems taxpayers face. The school says every course stresses what firms look for in new tax professionals: issue identification, problem solving and tax planning.

The degree prepares you for tax advising in a certified public accounting firm, in industry or in government. It's accredited by AACSB, and the university holds institutional accreditation from the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. You also get a faculty that knows you by name, because the school describes classes as small and the community as one that values you as an individual.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

In most years, graduates have been employed at a rate of 100% within three months of graduation, according to the program. Graduates work as tax consultants, tax analysts and tax associates at public accounting firms, corporations, nonprofits and government agencies. Beyond the accounting firms, named employers include Amazon, Microsoft, Alaska Air, Starbucks, Zillow, Costco, the Gates Foundation and Nike.

Two program graduates earned the Elijah Watt Sells award from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) for exceptional performance on the CPA exam, and one passed all four sections within four months while studying full time and working two jobs.

The school reports a first-time CPA pass rate of 82.4% across all sections for the 2019 exam, against a national average of 58.6%, for students drawn from its undergraduate accounting, Master of Accountancy and taxation programs. Graduate tax credits count toward accounting credits in all jurisdictions, which keeps your CPA options open.

Where this degree can lead: Masters in Taxation Jobs.

Who It Fits

• Future firm tax associates: the school lists Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG, RSM, Baker Tilly, BDO, Grant Thornton and Eide Bailly among employers of its graduates.
• Candidates for the CPA exam in Washington: the curriculum folds in exam material and it's tailored to meet the 150-hour education requirement.
• Future tax lawyers: a dual degree with the Gonzaga School of Law lets you earn a Juris Doctor and the taxation degree together.
• Gonzaga and Whitworth accounting undergraduates: you can begin in senior year, with up to 9 graduate credits (6 for Whitworth students) billed at undergraduate tuition rates.
• Career changers without an entrance exam: the school doesn't require the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or any other entrance exam.

The core starts with Financial Accounting for Income Taxes, which covers how audit professionals review the income tax accrual under Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 740. From there you move through Taxation of Corporations (subchapters C and S), Partnership Taxation (including limited liability companies), Wealth Transfer Taxation (estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes), Taxation of Property Transactions, State and Local Taxation, International Taxation and Tax Research.

Professional Ethics, Introduction to Business Analytics and Sustainability Accounting round out the required list, and a no-credit orientation workshop opens the program. Electives let you specialize. Tax Planning looks at asset sales versus stock sales and how to structure acquisition financing.

Tax-Exempt Organizations, Tax Policy, Tax Theory, Seminal Cases in Taxation and Income Tax of Estates and Trusts add depth, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Practice and Procedure shows how to represent clients before the agency. Two electives put you in front of real taxpayers.

In the Federal Tax Clinic you represent low-income clients in IRS examination and collection matters, including audits, offers in compromise, penalty abatements, innocent spouse claims and Tax Court cases. In the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance course you pass the IRS certification and serve at a local filing site. An internship course can also earn credit.

Courses the School Names

• Financial Accounting for Income Taxes (ASC 740)
• Taxation of Corporations
• Partnership Taxation
• Wealth Transfer Taxation
• Taxation of Property Transactions
• State and Local Taxation
• International Taxation
• Tax Research
• Federal Tax Clinic (elective)
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (elective)

Standout Features

• Dual degree available with the Juris Doctor

Gonzaga's degree totals 30 graduate credits. Full-time students finish in two semesters. There's a part-time option, and part-time students have up to five years to complete the degree. You can start in the fall, spring or summer term. Up to 6 credits can transfer in from another college or university, pending faculty approval.

Prerequisite courses don't count toward the 30 credits, and faculty may waive prerequisites based on your work experience. A grade point average of 3.00 or better keeps you moving through the program. Gonzaga students also have an accelerated route, taking up to 9 graduate credits as undergraduates, and a dual degree path with the law school.

Tuition for 2026-27 is $1,200 per credit. For the full 30-credit program, that's $36,000. Graduate students can receive up to $20,500 in federal loans each year, and some employers offer tuition reimbursement. Each application is also reviewed for scholarships, and admitted students receive a scholarship offer upon acceptance.

The school also notes that Gonzaga students have historically been the most successful applicants for the Washington CPA Foundation Scholarship. If you're a Gonzaga undergraduate, the accelerated path moves up to 9 credits of graduate work into your senior year at undergraduate rates, and the school puts the potential savings at more than $9,000.

It's a primarily in-person, on-campus program, with some sessions occasionally offered remotely over Zoom. Many classes meet in the later afternoon, although a few courses are taught only during the day. The school says it has students who work full time but have flexibility in their jobs.

Support around the classroom includes academic advising, career and professional development services for life, graduate student services and health and well-being resources. A student on Reddit in 2022 described smaller class sizes that make professors easier to reach during office hours.

A student on Reddit in 2022 described Gonzaga's accounting classes as extremely valuable and the professors as top tier, and said teachers are very helpful when you ask questions. The same thread mentioned that a position lined up at one of the Big Four firms is very common for students in the program.

A review summary from the Princeton Review credits the business school with a great reputation in the business community, especially for its accounting program. Local press in 2022 reported that Gonzaga's graduate accounting program has a job placement rate consistently near 100 percent after three months of graduation.

• Which electives will run in the term you plan to start, including the Federal Tax Clinic?
• Can your work experience waive any prerequisite courses so you start the 30 credits sooner?
• Which scholarship offer comes with admission, and is the Washington CPA Foundation Scholarship a fit for you?
• How does the program count toward the CPA education requirement in the state where you plan to sit for the exam?
• If you want both degrees, how do the Juris Doctor and the taxation degree line up in the dual path?

• Best Master's in Taxation Rank 8 of 78, master's
• On-Campus Master's in Taxation Rank 5 of 37, master's
• No-GRE Programs Rank 3 of 17, master's
• Private University Programs Rank 2 of 43, master's
• AACSB Accredited Programs Rank 4 of 16, master's
• Master of Science in Taxation Rank 3 of 21, master's

• California State University-Northridge

  Master of Science in Taxation

  California $895 per credit Score 68.8

• University of Washington

  Tax Law LL.M.

  Washington Score 68.4

• Portland State University

  Master of Taxation

  Oregon Score 69.2

• Villanova University

  Master of Laws in Taxation

  Pennsylvania $1,675 per credit Score 69.2