Master's Program Review

Hofstra University M.S. in Taxation in 2027

M.S. program at Hofstra University in Hempstead, NY, hybrid, online and on campus. It ranks 60 of 78 master's programs in our methodology.

Program Score

45.7

Ranks 60 of 78 at this level

Credits

30

Semester credits

Format

Hybrid

Verdict

Our Verdict on the M.S.

Hofstra's 30-credit Master of Science in Taxation runs in a hybrid format with fall and spring starts, a required digital tax technology capstone and full coverage of New York's education requirements for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license.

Hofstra University offers this degree from its campus in Hempstead, New York, with the New York City financial market within reach. The program puts technology next to technical tax law: you'll take Strategic Tax Technologies, a course on communicating in a digital tax environment, and a capstone in digital tax technology.

Core courses such as Tax Practice and Procedures and Income Tax Problems of Partnerships use analytical tools and technology as part of the coursework. The school points to networking events, employer pipelines and access to New York City's financial market and professional network as ways the program expands your career options.

It also lists specialized areas you can explore, including business valuation, cryptocurrency, forensic accounting, analytics, cybersecurity and tax planning.

Credentials

Accreditation and Where It Leads

The degree satisfies in full the educational requirements for licensure as a CPA in New York State. The school adds that an advanced degree may reduce CPA experience requirements by one year in some states and allow more time for exam preparation.

Federal data lists median earnings of $110,943 for Hofstra master's graduates in this field, and the school says its networking events and employer pipelines support your search. Pre-program competency modules check that you've got the essential business skills to start.

They carry no cost, and full-time students complete them in their first semester.

Certification Notes
CPA

Source: hofstra.edu (accreditation and credentials), verified October 16, 2026

Where this degree can lead: Masters in Taxation Jobs.

Fit

Who It Fits

Who It Fits

  • Accounting graduates in the New York area: the degree satisfies in full the educational requirements for CPA licensure in New York State.
  • Tax professionals who like technology: a required Strategic Tax Technologies course and a digital tax capstone make it a core part of the degree.
  • Working professionals: part-time study stretches the degree over two to five years, and a hybrid format with evening classes fits around a job.
  • Applicants without a test score: the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or GRE isn't required with a 3.2 grade point average, and the requirement may also be waived for candidates with significant progressive work experience.
  • Career-minded students who want employer contact: networking events and employer pipelines are part of what the school promotes.

Curriculum

What You Will Study

Eight tax courses are required, and you'll add any two tax electives to reach 30 semester hours. Tax Practice and Procedures covers how the Internal Revenue Service works, including closing and compromise agreements, assessments, refund claims, the statute of limitations and the rights of the taxpayer. Income Tax Problems of Partnerships examines distributions, sales and exchanges of partnership interests, dissolution and liquidations.

Federal Income Taxation of the Corporation and Its Shareholders gives advanced coverage of Subchapter S elections and of distributions and redemptions. Tax Research digs into the Internal Revenue Code and its administrative and judicial interpretations, using electronic sources and the internet.

The rest of the required list is Tax Considerations in Personal Financial Planning, Communication in a Digital Tax Environment, Strategic Tax Technologies and the capstone, Applied Research Capstone in Digital Tax Technology. Electives let you aim at a specialty.

Options include Federal Income Tax Aspects of Liquidations, Mergers and Reorganizations, Estate and Gift Tax with New York State provisions, Deferred Compensation and Pension Plans, State and Local Taxation with nexus and formulary apportionment, Taxation of International Transactions with the foreign tax credit and tax treaties, Advanced Individual Tax Problems, Estate Planning, Exempt Organizations and Current Developments in Taxation.

A Research Seminar adds supervised research and a formal paper with an oral presentation. Prior coursework is evaluated at admission, and your requirements may be modified to reflect it.

Courses the School Names

  • Tax Practice and Procedures
  • Income Tax Problems of Partnerships
  • Federal Income Taxation of the Corporation and Its Shareholders
  • Tax Research
  • Strategic Tax Technologies

Standout Features

  • Required capstone in digital tax technology and a Strategic Tax Technologies course
  • Satisfies in full the New York State educational requirements for CPA licensure
Capstone
TAX 310 Applied Research Capstone in Digital Tax Technology.

Source: hofstra.edu (curriculum and experience), verified October 16, 2026

Length

How Long It Takes

Hofstra's degree runs 30 credits. The school lists the length as 16-24 months full time. Part time, it lists 2-5 years. You can start in the fall or the spring, and the application deadline is rolling, so you aren't racing a single date.

Admission is for candidates with a bachelor's degree in accounting or business from a qualifying or accredited institution, with at least 39 undergraduate semester hours in business already completed. Pre-program competency modules are available, and the school states that no costs are associated with them.

Because the program reviews your earlier coursework, the path through the 30 credits can be adjusted to fit what you already know.

Cost

Tuition and Fees

Hofstra bills the per-credit graduate rate each semester. Federal data lists the graduate charge the school reports at $1,695 per credit. Because tuition is charged per credit, your bill each semester follows the number of courses you take, so a part-time plan spreads the 30 credits over two to five years.

The entrance test isn't required with a 3.2 grade point average, and Hofstra evaluates your earlier coursework at admission, which may modify your requirements.

Credits Required
30 credits
Fees and Notes
Billed the per credit graduate rate each semester; the rate is not printed on the program page.

Source: hofstra.edu (cost and aid), verified October 16, 2026

Format

How the Hybrid Format Works

The program runs in a hybrid format, mixing in-person and distance study. A student reviewing the university on Niche in 2025 wrote that there are evening classes as well as distance learner classes for anyone who can't attend in person, and that professors go over assignments to give clarity and expectations.

Several core courses build technology into the work, with analytical tools used in Tax Practice and Procedures, in Income Tax Problems of Partnerships and in the elective Advanced Individual Tax Problems. Starting terms in fall and spring, together with part-time pacing, let you set the speed that matches your work calendar.

Terms
Fall and spring start terms.
Start Dates
2 starts a year
Time to Finish
16 to 60 months
Part-Time Option
Yes

Source: hofstra.edu (format and schedule), verified October 16, 2026

Admissions

Admission Requirements

GRE
Waived under conditions
Admission Requirements
Bachelor's degree in accounting or business from a qualifying or accredited institution; GMAT/GRE not required with a 3.2 GPA.

Source: hofstra.edu (admissions and transfer), verified October 16, 2026

Score

Where It Loses Points

Each factor is scored 0 to 10 against other master's programs. The weights are the same for every program, and the overall score is out of 100.

  • Tax Specialization15% of score 8.9 / 10

    17 tax courses among the 20 courses the school lists

  • Tax Subject Coverage15% of score 7 / 10

    Tax courses in tax research and procedure, corporate tax, partnership and pass-through tax, individual tax and planning, estate, gift and trust tax, international tax, state and local tax, tax accounting and technology

  • Hands-On Tax Practice10% of score 3.3 / 10

    A capstone

  • Cost20% of score 2 / 10

    $50,850 in tuition: 30 credits at $1,695 per credit (out-of-state rate the school reports to the U.S. Department of Education)

  • Graduate Earnings10% of score 3.8 / 10

    $110,943 median earnings for its graduates in this field (College Scorecard)

  • Credential Alignment10% of score 4 / 10

    certification preparation stated

  • Track Record10% of score 2.9 / 10

    6 Master's completions a year in this field (U.S. Department of Education)

  • Program Reputation10% of score 3.8 / 10

Program Score 45.7 / 100

Darker bars mean stronger factor scores. Every bar also shows its number.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

Voices

What Students and Graduates Say

Students describe the faculty warmly. A reviewer on Niche in 2025 called Hofstra a great school that teaches you for the real world, with wonderful teachers and friendly students, and another said all the professors are kind and care about their students' education.

On a 2023 Reddit thread about accounting careers, an alumnus wrote that they interviewed with three of the Big Four firms, received internship offers from two and then a full-time offer at the end of the internship.

The same alumnus remembered on-campus interviews with Big Four and mid-size firms and an accounting and finance career fair, and a prospective student in that thread added that the Hofstra crowd is good and has good professors.

Before You Apply

Questions to Ask the School Before You Apply

  • Which tax electives will run in the fall and spring terms when you plan to enroll?
  • How will the school evaluate your prior coursework, and which requirements might be modified?
  • Which sessions meet on campus and which are distance learner classes in a typical semester?
  • How do the digital tax technology courses use analytical tools, and what will the capstone project involve?
  • Which networking events and employer pipelines are active for tax students this year?

School

About Hofstra University

Degree
M.S., Master's
School
Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY
Institution Type
Private nonprofit
Delivery
Hybrid

Source: hofstra.edu (program and school), verified October 16, 2026

Total Enrollment
10,685
Master's Completions a Year in This Field
6
Campus Setting
Suburban

Source: nces.ed.gov (school data from ipeds), verified October 16, 2026

Rankings

Rankings This Program Appears In

Rank is the program's position among the programs on that list at its degree level.

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Taxation Program

Is Hofstra University's Taxation, MS a Good Program?

How Long Does Hofstra's Master of Science in Taxation Take?

Does the Degree Meet New York's CPA Education Requirements?

Do You Need the GMAT or GRE to Apply?

What Is the Capstone in the Taxation Degree?

Sources