University of San Diego Master of Science in Taxation in 2027

The Master of Science in Taxation at the University of San Diego is a 30-unit, on-campus degree that you can finish in 10 to 12 months, with afternoon and early-evening classes, year-round terms and a structured schedule built to feel like a tax career.

The Master of Science in Taxation (MTAX) sits in the Knauss School of Business at the University of San Diego, a private nonprofit university in San Diego, California. You'll take 30 units, or ten courses, and 18 of those units are required tax courses. The other 12 are electives you choose.

The school describes the degree as a specialized tax program for accountants who want the skills for mid- to upper-level tax work, and its catalog adds leadership, communication and ethics to that list. Classes use case studies, simulations and experiential exercises, so you'll practice tax problems instead of only reading about them.

Neither a Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) nor a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score is required for admission, and you don't need work experience to apply.

The MTAX is built around the CPA exam, so the coursework is designed to help you meet the education requirement for CPA licensure. The school publishes its own outcomes. Recent MTAX graduates reported an average starting salary of $77,625, averaged over two years, and the school says 100% of MTAX graduates were employed within six months of graduation.

Graduates of the school's accountancy and taxation master's programs have gone on to work at more than 30 employers, including the Big Four accounting firms and Fortune 500 companies.

Where this degree can lead: Masters in Taxation Jobs.

Who It Fits

• Accounting majors who want a fast path: full-time students with an accounting degree finish in 10 to 12 months, and current University of San Diego accountancy undergraduates can combine the bachelor's and the MTAX in one program format.
• Future CPA candidates: the school created the degree with the CPA exam in mind, so you can use it to meet the CPA education requirement.
• Working accountants: classes meet on campus in the afternoon or early evening, and part-time study is an option if you want to keep your job.
• Veterans and military families: the university is a 100% Yellow Ribbon school, and the school says tuition is fully covered for most military-connected students.
• Students who like small classes: an alumnus on the school's blog says general classes run closer to 30 students and niche tax courses about five.

The required core starts with research and procedure. Tax Research (MACC 560) teaches the research methods used for federal taxation. Taxation Policies and Procedures (MACC 565) covers tax procedure, which touches nearly every financial and business transaction an accountant sees. Partnership Taxation (MACC 561) looks at tax reporting for partnerships and limited liability companies.

In Advanced Corporate Taxation (MACC 564), you'll work through case studies on corporate formations, operations, distributions and S corporations. Multijurisdictional Tax (MACC 594) is offered in the January intersession. Electives let you tailor the rest. Estate and Gift Taxation and Planning (MACC 562) has you examine the estate, gift and generation-skipping taxes.

Accounting and Public Policy (MACC 585) shows how regulation shapes corporate decisions. Financial Statement Analysis for Accountants (MACC 525) builds ratio, cash flow and valuation skills. You can also choose Ethics for Accounting Professionals, Personal Financial Planning, International Accounting or Forensic Accounting and Expert Witness Testimony. The school says the MTAX schedule is more structured than the accountancy master's so that it simulates the nature of a tax career.

Courses the School Names

• Tax Research
• Taxation Policies and Procedures
• Partnership Taxation
• Advanced Corporate Taxation
• Multijurisdictional Tax
• Estate and Gift Taxation and Planning
• Accounting and Public Policy

Standout Features

• Average starting salary of recent MTAX graduates is $77,625 (average over 2 years)

The degree is 30 units across ten courses, and the school says full-time students with an accounting degree finish in 10 to 12 months. Courses run year-round in fall, a January intersession, spring and summer, so you aren't waiting for one start date. Fall and spring starts use rolling admissions.

You can ask to defer your admission for one year. Five-week classes meet two nights a week, while ten-week classes meet one night a week. If you've already earned credits from a Master of Science in Accountancy (MACC) or MTAX program at another school accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), you may be able to transfer up to six of them.

The University of San Diego charges $1,790 per unit for graduate business programs in 2026-27. The school lists the 30-unit MTAX at an estimated $53,700 in total program tuition. The school says most students receive some financial aid.

Military-connected students have an extra route, since the university is a 100% Yellow Ribbon school and covers tuition fully for most of them. A graduate who started as a University of San Diego undergraduate said the combined bachelor's and MTAX path saved both money and time because some courses could be double counted.

30 credits at $1,790 a credit comes to $53,700 in tuition, before fees.

This program runs on campus in San Diego, with classes held in the afternoon or early evening. Terms are year-round: fall, January intersession, spring and summer. Five-week courses meet two nights a week and ten-week courses meet one night a week, so a short course is a concentrated stretch and a longer one settles into a weekly rhythm.

In niche tax electives, an alumnus writing on the school's blog says, you might share the room with about five classmates. The school also runs a Graduate Business Student Association that supports career and professional development and builds camaraderie among graduate students.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

An MTAX alumnus writing on the University of San Diego business school's blog in 2025 felt the faculty went above and beyond to deliver higher level thinking coursework. The same alumnus, a veteran, called the university incredibly military friendly and pointed to its unlimited Yellow Ribbon program.

He credited the school's Meet the Firms event as one of the single greatest ways to connect with national and regional firms, and said it brought him internship opportunities and, in the end, job offers. Outside the school, Course Advisor placed the university third among California master's taxation schools in its 2023 list.

• Which electives will I be able to take in my first two terms, and how do I choose twelve units that fit tax work in San Diego?
• If I start in the January intersession or the spring term, how does my course order change?
• How does the combined bachelor's and MTAX format work for current accountancy undergraduates, and which courses are double counted?
• How do I check that the degree meets the current CPA education rules for the state where I plan to be licensed?
• Which firms attend the Meet the Firms event, and when should I start preparing for it?

• Best Master's in Taxation Rank 75 of 78, master's
• On-Campus Master's in Taxation Rank 35 of 37, master's
• Accelerated Programs Rank 7 of 33, master's
• Part-Time Programs Rank 39 of 39, master's
• Best for Working Professionals Rank 45 of 46, master's
• Best for Parents Rank 45 of 46, master's
• Private University Programs Rank 42 of 43, master's
• Master of Science in Taxation Rank 21 of 21, master's
• Best Programs in California Rank 12 of 12, master's

• LL.M. in Taxation (Online)

  LL.M., Master's

  Fully Online $1,200 per credit Score 62.2

• LL.M. in Taxation

  LL.M., Master's

  On Campus Score 62.0

• Widener University

  Taxation & Financial Planning, MS

  Pennsylvania $1,240 per credit Score 36.3

• Bentley University

  Master of Science in Accounting, Taxation Major

  Massachusetts Score 37.4

• University of Colorado Boulder

  Master of Science in Taxation

  Colorado Score 37.5

• University of Miami

  Master of Science in Taxation

  Florida $2,255 per credit Score 37.8