Widener University M.S. in Taxation & Financial Planning in 2027

Widener University's MS in Taxation and Financial Planning pairs tax law with retirement, estate and investment planning, with the emphasis on planning for clients. It's 100% online, starts three times a year, and asks for no prerequisite courses or entrance exams.

Widener is a private nonprofit university in Chester, Pennsylvania, and this master's of science (MS) lives in its School of Business Administration, which is accredited by AACSB, one of only 5% of business schools worldwide to hold that accreditation. The degree is 31.5 credits and blends technical tax competence with client-centered financial planning.

Widener says the emphasis is on planning for clients, along with practical applications of current tax law. The program is registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, and faculty bring their own financial planning experience into their teaching, which Widener says means you graduate with a skill set you can apply immediately.

Admission is rolling, so you can apply when it's convenient for you.

The program is registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, and the School of Business Administration is AACSB accredited. Widener lists potential careers as financial planner, tax planner, personal financial specialist, portfolio manager, estate planner and asset analyst.

Recent employers listed by the school include Vanguard, Wells Fargo, J.P. Morgan Chase, Wilmington Trust and TD Bank, and the program has forged relationships with J.P. Morgan Chase, Vanguard and other corporate leaders. Widener cites an average salary of $131,710 per year for a financial manager.

The master's was also rated best for financial planning by Intelligent, based on flexibility, faculty, course strength, cost and reputation, and the business school is recognized as a College of Distinction for Business.

Where this degree can lead: Masters in Taxation Jobs.

Who It Fits

• Tax preparers who want to advise: the degree adds retirement, insurance and investment planning to your technical tax knowledge.
• Aspiring CFP candidates: the program is registered with the CFP Board and lists CFP preparation.
• Career changers with any bachelor's degree: admission asks for a 2.7 minimum grade point average, and you don't need prerequisite courses or Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.
• Employees of partner organizations: Widener partners with local organizations and corporations to offer discounted tuition and other incentives to their employees.
• Widener alumni: if you graduated with a degree from Widener, you may qualify for a 20% tuition discount.

The coursework sits on two pillars. On the tax side you take courses such as Individual Income Taxation, Federal Corporate Taxation and the Law of Business Entities, and Federal Estate and Gift Taxation. On the planning side, Retirement Plans and Retirement Planning sits next to a separate Retirement Planning course, and you complete flexible courses in retirement and insurance planning, investment management and more.

The common thread is client work: Widener puts the emphasis on planning for clients, as well as technical competence in practical applications of the current tax law. If you already hold relevant coursework, the admissions team will work with you to determine whether completed undergraduate and graduate courses can waive or substitute for foundation and core courses.

A 12-credit taxation certificate counts fully toward the master's too, so you can start with the certificate and roll every credit into the degree.

Students from the School of Business Administration have also become volunteer tax preparers certified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at a community clinic with the Community Action Agency of Delaware County, and in the 2026 clinic 11 business students helped complete 334 tax returns over 525 hours.

Standout Features

• Rated best for financial planning by Intelligent based on flexibility, faculty, course strength, cost and reputation
• Registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards
• Relationships with J.P. Morgan Chase, Vanguard and other financial services employers
• Taxation certificate credits roll into the master's program

Widener says the degree averages two years and can be completed part time or full time. You can start during any semester: fall in late August, spring in mid-January or summer in mid-May. That gives you three chances a year to begin instead of one, and the rolling admission format means you can apply when it suits you.

Transfer applicants are evaluated for waived or substituted foundation and core courses, which can trim the road if you've done earlier graduate or undergraduate work in the field. Part-time students spread the 31.5 credits over more terms and keep their jobs.

Tuition is $1,240 per credit, which comes to $39,060 across the 31.5 credits. Widener says tuition rates are subject to change, and it lists several ways to lower the bill. A 20% alumni discount is available with restrictions, employer discounts are offered, and graduate assistants receive tuition assistance for their work.

Widener also reports that 85% of full-time graduate students receive aid. If you're weighing the certificate first, its 12 credits all roll into the master's, so none of that tuition is wasted.

32 credits at $1,240 a credit comes to $39,060 in tuition, before fees.

The master's is offered 100% online and can be completed part time or full time. It starts three times a year, in late August, mid-January and mid-May, and admission is rolling, so there's no single deadline to plan around. Faculty infuse their own financial planning experience into their teaching, and the faculty list includes the Boettner/Gregg Endowed Professor.

The online courses keep the client in view: alongside the tax core you take flexible courses in retirement and insurance planning, investment management and more, and a current student reviewing the program on Niche in October 2026 said applying class material to real-life situations has been one of the best parts.

The full rubric is on the methodology page.

Students who wrote about Widener on Niche in 2026 were upbeat about the learning. A master's student in this program said in October 2026 that one of the best parts was applying what they learn in class to real-life situations, and that they enjoy learning from professors and classmates and hearing their different perspectives.

Another Widener master's student, writing in January 2026, called the professors knowledgeable and relatable, and a Widener doctoral student in August 2026 said the schedule is flexible and the staff are approachable and respect the students. Among outside recognitions, Widener cites Intelligent, which rated the program best for financial planning, and Colleges of Distinction, which recognizes the business school for top quality teaching and successful outcomes.

• Which of my earlier courses could waive or substitute for foundation and core courses?
• Should I begin with the 12-credit taxation certificate and roll it into the master's?
• How does the program prepare me for the CFP exam and the required experience?
• Does my employer partner with Widener, and what discount would apply to me?
• Are graduate assistantships open to online students?

• Best Master's in Taxation Rank 74 of 78, master's
• Online Master's in Taxation Rank 40 of 41, master's
• Best 100% Online Programs Rank 39 of 40, master's
• No-GRE Programs Rank 16 of 17, master's
• Private University Programs Rank 41 of 43, master's
• AACSB Accredited Programs Rank 16 of 16, master's

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