Why online in 2003?

Quality. Flexibility. Relevance.

When the program transitioned online it was specifically designed to shift the focus of learning from the faculty member to the student who would identify needed information and was able to apply a process of acquiring that information.

In response to student and business community requests for flexibility, the MSA transitioned to an online asychronous delivery format in 2003 giving students the ability to balance work full-time work while simultaneously pursuing the MSA. Students were able to travel for business or even relocate and seamlessly continue in the program.

Research showed that online delivery format was representative of what to expect in the professional work environment. Not only the MSA content but its online delivery format was relevant to what professionals in our program could expect to encounter in the work environment. 

 

Year 2019 marked the MSA program's 20th birthday!  The first class began in 1999, making the MSA the 2nd master's program introduced by UConn's School of Business.

 

In 1992, the CT State Board of Accountancy passed legislation requiring anyone seeking to sit for the CPA, from January 2000 on, to have obtained 150 educational credits (previously requiring Bachelors degree of 120 credits, 24 of which being accounting) with 36 of them specific accounting credits.

 

This announced legislation gave UConn Accounting department a little bit of time to figure out what to do to ensure their undergrad accounting students were prepared with a way to continue on the path in pursuit of a CPA license.

 

Accounting Department Head, Professor Dick Kochanek, and Professor Andrew Rosman spent the next 6 years working tirelessly with department faculty on developing and gaining university and state approval for the master's program.

 

SUCCESS!  In 1999, the program accepted its first class of students. 

 

Professor Andrew Rosman, a.k.a MSA Program Director, worked closely with the business community and students. He heard the need for FLEXIBILITY loud and clear and had the foresight to move the program to an online format in 2003, where students could participate in either FT or PT.

 

We recognized the value of offering an online Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) early on and have been leading the way ever since!

To commemorate our 20 years we will be releasing 5 short video interviews by former students, staff & faculty and posting them here.
AJ KRITZMAN
MSA Alum who began with the first class in 1999 when it was an in-person program.
MARG SWEENEY
Worked closely with Andy Rosman, Program Director in the planning and implementation of the MSA program. Marg served as the programs first Program Manager.
ANN KUMMER 
MSA Alum who had not graduated from UConn as undergrad and began the program in 2008.
AMY DUNBAR 
Instrumental in transitioning the program to online delivery. Began teaching MSA online course in 2001. Has been teaching in the MSA ever since. She also served as the 2nd Director for the program between the years 2011 and 2016.
RICKI LIVINGSTON 
Became the 3rd Director of the program when Dunbar handed her the reins in 2016.