College of Charleston Introduces New Graduate Certificates in Accountancy
Beginning in the upcoming 2026-27 academic year, the College of Charleston will offer four new graduate certificates designed to help accounting professionals and aspiring accountants build special expertise in high-demand areas of the profession.
Beginning in the upcoming 2026-27 academic year, the College of Charleston will offer four new graduate certificates designed to help accounting professionals and aspiring accountants build special expertise in high-demand areas of the profession.
As part of the School of Business’s Accountancy Graduate Programs, the certificates are intended to offer students greater flexibility and affordability in gaining critical knowledge and skills in accountancy without committing to a full graduate degree.
“At the School of Business, we are committed to helping professionals achieve career outcomes that matter,” says Paul Schwager, dean of the College of Charleston School of Business. “Our new graduate certificate programs provide a flexible way for professionals to expand their accounting expertise and prepare for new opportunities in a rapidly changing profession.”
The New Graduate Certificates
To earn a certificate, students will complete 12 hours of graduate-level coursework focused on critical knowledge and skills related to their intended areas of practice. The new certificates include:
Graduate Certificate in Taxation
Coursework centers on researching taxation topics, along with the basic and advanced concepts of how corporations, partnerships and other business entities are taxed.
Graduate Certificate in Management Accounting
Coursework emphasizes researching and building knowledge in specific areas of management accounting tied to students’ career goals, and learning how to use cost data for planning, evaluating performance and making business decisions.
Graduate Certificate in Accounting Data Analytics
Coursework builds knowledge and skills in data analytics, including how the data analytics process works in financial reporting, auditing and taxation, as well as using cost data for planning, evaluating performance and making business decisions.
Graduate Certificate in Forensic Accounting
Coursework covers forensic accounting knowledge and skills, along with an understanding of current issues facing the auditing profession, with special attention to the challenges faced by auditors who specialize in forensic accounting.
“The certificate programs, along with other recent curriculum changes to our traditional Master of Science in Accountancy and the accelerated bachelor’s to master’s accountancy program, are consistent with the College’s commitment to support South Carolina’s workforce development plan,” says Roger B. Daniels, professor and director of the Accountancy Graduate Programs. “Our accountancy programs will provide a source for our industry partners to employ highly skilled and knowledgeable accounting professionals to contribute to an ever-changing economy.”
The new certificates respond to strong labor-market demand in accounting and related fields. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand for accountants and auditors is expected to grow by 6% from 2023 to 2033, driven in part by globalization, economic growth and an increasingly complex taxation and regulatory environment.
The programs also support South Carolina’s Unified State Plan for Education and Workforce Development 2024-2025, which identifies accountants and auditors as priority occupations and emphasizes expanded access to high-value credentials that help residents advance in their careers.
Applications are now open for enrollment. To learn more or apply, visit charleston.edu/accountancy.
