<p>How important is it to actually complete all the requirements for a Master's in Accounting and to actually receive that Masters degree? I'm talking about how it's viewed by employers as far as On-Campus Recruiting goes. MSA programs usually require students to take graduate-level accounting classes that go beyond what undergraduate accounting majors take, yet they both usually end up with the same jobs/pay after graduation. For someone who didn't major in accounting as an undergraduate, could they enroll in a MSA program and take all the prereqs and leave once they meet the requirements to sit for the CPA and not actually stick around to take the graduate level courses? The prereqs in an MSA program are usually just the same accounting courses that are taken by undergrads (Intermediate, Tax, Cost, Audit). </p>
<p>Would accounting firms consider an MSA student who is already eligible to sit for the CPA exam and has taken all the accounting classes an undergrad takes, or do they expect them to finish the whole program and take the graduate courses as well? I heard that employers don't really care whether someone has a Master's or not, as long as they can sit for the CPA. Any insights would be appreciated.</p>