By Victoria Branch Since 2001 at least one major tax bill has been enacted annually, increasing the complexity of the Internal Revenue Code. As a result, taxation has become one of the fastest-growing areas of practice in the accounting field. To address the soaring demand for highly-trained tax professionals, California State University, Northridge is launching a new master of science in taxation degree program in October. This new curriculum was created to prepare students to become professional tax advisors and consultants as well as leading practitioners in the private and public sectors. The tax program is offered by the College of Business and Economics, which is accredited by both the leading business school accrediting agency, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. Offered in collaboration with CSUN’s Tseng College, the program is designed for mid-career professionals and can be completed in as little as 18 months. According to Rafi Efrat, CPA, J.D., JSM, JSD, director of the taxation program and CSUN associate professor of accounting and information systems, the new offering is ground-breaking in at least four ways. “First, it’s a skills-based program that focuses on written communication and research skills. Second, it not only provides students with an in-depth understanding of the core body of knowledge in federal taxation but also exposes them to areas of specialty. Third, it includes a seminar on contemporary tax-planning issues that are being faced by several key local industries. And, finally, it gives students the opportunity to have a culminating experience in the field of taxation through participation in a clinical seminar that integrates material learned in the program with practical experience,” Dr. Efrat said. He also noted that the innovative program was inspired by the Bookstein Institute for Higher Education in Taxation, which was created through a gift made in 2005 to CSUN by successful alumnus Harvey Bookstein, co-founder of the Los Angeles accounting firm RBZ, LLP. The gift created both the Institute and an endowed chair in Taxation in the College of Business and Economics. Like other CSUN degree programs designed for mid-career professionals and offered through The Tseng College, the new taxation program is taught primarily by leading practitioners in the field, some of whom are also CSUN faculty, and is delivered in the cohort format. That means that participants begin the course of instruction together and move through the program as a group. According to Joyce Feucht-Haviar, dean of The Tseng College, the chief advantage of the cohort format is the greatly increased success of participants in attaining the desired degrees. “In the cohort format, students have more opportunities for interacting with faculty and developing networking relationships with their fellow students both of which help to keep them engaged and excited about the learning experience. Because most of our students are working professionals, they also benefit from knowing that their enrollment in every class is guaranteed and that the class schedule for the entire program has been determined in advance,” Feucht-Haviar said. The first cohort in the new taxation program consists of approximately 30 students. Classes meetings are held one evening per week and on one Saturday per month. Because most participants are already working in the tax field, no classes are scheduled during the weeks preceding the April and October tax deadlines. According to Professor Efrat, the demand for admission to CSUN’s first taxation master’s degree cohort surpassed all expectations, and the applicants were highly qualified. He said that the undergraduate grade-point average of the admitted students averaged 3.5 and that they averaged five years of professional tax experience as well. Moreover, approximately 70 percent of the admitted students are certified public accountants. Efrat also noted that, through generous support from members of the program’s advisory board, CSUN was able to award $27,000 in scholarships to first-cohort students. Scholarships awarded were based on merit and need. Contributors included Harvey Bookstein, CPA; Ernst & Young, LLP; Deloitte; RBZ, LLP; Stonefield, Josephson, Inc.; and Grant Thornton, LLP. “While admission for the fall 2007 cohort is now closed, we have begun accepting applications for the fall 2008 cohort,” Efrat said. Victoria Branch is the senior manager of publications and communications for The Tseng College at California State University, Northridge. Dr. Efrat can be reached by phone, (818) 677-3967, or e-mail, rafi.efrat @csun.edu, or you can also learn more by visiting http://tsengcollege.csun.edu/taxation.
