Erasmus School of Economics - Erasmus University Rotterdam
MSc Accounting, Auditing and Control
Rotterdam, Netherlands
MSc
DURATION
1 year
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 May 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
EUR 2,601 / per year **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* EEA students: 1 May, non-EEA students: 1 April
** Statutory fee: Dutch / EEA students; Institutional fee: Dutch / EEA students: € 14.400; non-EEA students: € 19.950
Key Summary
Our MSc in Accounting, Auditing, and Control offers you a broad foundation in the areas of auditing, control, and finance, and the opportunity to tailor the program to your own interests and career ambitions through our three specializations:
- Accounting and Auditing
- Accounting and Control
- Accounting and Finance
All three master specializations share the same basic courses but have different electives drawing from auditing, controlling, and finance seminars. Our MSc is an excellent preparation for your future career. It ensures that you will be ready to grow into a senior position in international auditing, control, finance, or management upon graduation. Moreover, our MSc is an excellent preparation for the national and international postmaster programs to become a Chartered Accountant (CPA, ‘Registeraccountant’) or Certified Controller (‘Registercontroller’).
Why study Accounting, Auditing, and Control in Rotterdam?
At Erasmus School of Economics, you find yourself in a vibrant and multicultural city where all large and midsize auditing firms, as well as multinationals and more locally oriented firms, are operating or headquartered, all of them looking for highly qualified and talented people. Add our vast and active network to the theoretical knowledge and practical skills you will gain from our master's program, and you know this is the place to start your international career.
We believe in the power of experience. We are well known and appreciated by employers everywhere and this hands-on approach is one of the things that give our accounting specializations their distinctive character. Moreover, our master's program distinguishes itself from other universities by offering skills courses on writing, presenting, and applying for a job. These skills courses are offered by each of the Big4 companies, which also gives you the possibility to learn more about them and explore future employment opportunities.
We offer an interactive learning environment, small-scale courses with a maximum of 24 participants, a great student-professor ratio of 7:1, and a balanced curriculum of theoretical and practical courses developed in close collaboration with accounting and auditing companies. Our program is well-connected to all major accounting and finance companies in Rotterdam, offering you the chance to get a head-start in your career through training and internships, and making it easy for you to find a challenging job after graduation.
Study in our master's program at Erasmus School of Economics for:
- An interactive, academic, and practice-oriented curriculum matching the world's needs today and in the future
- Addressing the questions of our time concerning sustainability and big data from the viewpoint of an accountant and finance expert
- An internationally oriented program in a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive environment that offers a network for life
- The ability to examine issues from a practical and analytical point of view
- The opportunity to do empirical research and shape some of your curriculum
- A wide range of career opportunities in the field of financial business economics.
Is this the right choice for you?
We offer you a research-rich learning environment and a challenging educational experience allowing you to benefit from our excellent research reputation, our international contacts, and our strong links with business.
If you want to play a pivotal role in the accounting, auditing, or assurance branch, then our interactive Accounting and Auditing specialization will get you there. This specialization is also your path to access the post-graduate program that enables you to become a Chartered Accountant (CPA), in Dutch: ‘Registeraccountant’ (RA).
Do you want to facilitate optimal business decisions by making sure all data are taken into account properly? The master's specialization in Accounting and Control prepares you in the best possible way for a position as a business controller and offers, depending on the courses you chose during your bachelor's, access to an Executive Master of Finance and Control program that leads to the qualification of Certified Controller, in Dutch: ‘Register Controller’ (RC).
Do you want to combine your knack for numbers with managerial skills? The master's specialization in Accounting and Finance bridges the gap between auditing and control on the one hand, and corporate governance on the other hand. The combination of financial accounting, management control, and finance aspects offers an all-round perspective on financial issues. You will study a wide range of topics in courses and seminars and examine issues from both a practical and analytical point of view.
If you possess the following traits, you are in a good position to apply for the program:
- You enjoy analyzing (financial) data
- Your bachelor's has given you a proper background in statistics and financial accounting and reporting.
- By nature, you are inquisitive, analytical, and critical.
- Your social and qualitative skills enable you to communicate your results clearly and to work in teams.
The "MSc in Accounting, Auditing, and Control - Specialisation Accounting and Auditing" program, comprising 60 ECTS credits, provides students with a specialized and in-depth education in the fields of accounting, auditing, and control, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary for success in these critical areas of financial management.
Course Overview Accounting and Auditing
- Take-Off Master
- Accounting Process Management
- Introduction to Accounting Research
- Corporate Reporting
- Seminar Financial Accounting Research
- Programming (AAC)
- Seminar Auditing
- Ethics and Sustainability
- Advanced Financial Statement Analysis
- Seminar Data Analytics
- Master's Thesis Accounting and Auditing
Course Overview Accounting and Control
- Take-Off Master
- Accounting Process Management
- Introduction to Accounting Research
- Corporate Reporting
- Seminar Financial Accounting Research
- Programming (AAC)
- Ethics and Sustainability
- Seminar Management Control
- Advanced Financial Statement Analysis
- Seminar Data Analytics
- Master's Thesis Accounting and Control
Course Overview Accounting and Finance
- Take-Off Master
- Introduction to Accounting Research
- Corporate Reporting
- Elective
- Seminar Financial Accounting Research
- Programming (AAC)
- Seminar Corporate Governance
- Ethics and Sustainability
- Advanced Financial Statement Analysis
- Seminar Data Analytics
- Master's Thesis Accounting and Finance
The core courses provide you with a solid background for attending the subsequent seminars in which you can deepen and apply your knowledge. Two seminars focus on data analytics and financial accounting, while the third seminar deepens your knowledge in the specialization that you have chosen.
For example, if you choose the Accounting and Auditing specialization, you will take the seminar Auditing. If the specialization of your choice is Accounting and Control, you will take the Management Control seminar, while you follow the Corporate Governance seminar if you enroll in the Accounting and Finance specialization.
In each of the seminars, you will be expected to write and present several papers, present aspects of the literature or case applications, and actively participate in in-class discussions. You will cover seminal topics and discuss recent developments in the field. The seminars stimulate critical, independent, and creative thinking and foster your argumentation skills.
The final block of the program is devoted to your master's thesis. You will work on your thesis individually, under close supervision by a member of our academic staff.
The curriculum consists of:
- 20% Foundation
- 20% Deepening understanding
- 60% Critical discussion and evaluation of accounting theory and practice
Our master's program prepares you for a wide range of jobs in the fields of auditing, control, and financial business economics. Whether you want to become a Chartered Accountant (RA/CPA), an internal auditor, a controller, or a management consultant - you can work in a multitude of organizations. Our alumni are in high demand by multinationals, financial institutions, audit companies, and insurance companies, as well as ICT, high-tech, manufacturing, and trading companies.