F.A.Q.’s
How much is tuition for the Masters in Taxation program?
Tuition for the Master's program is $9,500. Please see the Master's in Taxation Bulletin for tuition payment options.How much is tuition for the Doctorate Program?
Tuition for the Doctorate program is $7,500. Please see the Doctorate Degree in Taxation Bulletin for tuition payment options.Which degree do I qualify for?
The following persons may be formally admitted into the Masters in Taxation program:- Certified Public Accountants, Certified General Accountants, Certified Management Accountants, Chartered Accountants, licensed Public Accountants, Enrolled Agents, Tax Court Practitioners, or the like, who have a Bachelor’s Degree, or
- Lawyers, Barristers, Solicitors, or the like, licensed to practice law in any jurisdiction, and persons holding a Bachelor’s Degree (i.e., LL.B.) or Doctorate (i.e., J.D.) in law, or
- Persons holding a Bachelor’s Degree (or its equivalent from a non-English speaking college) which degree is in a subject area considered to be sufficiently preparatory for graduate level tax studies (i.e., Accounting, Business Administration, Finance, Investments, Banking, International Relations, Commerce, Government Studies, Public Administration, Economics, or the like), and who have engaged in the nearly full time practice of taxation or tax preparation for five years or more.
The following persons may be formally admitted into the Doctorate Program in Taxation:
- Licensed Attorneys at Law, Certified Public Accountants, Certified General Accountants, Certified Management Accountants, Chartered Accountants, licensed Public Accountants, Enrolled Agents, Tax Court Practitioners, or the like, who have a Master’s Degree, or
- Those who have previously earned a Master of Laws, LL.M – Taxation; Master of Science, M.S. – Taxation; or Master of Accountancy with an emphasis in Taxation (no less than 24 semester units); or
- Persons holding a Master’s Degree or its equivalent from a non-English speaking college which degree is in a subject area considered to be sufficiently preparatory for doctorate-level studies (i.e., Business Administration, Finance, Investments, Banking, International Relations, Commerce, Government Studies, Public Administration, Economics, or the like), AND
- Successfully pass a qualifying examination.
When can I start the Masters in Taxation or Doctorate Program?
The school has open enrollment; therefore, students may apply at any time. Once accepted, students may begin coursework immediately. Students are on a trimester schedule; however, the program is completed at the Students own pace.How long does it take to complete the Masters in Taxation?
You have a minimum time of twelve months and a maximum time of five years to complete the program. The average completion time is approximately two years. However, because this program is at your own pace, it's completely up to you.What if I don’t complete the Masters in Taxation program within the maximum time frame?
Our policy states that if a student falls outside the five year limit, they may re-instate. In order to successfully reinstate, students must be re-instating within ten years of their original acceptance date. Additionally, there is a reinstatement fee of $2,500 and any balance owing on original tuition. Students can immediately begin their course work again and are given an additional five years to complete the program.How long does it take to complete the Doctorate program?
You have a minimum time of twelve months and a maximum time of three years to complete the program.What if I don’t complete the Doctorate program within the maximum time frame?
Our policy states that if a student falls outside the three year limit, they may re-instate. In order to successfully reinstate, students must be re-instating within 6 years of their original acceptance date. Additionally, there is a reinstatement fee of $1,000 and any balance owing on original tuition. Students are given an additional three years to complete the program.How does the Masters in Taxation program work?
Once you have been accepted into the Master’s of Science in Taxation program, you are ready to begin your first trimester. You will be sent the first three core courses at once. Most courses have a syllabus and handouts that are available to download through the student section of the website. As you are viewing the course lectures, you will be required to take notes and complete an examination requirement. Each time you complete a course and course examination, you will receive a Certificate of Completion. Once you have completed the 24 semester units required to graduate, you can request to take the Final Comprehensive Examination that will need to be proctored. It will not affect your final grade; however, you must pass with a 70% or higher.How does the Doctorate program work?
Once accepted into the Doctorate program, each student must successfully pass a qualifying examination (A student takes this exam on-line and can be accomplished using open book). Additionally, the student must select a dissertation topic and call the Dean of the Doctorate Program to discuss the topic. Working with the Dean, the student will refine the topic and begin his/her research. Under this supervision by the Dean, the candidate must research and submit a book-length Doctorate dissertation (roughly 300 pages), which is suitable for publication, on a tax subject approved in advance by the Dean. The dissertation must be of scholarly quality and in approved manuscript style. Upon completion of the dissertation the student must schedule an oral defense, which usually takes between 2-4 hours. A student may elect to come to Salt Lake City, Utah (United States of America), or defend their dissertation via video-conferencing. When a student is ready for the oral defense, (s)he will need to contact the School for instructions.Upon completion of the oral defense, the Dean will send a formal letter of the panel’s decision.
How do I enroll and get started in the Masters in Taxation Program?
You can download an Enrollment Agreement from our website. You will need to fill it out, sign it and mail or fax it to the school along with a $50 application fee. Our Admissions Office will review your application to verify that you meet admission requirements (please see "Admission Requirements" in the Masters Degree in Taxation Bulletin). You will need to request official transcripts to be sent directly to the School. Only official transcripts will be accepted. Once you have been accepted into the program, you will receive a letter of acceptance along with other information you will need to get started.How do I enroll and get started in the Doctorate Program?
You can download an Enrollment Agreement on our website. You will need to fill it out, sign it and mail or fax it in to the school along with the $50 application fee. Our admissions office will review your application to verify that you meet admission requirements (please see "Admission Requirements" in the Doctorate Degree in Taxation Bulletin). If you received a Master’s Degree from a school other than Washington Institute for Graduate Studies, you will need to request official transcripts to be sent directly to the School. Only official transcripts will be accepted. Once you have been accepted into the program, you will receive a letter of acceptance along with other information you will need to get started.What courses are required for the Masters in Taxation program?
There are several, core, foundational courses which must be completed at the beginning of the program (see pages 7, 8 & 9 in the Masters Degree in Taxation Bulletin). These core courses will be sent to you first (601 – 605). After the core courses, all remaining courses are electives, so you may take whichever courses you need to complete the 24 semester unit requirement. After the core courses, we recommend that you take the courses that pertain to your current profession, future interests and goals since students come with varying educational backgrounds and work experience.What courses are required for the Doctorate program?
Doctorate students have no required courses. However, a doctorate student may request up to 3 current courses within 3 years of their official acceptance date (included in tuition). The courses will not need to be returned to the School and may become the student's future resource materials. Doctorate students may also purchase additional courses for CLE/CPE credits for the discounted rate of only $100 per semester unit for up to ten years beyond their graduate date.What does the tuition for the Masters in Taxation program cover?
The tuition covers all of the courses the school offers up to the 24 semester units required for graduation. Students that wish to continue their studies beyond graduation may request additional courses for the discounted rate of $100 per semester unit for up to ten years beyond their graduation date. Text books are purchased separately.The following fees/charges may apply:
- Application fee for enrollment must accompany all applications - $50
- One time shipping and handling fee (covers all course shipments) - $250 in US or $500 outside the US
- Transfer student evaluation fee - $75
- Additional Transcript fee (2 provided at no charge) - $10
- Returned check/Insufficient funds fee - $35
- Late payment fee - $20
What does the tuition for the Doctorate program cover?
The tuition for the Doctorate program covers Doctorate Mentor/Supervision, Dissertation/Oral Defense Panel or Video-conferencing for oral defense, up to 3 DVD courses/lectures(textbooks are purchased separately), Graduation Transcripts (2 at no charge), and Diploma.How do I order courses?
A student may access a course request by going to the "Student Login" area of the website after receiving their user name and password. Upon successful login, the student can click on the "Courses" tab at the top of the page where course descriptions can be viewed and the desired course can be selected. Once the desired course is chosen, the student may click on the “Course Request†link which will ask them to first fill out an “Evaluation†form for the previous course taken. Once this evaluation form has been submitted, it will take the student to the “Course Request†form where the student can make their selection and submit the form immediately for prompt delivery.How long does it take to get a course?
Shipping times vary between 5-7 business days. On average, shipping time is 3-5 business days anywhere in the contiguous United States. Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and International destinations may incur additional shipping time.What text do I use?
The suggested text and order information is listed with the course descriptions under the "Courses" tab. We highly recommend using the text that the instructors are using as it is easier to follow along. Every student should also have an up-to-date copy of the Internal Revenue Code.Why do semester units and CPE credits not correlate?
CPE credit and semester unit credit are calculated using different criteria. CPE is given based on an "average" completion time of a course, and semester units are given based on "specific" hours given for each session of a course, see page 13 in the Masters Degree in Taxation Bulletin.
