A great time to be a tax man or woman.

On March 21, 2010, D.C.-based American University (AU) pointed out to tax practitioners the benefits of new laws passed by the U.S. government that will usher in sweeping tax changes. "It's a great time to be a tax man, or woman," says Donald Williamson, director of the Master of Science in Taxation (MST) degree program at AU's Kogod School of. Business. "Down the road, government expansion will likely lead to jobs for tax professionals," he predicts.

Including AU, only about 6 percent of the approximately 42 U.S. universities that are members of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business offer graduate degree programs in taxation for nonlaw students and attorneys. More focused on tax policy, law, planning, procedure, and research than an MBA with a concentration in taxation, a master's degree in taxation prepares students for a variety of careers. Many students pursue their CPA license or work as tax consultants for corporations as well as in tax-related roles in the public sector.

Taxation Education in the Nation's Capital

AU offers the only MST degree for nonlaw students and attorneys in Washington, D.C., where tax laws and policies are debated and created. Faculty members include prominent academics and professionals who offer insight into the relationship between business and government and the importance of professional standards to achieve economic success.

Students in AU's MST program have visited the Treasury Department to meet and learn from high level tax officials and regularly have the opportunity to hear from and question guest speakers such as Bill Thomas, former chair of the House Ways and Means Committee; Don Korb, former chief counsel of the IRS; John Calvin, chief judge of the U.S. Tax Court; and Ed Karl, tax...