Rocky Mountain College Launches Integrated Accountancy Path

The four-year bachelor's and master's track combines 120 credits and includes an internship for every student.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Internships

Brick academic building with a covered walkway under a wide blue sky, with dry grassland and distant mountains in the background. — Rocky Mountain College in Billings has launched an integrated four-year bachelor's and master's accountancy path totaling 120 credits, with an internship for every student. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Would you consider finishing a bachelor's and master's degree in four years?

Rocky Mountain College has launched an integrated Bachelor's and Master of Accountancy path totaling 120 credits over four years. The structure can save a full year of graduate tuition compared with a traditional five-year route.

Why it matters

The program targets students who already expect to pursue accounting or quantitative business, offering a faster route into the profession. For Billings and the surrounding region, it connects local students to employers such as Eide Bailly, Wipfli and Anderson ZurMuehlen.

The integrated path totals 120 credits, split into 90 undergraduate and 30 graduate credits, and can save a full year of graduate tuition. Rocky's Master of Accountancy ranked 12th of 291 small-program institutions in 2024 NASBA data, while 17 of 17 responding graduates from 2022 through 2025 were employed or continuing their education.

The players

Rocky Mountain College

A private liberal arts college in Billings, Montana, known for its business and accounting programs.

NASBA

The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy, which administers the CPA exam and publishes pass-rate data by institution.

Eide Bailly

A national accounting and consulting firm with a significant presence in the Mountain West.

Wipfli

A regional accounting and advisory firm with offices across the Midwest and Mountain West.

Anderson ZurMuehlen

A Montana-based accounting firm, now operating as Pinion, that employed an early graduate of the program.

The details

Students begin as first-year undergraduates in a business-focused curriculum and move into graduate-level Master of Accountancy coursework, graduating with both a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Accountancy. Every student in the path completes an internship for academic credit, with employers including Eide Bailly, Wipfli and Anderson ZurMuehlen in Billings and across the region.

Between 2022 and 2025, the college's Career Services survey tracked graduate outcomes.
In 2024, NASBA data ranked Rocky's Master of Accountancy first-time CPA pass rate as the highest in Montana.
The integrated accountancy path launch was reported on November 5, 2026.

Market Landscape

Accounting programs have long navigated the 150-hour rule, which requires CPA candidates to complete 150 college credits before licensure. Rocky's 120-credit integrated path, combined with an internship for every student, positions it as a faster route that competes with traditional five-year master's programs in the region.

Students who expect to pursue accounting can consider whether the integrated path's 120 credits fit their timeline and budget compared with a traditional five-year route. Prospective students should plan for the required internship, which the program builds into every track.

The takeaway

Compressing a bachelor's and master's into one integrated sequence can save a full year of graduate tuition while building licensure-ready skills. Students weighing accounting careers should compare total credit requirements and internship access before choosing a path.