Kogod’s Master of Science in Taxation degree program is one of the best in the country, according to a recent survey conducted by TaxTalent, the largest online network for tax professionals.

More than 3,000 professionals who hold a master’s degree in tax were asked which schools they thought had the top degree programs in the United States. Kogod ranked in the top 10th percentile.

As the only MS in Taxation program in the Washington, D.C., area, students have a unique opportunity to hear first-hand from members of the House Committee on Ways and Means, the US Tax Court, the Treasury Department, and the IRS National Office.

“We use experts in specialized areas that few other schools have access to given our proximity to policymakers downtown,” said Don Williamson, professor in the MS in Taxation program and Executive Director of the Kogod Tax Center. “And our full-time instructors have a lot of practical experience that they bring to the classroom.”

“The program draws on some of the leading tax practitioners in the nation, many of whom have government experience,” said David Kautter, an executive-in-residence in the Accounting and Taxation department. “They can explain tax law in clear terms and also provide unique insights into the history of tax law as well as how it is currently being interpreted.”

“It’s a huge advantage to learn cutting edge material and [find out] what actually goes on everyday at a firm,” said Emily Mordhorst, MST ‘12. “I’m so glad I chose Kogod, because the professors are really amazing.”

Beyond the classroom, The Kogod Tax Center, which opened its doors in spring 2011, has contributed to the continued success of the MS in Taxation program.

“The Tax Center is proof that we are making the discipline of taxation a hallmark at Kogod,” Williamson said. “Few other business schools have the ability to teach tax and conduct tax research at the level we are currently.”

This is the first part of a two-part survey. The second portion of the survey will sample top tax recruiters and employers; that data will be released later this year.