Study for a degree in business accounting.
Whether they're tracking a company's income and revenue sheets, preparing taxes for family members or keeping track of household budgets, accountants work hard at wrestling numbers, spreadsheets and balance sheets. The United States is home to approximately 100,000 accounting firms taking in around $115 billion each year, according to the First Research industry profiling group. Becoming an accountant takes specialized education and training, available at colleges across the country. Degree programs range from associate programs all the way through master's degrees in the accounting field.
Associate Degree
Students just beginning their careers in business accounting may be interested in an associate degree. Associate degrees are usually two-year programs offered by community colleges and technical schools. Students have the opportunity to take general education courses and beginner topics in their majors at reduced rates, and in many cases transfer those credits to a traditional four-year bachelor's program in accounting. Associate degree programs such as the one at ITT Technical Institute include coursework such as introduction to business in a global society, fundamentals of tax preparation, accounting applicant to Internet technology, business and data networks, financial accounting and introduction to business in a global society.
Depending on your program, you may be able to take classes during the daytime, evening and even online; associate degrees may be completed part time as well as full time. For most associate degrees, a high school diploma or GED is required. Schools may also require standardized test scores, immunization records, a personal essay and an interview.
Bachelor's Degree
The traditional four-year bachelor's degree in business accounting usually starts with two years of general education coursework, such as English composition, world history, calculus and a foreign language. Students usually move into their accounting specialty courses during their junior and senior year, taking topics such as accounting principles, payroll accounting, managerial accounting, accounting systems, tax, audit, management accounting strategies, fiscal resources management and consolidations.
While enrolled in an accounting bachelor's program, students often have the opportunity to get involved with on-campus activities such as Beta Alpha Psi, the national accounting honor society and Beta Gamma Sigma, the national business scholastic honor society. Colleges and universities offering bachelor's programs require a high school diploma and may also request letters of reference, transcripts, personal essays and an interview.
Master's Degree in Business Accounting
After completing a bachelor's degree in business accounting, students may wish to enter a master's program. Master's programs vary in length (some are tailored specifically to the working adult who will attend part time on the weekends or evenings), others offer specializations such as government accounting. For example, the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School offers a one-year program with courses such as financial statement analysis, financial reporting, cost accounting, tax and business strategy, introduction to business taxation and ethical aspects of management. Students in the program may specialize in taxation or financial reporting and assurance. Some graduate schools such as UNC offer the opportunity for a two-week accounting study-abroad session, where students earn academic credit studying the financial sectors in Hong Kong, New Zealand, the Czech Republic and Korea.
Depending on the graduate school, applicants may have to submit a resume, essays, recommendations and GMAT or GRE test scores. Master's degree programs in accounting require a bachelor's degree, but some schools do not require the undergraduate major to have been in accounting. For most programs, students must have had some coursework in statistics and finance to be considered for acceptance.
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