An accounting degree is a great choice for those who enjoy working with numbers and who pay close attention to detail. The degree provides instruction on the steps of measuring and releasing essential financial information to aid in making decisions about spending and planning a budget. Students learn a solid foundation on the business field and coursework includes financial and managerial accounting, business communications, business law, economics, statistics, human resource management, marketing, and financial reporting. Many schools enable students to specialize in a certain area of accounting, such as banking, accounting and information systems, financial investigation, taxation, and government and non-profit accounting. Individuals seeking to pursue positions in the business field would benefit greatly from an accounting degree, as it prepares them to seek a wide range of positions from working for a large company to earning credit in a movie. An accounting degree can also prepare graduates for self-employment opportunities, such as bookkeeping or providing tax services. The degree also qualifies individuals to become certified by passing an accreditation examination to become a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Management Accountant. Accounting skills are in high demand and most businesses require accountants to assist with financial matters. Accounting professionals typically enjoy job security as well as a lucrative salary of at least $50,000 per year.
How To Find The Top Accounting Degree Programs
To find top rated schools that offer the best accounting degrees, potential students should consider a few key points to narrow down their choices. Whether or not an institution is accredited is one of the most important aspects because accreditation demonstrates that a school has met specific criteria to offer excellent academic programs at the postsecondary level. A college or university’s ranking is also a helpful characteristic and many publications allocate rankings to schools based on many different factors, such as graduation rates, look of campus, qualifications of instructors, and financial aid options. Other factors that students may want to look at include length of program, class size, availability of instructors, and financial aid options.
Upper Iowa University, Colorado Technical University, and Southern New Hampshire University top the list of some of the best online accounting degree programs. Upper Iowa University offers a bachelor’s degree in accounting and online students can enroll during six separate times throughout the year. Colorado Technical University offers a bachelor’s degree in accounting and online students sign in at a specific time for live classes that are interactive. Students also have the ability to access archived classes if they were unable to attend live sessions. Southern New Hampshire University offers an accelerated bachelor’s degree program in accounting and students receive course credit for participation in the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.
Careers and Salaries For Individuals With Accounting Degrees
Graduates of accounting degree programs have a large range of career opportunities in both the public and private sectors. Since nearly all businesses and organizations require accounting services, the possibilities are endless. Examples of potential accounting careers include certified public accountant, treasury analyst, and comptroller. Certified public accountants handle a wide range of accounting duties such as preparing taxes, investigating fraud, and providing recommendations to financial managers regarding spending and budgets. Treasury analysts maintain the relationships of financial professionals, manage cash flow, and handle stock ledgers. Comptrollers oversee accounting and financial reporting and specialize on supervising the internal functions of an organization.
An accounting salary varies by a variety of factors, such as location, employer, position, education, experience, and benefits. The yearly salary range for certified public accountants is between $50,000 and $80,000. Treasury analysts commonly earn between $45,000 and $60,000 per year. The pay rate for comptrollers is typically between $60,000 and $85,000. An accounting degree is an excellent choice and provides individuals with a plethora of job opportunities with rewarding salaries.
