Are interested in the field of accounting,? Then you have come to the right place!
Online Schools Guide has everything you need in our Accounting Degrees Guide to find the best degree programs and career information.
Certificate Programs in Accounting
Businesses will always exist, which means accountants will always be in demand. Accountants play a very important role in helping businesses stay within the confines of their budgets each year. According to officials at Post University in Waterbury, Connecticut, the number of available jobs in accounting, as well as auditing, is expected to increase by 11 percent from 2014 to 2024, so enrolling in an online accounting certificate program may be a great starting point for you before you decide upon one of many careers in accounting that you may be interested in.
By taking online certificate courses, you may even choose to continue your education to be able to apply for accounting degree jobs that are available. According to information by Wilmington College, if you possess strong math skills, are detail-oriented, and have a strong work ethic, enrolling in an online accounting certificate program may be a great idea for you.
What Can You Do with an Accounting Certificate?
Once you have gained the accounting skills needed after obtaining your online accounting certificate, you will be eligible to apply for an array of entry-level accounting positions. Some of these include job bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks. For these particular positions, an accounting degree is not required and you will already have the skills you need to perform these types of jobs.
Some of these positions allow for on-the-job training in which you can gain even more experience before deciding if you want to continue your education to obtain an accounting degree. These types of clerks work to maintain the financial records of various companies, including loan statements and transactions. In a position as an accounting clerk, you will even have the option of specializing in accounts payable or accounts receivable, while bookkeepers can earn the designation of certified bookkeeper.
With an accounting certificate, you can also work as a budget analyst so that you can be in a position to help companies keep their finances and budgets organized properly. Also, an accounting certificate also sets you up to be able to take the certification test to become a certified public accountant, which will open up even more avenues of job positions for you.
Which Certification is Best for Accounting?
Earning an accounting certificate is a great first step in becoming more marketable for job placements and advancing your career in the field of accounting. The best certificate program in accounting for you will depend on the career path you want to pursue.
One of the main certifications, and the one that will propel you to success the quickest, is that of a certified public accountant. Obtaining a license as a certified public accountant is basically the gold standard in both the accounting and finance fields. This certification basically validates you as someone who is well versed in forensic accounting and able to complete other people’s tax returns while knowing and understanding risk management and proper compliance in the accounting field.
Another great option when it comes to accounting certificates is the Chartered Global Management Accountant financial certification. This certification will set you up to work in both business and government agencies and by achieving it, you will be demonstrating your capacity to learn a variety of management accounting skills. Other options for certification include Certified Management Accountant, Chartered Financial Analyst, Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Financial Services Auditor, and Certified Government Auditing Professional.
What Skills Will You Gain from An Accounting Certificate?
While enrolled in an accounting certificate program, you will learn a variety of skills, including knowledge of accounting practices. These are basically principles that have been created to standardize all accounting practices in both industries, companies, and government agencies throughout the United States. You will need to have a working knowledge of the regulatory standards that have been put in place to ensure that all financial reporting requirements are met, which will then ensure the integrity of the company’s accounting practices.
In a certificate program, you will also gain knowledge of accounting software and how to utilize it to report and input data into a database, to be able to file financial reports and analyses, create financial statements, and help with project management. You will also garner the ability to prepare high-quality financial statements for the company or agency that you are working for after completing your certificate program. These financial statements include profit and loss income statements, balance sheets, and even cash flow statements.
You will also gain knowledge of general business practices within an accounting certification program, and you will graduate with the ability to analyze important data. A certificate program will teach you to use your critical thinking skills as well as organizational and time management skills.
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Associate Degrees In Accounting
You may be asking yourself, is an associate degree in accounting worth it? For those who have a penchant for mathematics and are very detail-oriented, an associate’s degree in accounting may be just what you need to jumpstart your career or begin a new one. There are many careers in accounting, from certified public accountants to financial advisors. Accounting degree programs are designed to give you all of the accounting skills needed to have a fascinating career. Not to mention the fact that accounting skills on a resume look very good. Obtaining an accounting degree online is easier than attending classes since you can still work full time or raise a family while obtaining your degree.
An online associate degree in accounting will take approximately two years to complete and will give you the core technical and conceptual skills that you will need to succeed in the accounting field. You will be able to get a job as an accounting assistant, an auditing clerk, a bookkeeping clerk, a payroll clerk, or work in accounts payable and receivable.
| Associate’s in Accounting | Description |
|---|---|
| Sample Courses | Federal Taxation, Statistical Analysis, Managerial Accounting |
| Common Majors | Payroll Accounting, Cost Accounting, and Taxation |
| Jobs | Payroll Clerk, Bookkeeping Clerk, Auditing Clerk |
| Average Income (BLS) | $47,440 |
Should I Get an Online Associates Degree in Accounting?
Obtaining an online associate’s degree in accounting is a great idea because of the simple fact that every single company, government agency, and even non-profit organization needs to have accountants to rely upon to ensure the entire business runs smoothly. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, once you earn your associate’s degree in accounting, there are many careers in accounting you can choose from that can earn you up to about $56,590 each year.
An online accounting degree can also provide you with the flexibility of earning your degree without even leaving your home. Your employability level will be strengthened after you complete your degree program online while handling other responsibilities in your life. You can also increase your earning potential, especially if you are already working in the accounting field with only a certificate since an associate’s degree in accounting will help you move up the ladder at your place of employment.
If you are starting a new career or if you want to advance into another one, you will be a more viable candidate for employers who are looking to hire individuals with knowledge in the areas of accounting and budgeting.
What Can I Do with an Associate Degree in Accounting?
With an associate’s degree in accounting, there are many entry-level jobs that graduates will be qualified to obtain. By earning an accounting degree online, you will gain a variety of skills in the accounting field, such as payroll accounting, auditing, business communication, ethics, marketing, mathematics for business, management skills, and economics.
These skills will prepare you for a job in an array of different positions, including as an accounting assistant in which your responsibilities will include a variety of office duties, bookkeeping, payroll, and invoice collection. You can also get a job as an accounting receivable clerk in which you will track the company’s income through the payments that are received from sales and other avenues.
You can even prepare and send invoices to clients as well as handle making deposits into the company bank account. As a bookkeeping or auditing clerk, you will be able to manage financial records which include things like assets, liabilities, bank statements, and cash flow. As a payroll clerk, you will be responsible for calculating the salaries of employees and then distributing their paychecks.
Is an Associate Degree in Accounting Hard?
According to information provided by Colorado State University-Global Campus, an associate degree in accounting is not as hard to earn as people may think it is. Earning a degree in accounting is actually not any more difficult than earning any other type of degree, but just like any other degree program, there are elements of accounting that are going to be more complex and maybe a little more difficult to comprehend. By studying and applying yourself to the program, you will succeed.
The level of difficulty in obtaining a degree in accounting is going to be based on what a person is good at and what they enjoy doing. Many people think that accounting is solely based on doing math all day and that is really not true. The basic skills to be able to learn how to become a professional accountant include organizing and maintaining financial records, being able to identify different ways to increase value, cut costs, and improve the bottom line for a company or agency, and preparing and analyzing the accuracy of all financial records, including tax filings.
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Bachelor’s Degrees In Accounting
Anyone who enjoys working with numbers and is very detail-oriented would benefit from an online bachelor’s degree in accounting. Whether we are living in a good economy or the economy takes a downturn, accountants will always be able to find a job, since all businesses and even government agencies need an accountant to keep things flowing properly.
In other words, a person with a bachelor’s degree in accounting will have long-term job security. Also, if you are someone who wants to have a decent salary potential in their career, accounting may be the one for you since the median income for an accountant is nearly $50,000 per year and that’s usually for more entry-level jobs. A bachelor’s degree in accounting will allow you to secure a mid-level management job in the accounting field since you will be well versed in statistics, auditing, marketing, and business systems.
What Can I Do with a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting?
The great part about a bachelor’s degree in accounting is the fact that the field of accounting is a very broad one. This means you will have many different accounting skills to put on your resume when you begin to look for employment. You will be able to apply to work in a wide range of careers in accounting.
Not only is it a broad field, but accounting is also a fast-growing one. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 140,000 new accounting, as well as auditing jobs, have opened up by 2016 and are set to continue at about a ten percent growth rate over the next decade. This is faster than the rate for all other occupations across an array of different industries throughout the United States.
You can garner a job as an account, which means you will be responsible for all of the financial records of an organization, company, or government agency. You can work in specific areas of different specializations and the duties will be based on that specific specialization. Different types of accounting positions can include tax accounting, forensic accounting, public accounting, government accounting, financial accounting, auditing, bookkeeping, budget planning, and so many more.
Is a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting Worth it?
If you are asking yourself if a bachelor’s degree in accounting is worth it, the short answer is yes, it is. If you want to work in the fields of business, accounting, or finance, this degree would be a great investment for you to make in your future.
Accounting will always be needed by agencies, businesses, companies, and organizations. Even as more advances in technology and automation come about, accountants will still be needed for their strategic input as well as their critical thinking skills. Keep in mind, that the demand for accountants, as well as auditors, continues to grow. For instance, there are over 1.3 million jobs in the United States alone for auditors and accountants with more than 125,000 new jobs posted on average every month looking for new workers.
Also, an accounting degree is much more flexible than most people think it is since it is a great foundation for basically any career in the business field. Whether you want to own your own company, want to start your own small business, or work to become the CEO of someone else’s business, an accounting degree will help you get there. This type of degree provides a general business core for you to utilize in a variety of positions. Most people with a bachelor’s degree in accounting will earn about $80,000 per year and financial managers can make well over $100,000 per year.
What Skills Will You Gain from A Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting?
You will gain a variety of skills from a bachelor’s degree in accounting, including basic and professional skill sets that can help you land an entry-level or mid-management position. Some of these core skill sets that you will learn and utilize in your career include very strong written and oral communication skills, the ability to organize extremely well while paying close attention to detail, analytical and problem-solving skills, clerical knowledge, time management skills, proficiency in a variety of business technology, and specialized accounting skills along with many others.
You will have a wide range of financial reporting and analysis skills when you graduate with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and will be able to prepare financial statements and file income tax returns for private citizens or corporations. You will be able to conduct account reconciliation and will know how to use spreadsheet software as well as accounting compliance software and even project management software.
Master’s Degrees In Accounting
Whether you want to increase the number and variety of accounting skills on your resume or you want to embark on one of the many careers in accounting that are available in the current job market, an online master’s degree may be the right path for you. An online master’s degree will allow you to complete your classes for your degree from the comfort of your own home while saving you time and money since you will not be commuting to and from the college campus you attend. It will also allow you to continue to work full or part-time while you are completing your accounting degree programs.
According to officials at Ohio State University, an online master’s degree in accounting program also allows you plenty of flexibility when it comes to the class schedule you will need to complete the process. You will even be able to apply the skills you are learning in the real world at your job since you can continue to work while pursuing your master’s degree. This can also help you pay for your tuition since your income level will continue.
What Can You Do After a Master’s in Accounting?
After receiving a master’s in accounting degree, you will be eligible to obtain a wide range of certifications, including a certificate as a bank auditor. This would allow you to be able to evaluate a financial institution’s records to ensure they are compliant and accurate. You can also obtain a certificate as a management accountant which will give you a very deep understanding of all accounting principles that are related to financial stewardship, such as budgeting, strategic assessment, and financial analysis.
You will also be able to become a certified public accountant, which is the most popular certification since it will give you the education you need in a variety of accounting topics, such as taxes, auditing, compliance, and even risk management. Under the law in the United States, for an accountant to be able to file a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission, they must be a certified public accountant.
Other certifications you can obtain include certified internal auditor, certified information systems auditor, and certified fraud examiner. These certifications can propel you to new heights in your current career or allow you the opportunity to be hired for a new position.
Is It Worth Getting a Master’s Degree in Accounting?
According to the University of North Dakota, Master of Accounting programs are created for those interested in pursuing a career within the very top levels of the accounting industry. It is also a good program for someone with no experience in the accounting field who wants to build their knowledge of accounting skills for their resume.
A master of accounting degree program will normally take one to two years to complete and we’ll focus on the theory and practices in the accounting field. An online master of an accounting degree is extremely flexible and you can study from your home or any other location you choose. You could also continue to work and earn a salary while completing your degree online. This degree program is also good for people who want to combine specialties since you can earn a Master of Science degree in both accounting and analytics, which are offered by some universities as online programs.
When it comes to salaries, a master of accounting degree is definitely worth it. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for both accountants and auditors was around $75,000 in 2020 and the job market for those fields is expected to grow by four percent from 2019 to 2029. If you want to utilize your degree to become a budget analyst, the median income is about $78,000 per year and financial analysts can garner a salary of up to $84,000 per year.
What is the Career Path of an Accountant with a Masters?
With a master’s degree in accounting, you will have the accounting skills to land a position and a variety of different areas including the public arena as well as industry and government. Your responsibilities can include anything from auditing to preparing taxes, ensuring compliance, developing software, bookkeeping, and financial analysis.
After earning your master’s degree in accounting, you can embark on a career as a financial analyst, an auditor at a public or private business, a financial analyst, a staff accountant with a company or government agency, a financial controller, bookkeeper, or work a variety of other career fields.
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