The Ultimate Resource Guide for
Accounting Degrees Online
If you want to good job security, consider a career as an accountant. Companies in every industry imaginable need competent accountants to perform tasks ranging from preparing financial reports, balancing receipts, handling payroll, and preparing invoices. This ultimate guide will help you explore this career and learn more about finding a a perfect-fit degree program that will help you confidently enter this rewarding and reliable field.
Quick Facts - Types of Accounting Degrees - Accounting Degrees at Top Online Colleges
Quick Facts
- Accountants are financial recordkeepers. They calculate expenditures, receipts, accounts payable and receivable, profits and losses for companies.
- In small businesses, an accountant may handle all monetary transactions, including preparing financial reports and bank deposits, verifying and balancing receipts, handling payroll and preparing invoices. In a large company, an accountant may be more specialized and focus on only one of these types of transactions.
- Accountants are employed in nearly every industry and can count on many job openings, especially for temporary and part time work.
- Individuals need at least an Associate's Degree in accounting but a Bachelor's Degree is required for many positions. Professional certification also provides a large advantage in the job market.
- As of May 2009, the mean hourly wage for an accountant was $16.71 and the mean annual wage was $34,750. Top paying states included Maryland, Massachusetts, Alaska and Connecticut
- It is important to note that most organizations now use computer software to organize their financial records and accountants must be comfortable spending time with specialized accounting software, spreadsheets and databases.
All quick fact statistics are courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Occupational Employment Statistics.
Types of Accounting Degrees
Certificate Program in Accounting
Average Cost: $3,000-$7,000
Typical Length: 3 months to 2 years
Certificate programs are designed for professionals who want a deeper understanding of financial practices and current accounting laws in order to advance to the next level of their career. A certificate program will prepare students to take a Certified Public Accountant Exam and coursework will count towards the education requirement of the CPA license.
Associate of Science in Accounting
Average Cost: $20,000 to $40,000
Typical Length: 1 to 2 years
This is the fastest method of obtaining an accounting degree. Associate programs have fewer general education classes and less in-depth training but provide a basic education to spreadsheets, databases, tax laws, and auditing. This is a good choice for students who want a degree but do not want to spend 4 years getting a Bachelor's.
Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Average Cost: $25,000 to $65,000+
Typical Length: 4 years
A solid prerequisite to land an accounting job. A Bachelor's degree provides students with a solid background to all types of accounting, auditing, and financial strategy. Students exit a Bachelor's program with a grasp of both accounting details and and a broader understanding of the financial world. Students will also take general education classes.
Master of Science in Accounting
Average Cost: $15,000 to $25,000+
Length: 1 to 2 years
For students with a Bachelor's degree who want more detailed knowledge of their profession and even more opportunity for career advancement. Students who complete a Master's degree enjoy a greater chance of employment than those with a Bachelor's. Masters programs often include internships or field work which will give students real-world experience and networking opportunities for post-graduate work. Students will gain in-depth knowledge needed for specific accounting careers and may also learn management techniques.
Accounting Degrees at Top Online Colleges
Anthem College
Degree: Associate of Science, Accounting Technology Concentration
Length: 80 weeks
Courses are specifically designed to help students use new technology in the accounting field. Other classes required for the degree include business, finance, economics, as well as a set of general education courses to ensure critical thinking and writing proficiency.
Ashford University
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in Accounting
Length: 120 credits
Cost: $372 per credit
Ashford University provides in depth courses related to many different types of accounting - including business law, federal income taxes, and auditing. General requirements also include business economics, entrepreneurship, finance, information systems, international management, operations management and public administration. Students will exit the program well-rounded with a diverse knowledge of finance.
DeVry University
Degree: Associate of Applied Science degree in Accounting
Length: 4 full-time semesters, 65 credit hours
Students will learn to analyze financial statements, federal income tax laws, gain experience using spreadsheet applications, and identify and correct errors in financial reports. Students are taught Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). DeVry boasts that its graduates currently work for leading companies such as AT&T, Bank of America, GE, and Hewlett-Packard.
Grand Canyon University
Degree: Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Length: 120 credits
Completing this Bachelor's Degree will prepare students to sit for the Certified Management Accountant Exam and the Certified Public Accountant Exam. Grand Canyon University requires 34 general education credits which include courses on effective communication and global awareness.
Kaplan University
Degrees: Associate of Applied Science in Accounting, Bachelor of Science in Accounting, Master of Science in Accounting
Length: 90 credit hours for Associate's degree, 180 for Bachelor's degree, 52 for Master's degree
Cost: $371 per credit hour for Associate's and Bachelor's degrees, $441 per credit hour for Master's degree
Whatever your educational background, Kaplan University has a degree for you. Their degrees require fewer general education courses and more areas of accounting emphasis. All programs emphasize the ability of students to translate coursework into real world accounting practice.
Keller Graduate School of Management
Degree: Master of Accounting and Financial Management (MAFM)
With an MAFM degree, students can launch a career as a budget analyst, business appraiser, financial consultant, public accountant or taxation specialist. Keller faculty have experience working as professionals in their field.
Liberty University
Degree: Master of Business Administration - Accounting
Length: 45 credit hours
Cost: $400 per credit hour
Liberty University promises students that they will be ready for leadership positions in the corporate world. Students study accounting ethics, practice teamwork and explore ways to to integrate faith into a professional environment. Liberty presents a virtual online classroom where students may share experiences with each other.
University of Maryland University College
Degree: Master of Science in Accounting and Financial Management
Length: 36 credits / 11 courses
This Master's program requires 15 hours of undergraduate coursework prior to entry. Courses required for this degree include Fraud Examination, Auditing Process, Federal Income Taxation, and Financial Decision Making for Managers. A Bachelor's degree is required for entry.
University of Phoenix
Degrees: Bachelor of Science in Business / Accounting
Master of Business Administration, Accounting Concentration
The University of Phoenix prides itself on emphasizing teamwork as well as critical thinking skills and intends for students to be able to directly apply what they learn to the workplace. Students in the Master's Program will enroll in classes which aid in preparation for the CPA exam such as “Audit and Attestation,” “Financial Accounting and Reporting, Regulation, and Business.”
Western Governors University
Degree: Bachelor of Science in Accounting
Length: 138 units / approximately 4 years
Cost: $2,890 per 6-month term
This program breaks courses into seven domains: accounting, liberal arts, business ethics and law, marketing and business communications, finance and information technology, organizational behavior and economics. In this program students will complete a professional portfolio.