What are the Educational Requirements for Accountants?
To become a successful accountant, you'll need not just a keen eye for numbers along with a passion for assisting other people make sense of them. In today's world of advancement, studies, and technology, the majority of career paths have a set of academic needs so that you can shine in that field. Accountants aren't any different. You'll find diverse levels of accountant that one could choose to progress through, so selecting the best education and learning path is a vital step.
*The majority of accountants work in the public sector, including: bookkeepers, tax consultants/advisors, auditors, working accountants, and forensic accountants. You can begin meeting the educational requirements for most all of these positions with an Associate's or Bachelor's degree, which offer similar courses. Positions such as bookkeeping and consulting may not require additional educational requirements if you have substantial knowledge and experience already under your belt. To be a public accountant, the requirements are more lenient than for a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
* To become a CPA you need to meet a minimum of education and work related specifications and tests based upon your states specifications. A Bachelor's degree is practically always needed, often times a Master's degree or similar is as well. If you are only starting having a Bachelor's degree, you will probably have to give some thought to carrying on with your education to qualify for the Master's degree level and beyond for these jobs.
The academic requirements for accountants change based on the position that you desire to strive for. High school graduate students or those enrolled at a community or technical college may be able to find work as an accounting clerk, and that is a fantastic way to start gaining insight and also expertise in the industry of accounting.
If you are interested in becoming a public accountant in the fundamental level, and also you want to obtain a basic working know-how of the accounting world, then you can sign up for certification or Associate's degree classes at a technical college or community or online university. Devry University offers the following basic courses, besides key courses, in their Associate's degree in accounting program:
* Financial Accounting
* Accounting Theory and Applications
* Introduction to Individual Income Taxation
* Introduction to Cost Accounting
*Introduction to Accounting Information Systems
For a more complete knowledge and expanded job opportunity board, striving for a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university may put you on a better path to success. From there, the sky is the limit as you can customize your continuing education decisions to fit where you want to take your accounting career. Most accounting positions will require a Bachelor's degree for certification and advancement purposes. According to becomecareer.com, here are some examples of what courses that you may be required to take in addition to the basic (core) course requirements by the college or university in order to become a public accountant, or to prepare for the continuance of a CPA:
*Accounting Ethics and Professional Responsibilities
* Accounting Information Systems
* Advanced Financial Management
* Auditing
*Corporate Governance and Internal Control Assessment
* Cost Management
*Federal Income Tax
* Fraud Examination
*Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting
* Legal Elements of Fraud
Becoming a CPA requires the same basic courses and experience that a public accountant does, however with extensive additional training and education. It has been stated that "All CPA's are accountants, but not all accountants are CPA's". That is because you have to start working at the accountant level before you can even ponder becoming a CPA. If your goal is to become a CPA, fight hard for it because it is worth it in the long run! Most states now require 150 credit hours, as opposed to the 120 credit hours that most Bachelor's degrees require, in order to take the CPA licensing examination. Many colleges and universities are sympathetic to this and offer extended 150 credit hour degrees to prepare you for the CPA exam. This can be a fast track way to save you time and money, and get you where you want to go.
To become a successful accountant, you'll need not just a keen eye for numbers along with a passion for assisting other people make sense of them. In today's world of advancement, studies, and technology, the majority of career paths have a set of academic needs so that you can shine in that field. Accountants aren't any different. You'll find diverse levels of accountant that one could choose to progress through, so selecting the best education and learning path is a vital step.
*The majority of accountants work in the public sector, including: bookkeepers, tax consultants/advisors, auditors, working accountants, and forensic accountants. You can begin meeting the educational requirements for most all of these positions with an Associate's or Bachelor's degree, which offer similar courses. Positions such as bookkeeping and consulting may not require additional educational requirements if you have substantial knowledge and experience already under your belt. To be a public accountant, the requirements are more lenient than for a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).
* To become a CPA you need to meet a minimum of education and work related specifications and tests based upon your states specifications. A Bachelor's degree is practically always needed, often times a Master's degree or similar is as well. If you are only starting having a Bachelor's degree, you will probably have to give some thought to carrying on with your education to qualify for the Master's degree level and beyond for these jobs.
The academic requirements for accountants change based on the position that you desire to strive for. High school graduate students or those enrolled at a community or technical college may be able to find work as an accounting clerk, and that is a fantastic way to start gaining insight and also expertise in the industry of accounting.
If you are interested in becoming a public accountant in the fundamental level, and also you want to obtain a basic working know-how of the accounting world, then you can sign up for certification or Associate's degree classes at a technical college or community or online university. Devry University offers the following basic courses, besides key courses, in their Associate's degree in accounting program:
* Financial Accounting
* Accounting Theory and Applications
* Introduction to Individual Income Taxation
* Introduction to Cost Accounting
*Introduction to Accounting Information Systems
For a more complete knowledge and expanded job opportunity board, striving for a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university may put you on a better path to success. From there, the sky is the limit as you can customize your continuing education decisions to fit where you want to take your accounting career. Most accounting positions will require a Bachelor's degree for certification and advancement purposes. According to becomecareer.com, here are some examples of what courses that you may be required to take in addition to the basic (core) course requirements by the college or university in order to become a public accountant, or to prepare for the continuance of a CPA:
*Accounting Ethics and Professional Responsibilities
* Accounting Information Systems
* Advanced Financial Management
* Auditing
*Corporate Governance and Internal Control Assessment
* Cost Management
*Federal Income Tax
* Fraud Examination
*Government and Not-for-Profit Accounting
* Legal Elements of Fraud
Becoming a CPA requires the same basic courses and experience that a public accountant does, however with extensive additional training and education. It has been stated that "All CPA's are accountants, but not all accountants are CPA's". That is because you have to start working at the accountant level before you can even ponder becoming a CPA. If your goal is to become a CPA, fight hard for it because it is worth it in the long run! Most states now require 150 credit hours, as opposed to the 120 credit hours that most Bachelor's degrees require, in order to take the CPA licensing examination. Many colleges and universities are sympathetic to this and offer extended 150 credit hour degrees to prepare you for the CPA exam. This can be a fast track way to save you time and money, and get you where you want to go.
About the Author:
Read this article by Emily Blake about possible careers in accounting to learn more. Don't forget to stop by Emily's site where you can find out all about becoming an accountant and how it could change your life.