Accounting Degree

Schools by State
for Accountants:

AK AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC DE FL GA HI IA ID IL IN KS KY LA MA MD ME MI MN MO MS MT NC ND NE NH NJ NM NV NY OH OK ON OR PA PR RI SC SD TN TX UT VA VT WA WI WV WY

Career Highlights for
Accountants And Auditors

Training generally required for this career includes: Bachelor's degree.

Relevant Job Titles

(Supplied by experts and industry contributors for this career category)

• Account Administrator
• Account Auditor
• Accountant
• Accountant Manager
• Accounting Auditor
• Accounting Bookkeeper
• Accounting Consultant
• Accounting Manager
• Accounting Methods Analyst
• Accounting Officer
• Accounting Supervisor
• Accounting Systems Analyst
• Accounting Technician
• Asset Analyst
• Asset Analyst
• Assurance Manager
• Assurance Senior
• Audit Manager
• Audit Partner
• Auditor
• Auditor-in-Charge
• Bank Accountant
• Bookkeeper
• Budget Accountant
• Bursar
• Business Analyst
• Cash Accountant
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Chartered Accountant
• Chief Accountant
• City Auditor
• Compliance Analyst
• Compliance Auditor
• Compliance Coordinator
• Compliance Manager
• Controller
• Corporate Accountant
• Cost Accountant
• Cost Accounting Manager
• Cost Controller
• County Auditor
• Data Processing Auditor
• Deputy for Audit
• Field Auditor
• Finance Director
• Financial Accountant
• Financial Adviser
• Financial Analyst
• Financial Auditor
• Financial Reporting Accountant
• Financial Systems Analyst
• Financial Systems Analyst
• Fiscal Accountant
• Forensic Accountant
• Fund Accountant
• General Accountant
• Industrial Accountant
• Information Systems Auditor
• Information Technology Auditor (IT Auditor)
• Inspector
• Insurance Auditor
• Internal Audit Director
• Internal Auditor
• Key Account Manager
• Medical Accountant
• Medical Auditor
• Mutual Fund Accountant
• Payroll Accountant
• Payroll Analyst
• Payroll Analyst
• Payroll Auditor
• Plant Controller
• Procurement Accountant
• Project Accountant
• Property Accountant
• Public Accountant
• Quality Control Auditor
• Railroad Accountant
• Railroad Auditor
• Reporting Analyst
• Revenue Accountant
• Revenue Audit Clerk
• Revenue Manager
• Revenue Tax Specialist
• Staff Accountant
• Systems Accountant
• Tax Accountant
• Tax Analyst
• Tax Associate
• Tax Auditor
• Tax Expert
• Tax Preparer
• Traveling Accountant
• Traveling Auditor
• Traveling Repair Accountant
• Utility Accounts Director

Information Sources

BrainTrack's information on colleges and careers is drawn from many sources, including government databases, BrainTrack's own research, and results from original data analysis algorithms.

Accountant or Auditor Job Description

Career tips, salaries, and lists of schools.

Companies, government agencies, and institutions of all sizes and industries rely on accountants and auditors to make sure they keep accurate financial records and pay taxes on time and correctly. Additionally, any taxpayer may rely on an accountant for similar services. Other services an accountant or auditor may provide include financial and investment planning, budget analysis, some legal services and information technology consulting. There are four basic types of accounting: public, government, management and internal auditing. Responsibilities include:

Public Accounting

Public accountants in general conduct a wide variety of activities that include accounting, tax preparation and advising, auditing and consulting. They often specialize in one or more areas:

• advising on tax-related advantages and disadvantages of business decisions
• preparing individual and corporate income tax returns
• advising on compensation and health care benefits
• designing accounting / data processing systems
• selecting controls to protect assets
• external auditing of financial statements; verifying for investors and authorities that statements have been properly prepared and reported
• investigating and analyzing bankruptcies and contract disputes, money laundering, securities fraud and embezzlement, and other potentially criminal financial transactions

Many public accountants are Certified Public Accountants (CPAs), and some states require that they be.

Government Accounting and Auditing

Areas of responsibilities can include:

• maintaining and reviewing records of government agencies to ensure accuracy and proper processing
• auditing individuals and private businesses whose activities are subject to taxation and/or government regulations
• ensuring that revenues are received and expenditures are made in accordance with laws and regulations
• working for the Federal government in budget analysis and administration, financial management, financial institution examination or as Internal Revenue Service agents

Management Accounting

Areas of work for managerial accountants can include:

• strategic planning and developing products as part of an executive team
• recording, analyzing and interpreting a company's financial information for its executives
• budgeting and performance evaluation
• cost management and asset management
• preparing financial reports for creditors, regulatory agencies, tax authorities and stockholders

Management accountants may also be called managerial, cost, corporate, industrial or private accountants.

Internal Auditing

Internal auditors may specialize as compliance auditors, information technology auditors and/or environmental auditors. Their work can include:

• verifying the effectiveness of an organization's internal controls
• checking for waste, mismanagement or fraud
• evaluating an organization's financial and information systems, internal controls and management procedures
• reviewing company operations for effectiveness, efficiency and compliance with government regulations and corporate policies
• reviewing and recommending controls for an organization’s computer systems to ensure reliability, safety and integrity of protected information

Accountants and auditors may work in one office, travel to different offices regularly, or work from home.

Accounting Degrees and Accounting Schools

Students may pursue bachelors or masters degrees in accounting, or business administration with a concentration on accounting. Colleges and universities offer B.S., B.B.A. and M.B.A. degree programs that qualify graduates for accounting and auditing jobs. Graduates from educational programs that are accredited by organizations such as the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) are often preferred by employers. Many graduates take an additional 30 hours of coursework to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Community colleges and business schools offer associate's degrees in accounting that, when combined with substantial relevant experience, may meet the requirements of some employers for jobs as junior accountants.

Accounting and Auditing Classes

Coursework for accounting students typically combines time in class with lab time learning software packages. Internships are common, as they are key to gaining the work experience required to obtain certification and licensure in states that require it. Classes usually include:

• budgeting
• financial analysis and reporting
• taxation
• accounting systems
• managerial accounting
• internal controls
• internal and external auditing
• international accounting
• software packages
• ethics, laws and regulations
• accounting issues specific to not-for-profit and government organizations
• business courses

Online Accounting Classes and Programs

Obtaining a degree or taking courses for certification in accounting online is common. As there are many programs to choose from, selecting accredited programs such as those certified by the AACSB can help narrow down choices. Be sure to evaluate carefully the financial aid, job placement and internship opportunities available through any online program.

Distance learning programs should also be accredited through the Accreditation Commission of the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC).

Accountant and Auditor Requirements

Most employers require a minimum of a bachelor's degree in accounting or business administration with a concentration on accounting. However, some may require a master's degree in these areas, while others may accept an associate's degree in combination with substantial work experience, especially for junior accountant positions.

Any accountant that files a report with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is by law required to be a CPA. Accordingly, most states require that public accountants be licensed CPAs to practice. To obtain certification and a license, applicants are usually required to pass the Uniform CPA Examination prepared by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and meet specific educational and experience requirements, including an additional 30 hours of college-level coursework.

To promote their hireability, accountants and auditors may pursue optional certification from a list of accrediting agencies, including:

• Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation
• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
• Association of Government Accountants
• Institute of Internal Auditors
• Institute of Management Accountants
• ISACA

How to Evaluate Accounting Schools

Prospective accountants or auditors should consider asking the following questions when evaluating programs:

• Focus - Does the program emphasize, or provide sufficient course offerings, for specialization in an area of choice such as internal auditing or forensic accounting? Are courses oriented towards earning a CPA credential?
• Accreditation and reputation - Is the program accredited by the AACSB? How does it compare to other accredited programs? Is it nationally or regionally ranked by a respected publication?
• Class size - Are courses and labs often crowded? Are classes difficult to get into because of popularity?
• Practical experience - Does the school coordinate an internship program with plenty of appealing opportunities?
• Tuition and financial assistance - What resources are available to students to help them take advantage of scholarships, grants, work/study, loans and other kinds of financial aid?
• Additional costs - Will students be expected to purchase expensive software programs and manuals, or pay lab fees?
• Career assistance - Does the school coordinate sizeable job fairs with desirable companies? Is there a well-organized job placement program? What is the program's track record for placing graduates?

Apply For a BrainTrack Business Scholarship

For students currently pursuing a business or management degree, BrainTrack's Business Schools Scholarship helps recipients to fund their education as they prepare for new or advanced careers in fields such as general management, marketing, advertising, sales, accounting, finance, management analysis and consulting, and more.

The scholarship is designed to help others considering business and management as a career path by asking applicants to share essays on their experiences as a business degree student. Students who are pursuing associate, bachelors, masters, or higher degrees are eligible. A winning and runnerup award is given every semester.

Scholarship Details and Submission Form

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