Here are some tips for selecting schools, based on an analysis comparing each school to all others across dozens of factors:
Schools Concentrating On Accountants And Auditors
- Focus: For schools with a focus on this career area, look at Troy University, University of West Alabama, Chattahoochee Valley Community College, and Alabama State.
Fastest Response From Schools
- Request Info: For the fastest information for prospective students, look at the Spotlight schools on this page.
Student Body
- Part-Time: For schools emphasizing part-time studies, consider Troy University, University of West Alabama, Auburn, and University of North Alabama.
- Female: For schools particularly welcoming to female students, consider Judson.
- Diverse: For a diverse student body, consider Oakwood University, Talladega College, Tuskegee University, and Miles College.
- Adult Learners: For lots of adult learners, consider Athens State, Troy University, Chattahoochee Valley Community College, and University of West Alabama.
School Setting
- Out of State: For geographic diversity, take note of Oakwood University, Tuskegee University, Samford University, and Talladega College.
- Dorms: For a residential campus environment, take note of Talladega College, Birmingham Southern, Oakwood University, and Alabama A & M.
Excellence
- SAT: For students with high SAT scores, look at Auburn, Samford University, Birmingham Southern, and UA Hunstville.
- % Accepted: For selective institutions, look at Alabama State, Alabama A & M, and Oakwood University.
- Class Size: For small class sizes, look at Birmingham Southern, Tuskegee University, Alabama A & M, and UAB.
Working as an Accountant and Auditor in Alabama
Accountants and auditors help to ensure that firms are run efficiently, public records are kept accurately, and taxes are paid properly and on time. They analyze and communicate financial information for various entities such as companies, individual clients, and federal, state, and local governments. Read a detailed Accountants and Auditor job description and schools overview.
Certfied Public Accountants may join the Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants for helpful career resources.
State Requirements
Those who wish to work as Certified Public Accountants in Alabama have to obtain licenses from the Alabama State Board of Public Accountancy. It is not necessary for other accountants and auditors to be licensed in order to work in this state.
Major Industries
Most accountants and auditors work in industries like:
- Accounting and Bookkeeping Services
- Insurance Carriers
- Depository Credit Intermediation
- Management of Companies and Enterprises
- Architectural and Engineering Services
- Management & Technical Consulting Services
Major Employers
A few of the major employers of accountants and auditors in Alabama include:
- Cameron & Company Certified Public Accountant, Inc. (Accounting and Bookkeeping Services)
- Accountants Computer Company and Tax Systems, Incorporated (Management & Technical Consulting Services)
- Alabama State Association of Public Accountants (Management of Companies and Enterprises)
- Southern Association of Accountants (Accounting and Bookkeeping Services)
- Morgan and Associates, Certified Mangement Accountants (Accounting and Bookkeeping Services)
- Raburn & Decosimo, Certified Public Accountants (Architectural and Engineering Services)
- American Woman's Society of Certified Public Accountants of Alabama (Accounting and Bookkeeping Services)
- J. D. Webb & Company (Depository Credit Intermediation)
Student/Alumnus Reviews of Schools for This Career and State
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Eastern Michigan University • Ypsilanti, AL
Studying Finance (completion in 2008)
• 9/15/2011
"EMU got the job done, it gave me a good education and a degree to show for it. Its facilities aren't the best but were certainly acceptable."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | I would recommend EMU to other people. It's a good school. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | EMU is not know for their Finance program. Their focus is on teaching programs. |
| Program Quality | 6 | Our finance department head was "old-school" in preparation for real-life. There could have been more training on technology in the field. |
| Instruction | 7 | Instructors were hit and miss. There were very good ones and really bad ones. One is never quite sure which will be teaching a given course. |
| How Difficult | 7 | You have to have a well-rounded education to study finance and to see the "whole economic picture." The workload was tough, as Finance is a common degree for CEOs and CFOs. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | The only class I had that was really hands-on was my science lab. Everything else was book-oriented. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 7 | EMU is very flexible in their course offerings and scheduling. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | EMU is a little behind in technology. They have computers and such but nothing is new. Professors are somewhat available, but only if you come to campus. |
| Social Life | 5 | This doesn't really apply to me as I was an older student who commuted. I didn't see many flyers. |
| Placement Services | 3 | I did not get anywhere using their career services. I also do not know many students who did. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | We get a lot of emails from them but that's all. I am not involved. |
Pensacola Junior College • Pensacola, AL
Studying Accounting Technology (completion in 2000)
• 9/26/2011
"I turned a two year degree from a junior college into a career I love and still enjoy to this day. In my opinion, that is the ultimate success story."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The teachers and staff at my school were always very supportive. I learned a lot of useful skills that I have been able to apply to all aspects of my life. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | It has been eleven years since I graduated. The school has since changed names. I have not heard anything negative or positive about the current Accounting program. |
| Program Quality | 8 | Pensacola Junior College (now Pensacola State College) had an excellent accounting and business curriculum. I was able to take the information I learned while attending there and turn it into a career that I love. |
| Instruction | 9 | With very few exceptions, my instructors were great at PJC. Most understood that we were working students and always tried to give us the best education possible to prepare us for our chosen careers. |
| How Difficult | 5 | My workload was tough, but not impossible. With almost everything, I feel I got out of my classes what I was willing to put into them. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | During my time at PJC, I was introduced to both hands-on and book learning. Part of my degree included a work experience credit that I found to be very beneficial. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | I went to school on a part time basis. It took me four years to complete a two year degree. During that time, I only had one scheduling difficulty and the school allowed me to make a substitution with the class. |
| Academic Facilities | 9 | I can only assume that the facilities were more than acceptable. I have no recollection of any difficulties. |
| Social Life | 5 | I was a working student and did not participate in many social activities. It was a small Junior College and little was offered. |
| Placement Services | 10 | While I was still a student, I was placed into a work study program. I continued with the same agency after graduation for another ten years. |
| Alumni Network | 1 | I graduated in 2000 from PJC. I have had no contact from any alumni. |
Georgia College & State University • Milledgeville, AL
Studying Master's Of Accounting (completion in 2009)
• 10/2/2011
"I was very satisfied with the school. Their flexibility in class scheduling is the reason I chose this school."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The professors were very helpful. The class schedule was very accommodating to students who worked full-time. |
| Program Reputation | 8 | They always had a high number of students enrolled in the program. Many of the students in the program had completed their undergraduate degree at the same school. |
| Program Quality | 5 | I was disappointed in my master's program. A lot of the courses I took seemed to rehash courses I took in my undergraduate program. |
| Instruction | 6 | My instructors were very helpful and friendly. They were always willing to help. |
| How Difficult | 3 | A lot of the courses I took were simply rehashing my undergraduate work. They were very easy. For one course, we did not use a textbook; all we used was the magazine "Business Week." |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | My program was more book learning. We did not have many assignments where we were challenged to get out there in the working world. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 10 | The program I was enrolled in offered night classes. The classes met only one night a week, which was great. During the summer, they also offered classes on the weekend. |
| Academic Facilities | 7 | The professors were always accessible. Many of them provided their cell phone numbers to the students. |
| Social Life | 6 | I wasn't involved in any of the school spirit or athletic activities. I did not live on campus. From my time on campus, I saw many advertisements for these activities. |
| Placement Services | 1 | These services were never offered to me. I did not know they were available. |
Arkansas State University • Jonesboro, AL
Studying Accounting (completion in 2007)
• 1/6/2012
"I was satisfied with my school. It could have been better but it was adequate, and well within my means."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | yes | The professors are very good. And the school is very accessible. |
| Program Reputation | 6 | I would say the reputation is fairly good. My current employer always checks with my school whenever we have an opening in the accounting department. |
| Program Quality | 7 | I had no difficulty maintaining good grades, but it has been adequate for my job. I think the program could definitely have been more challenging. |
| Instruction | 7 | I think the quality was OK. There was a lot of focus on networking, which is important. |
| How Difficult | 5 | The work load was average. It didn't challenge me, but many of my classmates had a hard time. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | Instruction was mostly book learning. There were a few projects that leaned more towards hands-on learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 5 | The class schedule was fairly flexible. However there could be more online classes. |
| Academic Facilities | 6 | The accounting professors came from varied backgrounds and were able to provide lots of inspiration and help. The computer labs provided experience with accounting programs that would have been expensive to purchase personally. |
| Social Life | 4 | I didn't care for the social experience. I most like to keep to myself. I'm sure that if one was partial to social activities it would have been possible to find lots of things to participate in. |
| Placement Services | 8 | The career service was very good. I got my first job out of school without even applying for anything, as I was contacted by an employer who had seen my information on the career website. |
| Alumni Network | 5 | I have never taken advantage of the alumni network. Therefore I can't really comment on it. |
University Of Montreal HEC Montreal • Montreal, AL
Studying Finance (completion in 2000)
• 12/16/2011
"I love the modern facility and the fact that it is the best French speaking business school in North America. Besides, tuitions are very reasonable."
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale
| Characteristic | Rating | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Would Recommend? | maybe | I would definitively recommend it to those who want to pursue accounting or finance in a French speaking region. However, if you are considering work anywhere else, I would recommend going to another reputable English speaking business school. |
| Program Reputation | 5 | It is the best French speaking business school in North America. But the community is fairly small. |
| Program Quality | 6 | It is a great school program that provided me the necessary foundation to pursue my career in accounting/finance field. |
| Instruction | 6 | The quality of curriculum is good with great faculty. The career preparation was OK. |
| How Difficult | 7 | The academic challenge is great. It might be slightly difficult for foreign students considering their lack of knowledge on the program and education system. |
| Hands-On vs. Bookish | There were a lot of case-studies and projects which are pretty common for business school students. The approach provides a good mixture of hands-on and book learning. | |
| Schedule Flexibility | 3 | The program I attended was very intensive. There weren't many options. |
| Academic Facilities | The facility is very modern and comfortable. The library has plenty of books in French, but not enough in English. The study group support is fairly weak. | |
| Social Life | 6 | I only attended several social events and parties. Certainly, the school is a place to learn, but not a place to party all the way. |
| Placement Services | 2 | The job placement and career services assistance is focusing in placing graduates to French speaking world. They provide limit assistance to students who look for career opportunities in English speaking world. |
| Alumni Network | 3 | The school's alumni network is not that big. Most of their graduates are working in French-speaking provinces or countries. There is limited influence in the English speaking world. |
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