Accelerate Graduation with an Online Accounting Master's Degree Program

Both pure Master’s degrees in accounting and the new “combination” programs that allow you to earn an MBA with a special concentration in accounting are now available online from a variety of colleges and universities. There are some primarily on campus institutions, like Boston University, Rutgers University and the University of Maryland that now offer distance learning Master’s degrees. There are a number of websites that can provide you with access to many of the options available for earning an accelerated accounting Master’s degree online. You might also investigate programs, called “executive” or “fast track” Master’s degree programs, that are structured in a way that you earn a graduate degree in 10 to 15 months.

Accountant Continuing Education

Your local education community will also offer numerous accountant continuing education courses. Using the ‘Net or telephone, secure a catalog of their cpe courses, which will give you titles, syllabus, cost and class times. Many employers will be most happy to reimburse you for the cost of your accounting cpe courses as you are bringing added value to their company. You should also learn if they will reimburse for accounting cpe online, as there are now too many choices to count that provide excellent self-study continuing education for accountants, many leading to full certificate recognition.

Free Online Accounting Courses

While you would be hard pressed to find a complete, free in-depth accounting education online, there are a few free and basic accounting courses available. Websites like accountingcoach.com and wannalearn.com provide basic accounting education online, but not degree-level courses. Do not totally disregard these free online accounting courses, though. For instance, let’s assume you are in a dead-end job or career and think that accounting is a field that might interest you. Before you spend your hard-earned money and time in an online accounting degree program, spend a little time going through a few free online accounting courses to determine if accounting is really what you want. If it isn’t, you have only spent a little time and no money finding out that another field may be better for you. Should you enjoy the subject, you can proceed more confidently in evaluating the variety of online accounting degree programs that are available. You can then find an accredited online accounting degree program that gives you the education you want. It’s a total win-win situation for you.
If you want to go further, you will find Associate's and online Bachelor's degrees in accounting programs that are cost effective and provide a solid education to improve your career track in a short period of time. Pursuing an accounting degree online also gives you the option to continue working while you take your courses.

Expected Earnings With a Bachelor of Science in Accounting

• Accountant: Between $35,000 and $52,000
• Senior Accountant: Between $43,000 and $64,000
• Controller: Between $55,000 and $102,000
• CPA: Between $42,000 and $73,000
• Financial Analyst: Between $41,000 and $57,000
• Auditor: Between $40,000 and $62,000

How To Become a Certified Public Accountant

To obtain an accounting license, you must complete all formal education requirements, then take and pass the uniform examination to receive CPA certification. A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, whether earned on campus or online, is the first important step. Previously, you would have been challenged to locate an accredited accounting degree online, but you now will have a good selection of universities offering this degree. You will need a total of around 150 credit hours of university study to be eligible to take the CPA examination.

Immediately after earning your accounting degree or after some years in public accounting, you are eligible to sit for the uniform exam, which will complete your CPA license requirements upon getting a passing grade in all four parts. Yes, there are four parts to the examination and it is quite challenging. The sections are Auditing & Attestation, Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR), Regulation, and Business Environment & Concepts. If you have previously gathered information on the exam, you may notice different subject area titles for a couple of the parts. The switch to a computerized exam has caused this change. The overall subject matter, except for 21^st century updates, remains basically the same, however. Check with your state’s CPA Board, who administers the CPA exam, about any additional requirements they may have. While your state board administers the test, they do not correct it. Results (you need to score a 75 to pass) are handled by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Good luck!

CPA License Requirements

There is an education requirement and an examination that must be passed to earn a CPA certification. Since there is technically no experience requirement in many states, you can actually become a Certified Public Accountant without ever having worked for an accounting firm. You should be aware, however, that like the American Bar Association and the medical profession, the group that is already certified, in this case the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), has no desire to “give away” this designation and allow unqualified individuals into its fraternity. You must be prepared for a challenging examination covering all facets of the profession.

If your undergraduate degree is not in accounting, you will probably have to complete one or more courses, including CPA courses, to meet your state’s education requirement to sit for the CPA examination.

The examination is standardized throughout the United States and administered by your state's CPA Board and graded by the AICPA. A four part exam, its focus and titles have changed recently since the test has become a computer-based test, instead of pencil-and-paper exam. The four areas of concentration are Auditing and Attestation, Financial Accounting & Reporting (FAR), Regulation, and Business Environment & Concepts. A combination of multiple choice and simulation (essay, real world problems) questions, the exam requires an in depth knowledge of all accounting theory.

How Long Does It Take To Get an Accounting Education?

Because of the ever-changing landscape of corporate, government, and international operations, the real-world answer to the question, “How long does it take to get an accounting education?” is forever! However, on a pragmatic level, the following time periods are widely standard:

• Associate’s Degree: 18 to 24 months
• Bachelor’s Degree: 36 to 48 months
• Masters Degree or MBA: 15 to 24 months

Available Financial Aid to Earn A Degree in Accounting

The best advice for getting sufficient financial aid to get a degree in accounting is “Do your homework ! ” There are many sources of financial help, but you must find them. Use the Internet to begin your search and follow-up with your local library and directly with your school to make it all happen. As long as your school is properly accredited, you will be eligible for all the major sources of financial assistance, including grants, government and private loans and local, national, private and school scholarships.

First, research all of the possible financial sources for which you may qualify, many of which can be rather obscure. For instance, there is some type of scholarship offered by many cities, towns, states, fraternal organizations (Knights of Columbus, Masons, Elks, etc.), subject specialties (accounting, English, economics, etc.) and even ethnic-background specific aid. Second, government educational loan programs (Stafford loans, PLUS loans) and private financing (offered by many major banks, financial corporations, and others) are available with excellent repayment terms and low interest rates.
Remember that, unless your are one of the most outstanding students in the country or a bona fide national high school all-American in a major sport, which might earn you a full scholarship, you will need to put together a combination of more than one scholarship and loan program to make your financial puzzle complete. Do your research properly and your puzzle should work.