Accounting degree requirements vary by institution and type, with associate degrees offering an introduction to accounting, bachelor’s degrees requiring 120 credit hours with 50-60 accounting courses, and master’s degrees requiring an additional 30 credit hours with advanced courses in financial accounting, management accounting, and ethics. A bachelor’s degree or sometimes a master’s degree is required for professional accounting certification. Specializations are mostly left for master’s degrees.
An accounting degree is often the first step towards a career in accounting or business. Accounting degree requirements may vary, depending on educational institution, type, and specializations. In summary, associate degrees require about 60 credit hours of tuition, bachelor’s degrees 120 credit hours with 50 to 60 accounting courses, and master’s degrees an additional 30 credit hours with 18 to 21 in the accounting course. accounting. If an individual plans to obtain professional accounting certification, a bachelor’s degree or sometimes a master’s degree is required. State requirements, professional accounting organization guidelines, and other considerations may also influence undergraduate accounting requirements for course work.
Associate degrees in accounting offer nothing more than an introduction to the course work that leads to an accounting career. The 60 credit hour limit is not enough for most professional certifications, essentially negating the true purpose of this degree. Individuals who earn associate degrees learn both accounting principles and intermediate accounting, but in most cases no advanced concepts. The degree is still useful for getting an introductory accounting position, however. Accountants or those who already have accounting experience can benefit most from this degree.
Bachelor’s degree is the most common goal for those wishing to enter the accounting profession. Accounting degree requirements, therefore, are quite similar across all educational institutions, as guided by professional accounting organizations. Mentioned earlier, around 50-60 credit hours should be in accounting, with course work including accounting principles, intermediate accounting, and advanced accounting with specific training in cost or managerial accounting, auditing, taxation, and other high-level topics . The remaining courses in this degree are usually business related such as management, corporate finance and basic economics. Few specializations can be at the bachelor’s level as they are mostly left for master’s degrees.
A master’s in accounting tends to have a minimum of 30 credit hours toward accounting degree requirements. Accounting courses in these degrees must be between 18 and 21 credit hours, with advanced courses in financial accounting, management accounting, and ethics, among others. However, specialized degrees may require up to 64 credit hours in total course work. Accounting degree requirements that include a specialization like taxation, cost accounting, auditing, or other advanced work tend to have extra credit hours. A master’s degree is a good option for individuals who want to go into public accounting or some other field where a specialized degree is needed to succeed.
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