Accounting professors teach courses in finance, tax preparation, bookkeeping, managerial accounting, and auditing procedures. They assign projects and teach specialized accounting software. A master’s degree is required, and a doctorate is preferred. They start by teaching introductory financial accounting and progress to teaching courses in accounting practices for companies and government agencies. Proficiency in accounting information technology (AIS) is in demand.
An accounting professor teaches college-level courses in a variety of topics considered essential for a higher education degree in that field. Accounting classes can focus on finance, tax preparation, and bookkeeping for students interested in becoming public accountants. An accounting professor is also often responsible for teaching managerial accounting and auditing procedures. College professors who teach accounting often assign students a variety of projects, such as creating spreadsheets and ledgers from scratch. Many professors also instruct students in the use of specialized accounting software that they are likely to use in the workplace after graduation.
Accounting professionals interested in an academic career are often required to complete a master’s degree at a minimum, and many universities prefer to hire new professors with doctorates in a specific area of accounting. An accounting professor with non-academic professional experience is also considered a strong candidate for a teaching position. A new college-level accounting professor usually starts with teaching the basic undergraduate courses that all accounting majors must complete.
One of the first courses taught by an accounting professor is introductory financial accounting. Topics covered in this course typically include how to interpret income statements and balance sheets. A university professor also typically dedicates part of this course to instructing students how to properly prepare and update these critical accounting documents. An effective accounting professor in this type of course teaches concepts that students need to understand to succeed in more advanced accounting courses, including accounting activities and performance measurement.
Accounting professors with a few years of academic experience often teach courses in accounting practices for companies and government agencies. Students frequently learn the process of tracking, recording, and reporting income and expenses for a company that has multiple departments. An accounting professor also typically teaches auditing concepts and describes scenarios in which the auditing process is often applied. Many university accounting professors assign group projects designed to simulate a corporate accounting department.
As computer software often replaces traditional handwritten ledgers, accounting professors who are proficient in these programs are often in demand. These types of software applications are generally known as accounting information technology (AIS). Some university accounting professors may add relevant AIS applications to the financial and management accounting curriculum. Others may teach higher education courses solely on the use of AIS software.
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