Online Accounting Bachelor's Degree
Overview
Employers need graduates who can analyze data and work through financial models, and an online bachelor’s degree in accounting can help students develop those in-demand skills. An online degree in accounting teaches students the fundamentals of business, finance, and analysis to prepare them for professional accounting careers in both the public and private sectors.
Coursework
| Example courses | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quantitative analysis | |||||||||
| Principles of accounting | |||||||||
| Business communications | |||||||||
| Business law | |||||||||
| Auditing principles | |||||||||
Core coursework for online accounting students often includes quantitative analysis, macroeconomics, internal auditing, and income taxation. These courses should help students pass the necessary exams for professional certification as a certified public accountant, certified management accountant, or certified internal auditor.
Students need to complete 150 semester hours in order to take the CPA exam, and most bachelor’s degree programs fall short of this requirement. The American Institute of CPAs recommends students continue their studies at the graduate level, earning either a master’s in accounting or an MBA with an accounting concentration. While professional certification is not required for all potential career paths, it can significantly improve job prospects, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
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Job Outlook
| Median salaries* | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | $62,000 | ||||||||
| Personal financial adviser | $64,500 | ||||||||
| Budget analyst | $68,000 | ||||||||
| Financial analyst | $74,000 | ||||||||
| Actuary | $87,600 | ||||||||
| Financial manager | $100,000 | ||||||||
*per the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
Increased focus on regulating and monitoring corporations in the wake of scandals and financial crises translates into an increased demand for accountants—particularly auditors. Accounting is the third most in-demand degree, behind only finance and computer and information science, and is among the top five majors sought by the federal government, according to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.
Career options for students with an online bachelor’s in accounting include budget analyst, tax examiner, risk manager, and personal financial adviser, to name a few.
