online accounting degrees

Below is a select list of online schools that offer online accounting degrees. If you're looking for an online finance degree, visit our online finance degrees page. We also have a page for online accounting classes if you're not ready to commit to a degree program.

Learn all about a career in accounting before starting your school search.

Accounting Career Information

A CPA (Certified Public Accountant) is an accountant who handles a number of important business financial transactions and record keeping procedures. They work directly with the public. The job description of a CPA is broad and can range from doing the recordkeeping for a small company to managing every account in a huge conglomeration.

Getting Your Education

To become a CPA, you must complete a course of study at an accredited college or university. Strength in mathematics is a necessary quality for anyone interested in becoming a CPA. Programs can range from two to four years. The list of required courses can vary from college to college, but a typical list involves the following courses:

• Accounting Software
• Algebra
• Auditing
• Business Economics (Three years)
• Business Introduction
• Business Law
• Business Operations
• Business Statistics
• Calculus
• Communications
• Cost Accounting
• Critical Reading
• Database Management
• English Composition (Four years)
• Ethics
• Financial Reporting (Four years)
• Health Sciences
• Macroeconomics
• Managerial Accounting (Four years)
• Marketing
• Money and Banking
• Principles of Management
• Science (Your choice)
• Spreadsheets
• Taxes
• Word Processing

Many colleges and universities also require a few credits in world history and community service. It is beneficial to look into work-study programs that offer you the chance to work for an accounting company while you are attending college. After graduation, many companies will not accept accountants without previous work experience, so it can be helpful to have the necessary work experience beforehand.

In 2005, the requirements for getting your CPA license changed. Those interested in becoming an accountant must now have at least 150 hours semester hours beyond the four year program. This means that the two-year programs that were once acceptable are no longer accepted in many states, and other states require additional schooling after receiving a bachelor's degree. The only states that will still grant a CPA license without completing the additional 150 hours are: Colorado, Delaware, New Hampshire, and Vermont.

Taking the Examination

Once the college degree has been received, you must pass the CPA examination. CPA examinations are held in every state and must be passed before your accounting license is granted. The CPA examination requires two days to complete. The test is computerized and given in four parts. To receive your license, the four parts must be passed within a certain amount of time. If you do not pass more than two parts, you are allowed to retake those parts that were failed within a certain amount of time. Only 25% of those attempting the CPA exam actually pass all four sections the first time they take it.

CPA licenses must be renewed every two years. Many states require you to complete an additional 40 hours of education per year to be eligible for renewal.

Job Outlook and Salary

Changing laws have helped ensure that careers in accounting climb steadily. As job growth increases, the number of open positions skyrockets. This is helping many graduates to quickly find a well-paying job.

The yearly salary for a CPA depends on how many years the accountant has been in his or her field. Entry-level CPA's can expect to make $36,000 to $44,000 every year. Typically, states in the middle of the country (Kansas, Iowa, etc.) tend to fall on the bottom of that scale, while states in New England and in the west (California, Washington, etc.) are on the high end of the scale. The national average is close to many areas at falls at $40,000.

A level II accountant is one with two to four years of experience. By this point, the median wage is $48,000. $43,000 is the low end of the salary range and $53,000 is the high end. Senior accountants earn between $53,000 and $65,500. The national average currently stands at $58,000. Level III accountants have typically worked in their field for four to six years. Senior accountants will often manage entry level CPA's.

Responsibilities

Duties of a CPA can include:

• Profit and loss statements
• Balance sheets
• Analyzing current trends
• Analyzing costs and expenses
• Managing a company's financial obligations
• Sharing budget forecasts
• Preparing tax statements
• Preparing financial reports
• Handling sales reports
• Computing benefit amounts
• Explaining investments
• Installing and teaching accounting software
• Auditing records
• Completing year end reports

The company for whom the CPA is employed determines the CPA's duties. CPA's can be self-employed and handle the books for many different companies, or work for a larger in-house certified public accounting firm who hires a number of accountants.

Certified public accountants spend several hours daily going over company financial records for one or more companies. They can spend hours poring over books, balancing budgets, comparing investments, and coming up with cost-cutting measures that can save a company hundreds or thousands of dollars.

There are many honest accountants out there, but there is an increasing number of CPA's who embezzle funds without a company knowing that they are losing money. Unfortunately, these dishonest people are ruining the reputation of many trustworthy CPA's.

The result is a new breed of CPA, forensic CPA's. Their job is to go into company financial statements and check for signs of embezzlement. This field is growing steadily and offers thousands of jobs every year.

Becoming a CPA requires dedication and lots of hard work. If working with numbers appeals to you, look into a career in public accounting.

For more information, you may be interested in reading our article about becoming a management accountant.

Is there an online accounting degree that we don't have listed? If we do not have a certain program listed that you know to be reputable, we would love to hear from you. Please email us regarding any programs that you think should be listed on our website.