Overview
Professional recognition through certification or other designation provides a distinct advantage in the job market for aspiring accountants. Certification attests to professional competence in a specialized accounting concentration. Accountants can seek credentials from a wide variety of professional societies, and a certificate in accounting will give students a leg up against the competition.
Requirements
People planning a career in accounting should have an aptitude for mathematics and should be able to analyze, compare and interpret facts and figures quickly. They should also be able to interact with clients and managers both verbally and in writing in order to clearly deliver the results of their work. Because of the wide variety of skills that accounting requires, accountants must be good at working with people, business systems and computers. Financial decisions are made on the basis of accounting statements and services, so accountants should have high standards of integrity and be honest in communicating their findings.
Coursework
The accounting certificate curriculum usually consists of 7 required courses (3 core courses and 4 specialization elective courses) for a total of 18–19 semester units. Normal required courses include introduction to financial accounting, introduction to management accounting and a higher level financial accounting course. Other courses required for the certificate program vary based on the chosen specialization. A bachelors degree is required for graduate accounting certificate programs but not necessary for undergraduate accounting certificate programs.
Potential Jobs
After receiving your certificate in accounting, you will be a specialized member of the business community. As a Professional Accounting Services Specialist, you will have the benefits of job security, professional advancement and a good, steady income. As a skilled and competent Accounting Services Specialist, you will be able to pursue bookkeeper or clerk jobs in accounting departments, where you will keep track of financial records and transactions. This degree gives you the opportunity to work in a variety of industries – you’ll always have the opportunity to find employment whether it is as a bookkeeper in a major accounting firm or as a financial advisor in a small, local business.
Salary
After graduating with an undergraduate certificate in accounting, you should be able to earn up to $40,000 a year. A graduate certificate will open up more jobs, increasing your earning potential further.
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Overview
As technology
evolves and moves business more online, it’s important to possess both
computer skills and a solid business background. Today, experience alone
does not suffice. Increasingly, business practitioners favor a strong
academic and theoretical background to truly prepare for the global
business market. As MBAs become more prevalent in the business world,
earning a doctorate - Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) or PhD in
Business - remains the best way for the truly ambitious businessperson
to distinguish him or herself.
Prerequisites
Undergraduate degree,
usually a few years of work experience and the Graduate Management
Admission Test (GMAT).
Time Commitment
Without a masters degree, a
doctoral program will take 6 - 8 years, depending on whether enrollment
is full or part-time. With an MBA, the doctoral process will require 4 - 5 years. Whether you seek to start your own business or become a CEO of
an existing corporation, an online PhD affords you tremendous
flexibility by allowing you to finish your academic work at your own
pace.
Concentrations
Doctoral candidates can pursue a variety of
concentrations including: business management,
human resource management, nonprofit management, business leadership, finance and accounting.
Curriculum
Regardless of concentration, classes taken through the top
online schools emphasize management philosophies, business risks,
managerial practices and the relationship between technology and
business. A dissertation is required for graduation.
Career Potential
No degree can guarantee job or salary security, but a high level of
education sets students up for future success. One avenue open almost
exclusively to DBAs is academia. For full-time teaching and research
positions, most schools prefer a doctorate.
Salary
According to a 2001
study, the average starting salary for new doctorates was $85,900. In
the fields of finance and accounting, the average salaries were $95,000
and $101,500, respectively. These figures represent doctoral graduates
entering academia. Students pursuing consulting or starting their own
businesses have much higher salary potential. In 2004, the Bureau of
Labor Statistics reported the average CEO’s salary as $140,350.
DBA vs. PhD
The DBA and PhD degrees are academically equivalent. Both
entail rigorous courses with a heavy emphasis on research. The central
difference lies in the fact that PhDs focus more on theoretical research
versus DBAs who scrutinize practical applications. In both programs,
students must write and defend a doctoral dissertation and take a
comprehensive exam. Both degrees prepare graduates for academic careers
in teaching and research, or high-level business industry positions.
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Overview
If you want a degree that
is versatile and practical, consider an online Masters of Business
Administration (MBA) from one of the top online schools. An MBA studies
management, finance, economics, entrepreneurship and other business
disciplines.
Prerequisites
Undergraduate degree, usually a few years
of work experience and the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT).
Potential Applicants and Career Paths
Some individuals decide to
pursue their MBA in order to facilitate a career change. Others hope to
upgrade their career or salary potential and enhance their skill set.
Some MBA students begin their graduate studies directly upon finishing
their undergraduate degree, but this is a select, small minority.
Timeline
Full-time students can earn their degree in 2 years while
those pursuing the degree part-time can expect to invest 3 or 4 years,
depending on their scheduling.
Curriculum
An online MBA teaches
classic business principles and the latest industry trends, while
providing greater insight into working with computers and navigating
internet resources. Whether you plan to start your own enterprise or
someday occupy an executive’s chair, an online MBA affords you
tremendous career flexibility. Most MBA programs require a cumulative
project or thesis to complete the accredited online degree. With an MBA,
you’ll stand ready to climb the corporate ladder or launch your own
innovative venture.
Concentrations
Students in online graduate
business programs can specialize in a number of fields including:
business leadership, finance, supply chain management, real estate, marketing, human
resource management and process management.
Value to Employers
Today, employers demand more education and expertise from their employees. MBA degrees
are especially popular since the program prepares students for advanced
leadership roles in business or government.
Salary Potential
When weighing the worth of an MBA versus concentrating on work, consider a recent survey
of business workers with varying backgrounds; the study found that CFOs
without a degree had an average salary of $38,920, those with a
bachelors earned $88,836 while MBAs earned an average of $104,284. Some
studies indicate that MBAs earn up to 145% more over their lifetime than
non-degree holders. The Graduate Management Admission Council suggested
that post-MBA salaries could jump up to 50% over pre-degree salaries.
While geographic location and experience ultimately determine just how
much a person will make, MBAs average starting salaries of $76,000 to
$90,000 upon graduation.
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