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October 11, 2014 at 1:50 am #189247Northern_TideParticipant
Was it harder to get that initial job vs. those with a Masters, Bachelors+certificate,etc
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October 11, 2014 at 8:11 am #612854AnonymousInactive
If I'm reading you right and you currently have a Bachelor's in a different subject, I would suggest seeing if through your Alma Mater or elsewhere you could get a degree in accounting with the extra 30 instead of having a degree in something different plus 30 accounting credits, simply because some HR departments will scan by “Yes degree in accounting” or “No degree in accounting” without looking at or understanding that you have as much as is required for an accounting degree. However, I have Bachelor's in Acct plus the extra 30 credits to get the 150, and haven't found that the lack of Masters has held me up. In the future, I'd like to get a Master's (MBA), but that will be for 10-years-into-career jobs, not first accounting jobs…so, I've got time to get the Master's after I'm making some more dough. 🙂
October 11, 2014 at 11:18 am #612855MamabearMemberI will say that having an MBA actually hurt me in the beginning because I was overqualified in education and under qualified in experience. I have a Bachelors in Business, not accounting, but I managed to get an accounting job right out of school. I preferred to do temporary or contract jobs so I could learn all the ins and outs of accounting (AP, Cash application, inventory accounting, etc) before I switched to general ledger accounting. I got the accounting credits to sit for the exam as individual classes, not an accounting degree seeking candidate and it's not going to hurt me at all once I pass the test, but I've been working the entire time as an accounting manager while studying for the exam. Unless you spend your time in grad school networking, your starting at level zero just like everyone else.
CPA Exam - Finally DONE (November 2014)
BEC (08/10/13) 80
AUD (08/24/13) 65 (11/13/13) 85
FAR (04/12/14) 81
REG (07/19/14) 69 (11/29/14) 87!!October 11, 2014 at 12:12 pm #612856fuzyfro89ParticipantNope. Not at all. I will say that I got an internship while still finishing undergrad and planned to do a masters. Then, realized I didn't have to do one and could get most credits through a second major (chose finance) and 2 online accounting classes to get enough major level accounting credits.
From an academic standpoint, it helped because I have a background in finance as well. Now that I'm in industry and working on treasury process improvement stuff, I'm not lost when the treasury traders, fp&a nerds, accountants, tax folks, whoever talk fancy shop, I can keep up and ask intelligent questions.
Some tax firms prefer a masters in tax, because you actually learn something valuable. To do audit or consulting, you don't need the additional accounting credits to pass the CPA.
October 11, 2014 at 1:49 pm #612857AnonymousInactiveNope. I just have a bachelor's in accounting and am finishing up 16 credits right this semester with a few filler classes such as Spanish and Psychology. I asked the firm where I am going to start working at and they said it doesn't matter what you do with the 30 extra credits, just so long as you get them. Getting a masters would obviously give you an advantage over other candidates, but it is not worth it IMO.
*Now to go take FAR!
October 12, 2014 at 4:07 am #612858Northern_TideParticipant@Austin_109
I guess thats close, Im talking about a business degree(non-accounting) + 30 ACCT. CREDITS
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October 12, 2014 at 3:27 pm #612859AnonymousInactiveYou should be fine. Especially since you are going to get your CPA license.
October 14, 2014 at 12:05 pm #612860juuustinMemberI have a social science Bachelor's in addition to my recently completed Bachelor's in Accounting. Brought me to 177 credits, fwiw. My university only required 57 additional credits to be granted the second degree. Pretty good cost/benefit if you ask me.
MD Candidate: 10/1/14
FAR - 87 (11/23/14)
REG - 87 (1/30/15)
BEC - 89 (4/19/15)
AUD - 98 (5/30/15)Ethics - 100
Experience - In Progress!
October 14, 2014 at 1:46 pm #612861AnonymousInactive“30 in accounting” is an over-simplistic way to look at the requirements. Many states (including the two I'm seeking licensure in) require a very specific education requirement. Additionally, these requirements include 36 credits of accounting-related subjects.
My requirements are:
“Education – Candidates must have graduated from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree or higher, and have at least 36 credits in accounting subjects: 24 credits in accounting and auditing, business law, finance, or tax subjects sanctioned by the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy, plus an additional 12 credits in accounting, auditing, and tax subjects. Total credit hours must equal at least 150. Accounting related credits can be completed through undergraduate or graduate courses, or a combination
of both levels of study, and do not need to be part of a degree program.”
You should look into your state requirements before selecting a degree program. FWIW, you'll probably get the best bang for your buck by some combination of community college and state school bachelors level education.
October 14, 2014 at 5:41 pm #612862AnonymousInactiveMost of the job postings I see for accounting-related positions “require” a degree in accounting, finance, or related field, but I think that is intended mostly to discourage applicants who are completely unqualified, e.g. a liberal arts grad with no relevant coursework or job experience. I don't think it is meant to exclude non-accounting majors who have a lot of accounting credits, have passed the CPA exam or are in the process of doing so, and/or have relevant work experience.
My major was finance with an accounting minor. When I applied for my first job in accounting, I didn't have any real accounting experience (I had been in estate planning since college) or any accounting coursework beyond what was required for my minor, and it did not seem to hurt me, granted it was an entry level staff accountant position. When I applied for the job I have now (controller in medical malpractice insurance), I had completed the coursework for the exam but had not sat for any section yet (was studying for FAR at the time), and it was a mark against me. But my experience in the industry won me the job. They were satisfied with the fact that I was actively preparing for the exam.
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