A bachelor’s degree in accounting requires the completion of 120 credit hours, which typically takes four years to complete. If you are looking to become a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) as soon as possible, a bachelor’s degree in accounting is the best route. There are a variety of ways to increase the speed of your bachelor’s degree in accounting, such as:
- Enroll in an accelerated accounting bachelor’s program.
- Earn extra credits over the summer months.
- Take more than 15 credits per semester.
- Transfer previous classes or work experience for credit.
If you are looking to complete your bachelor’s degree in accounting as fast as possible, you should research schools that will accommodate your academic expectations. Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of the Top 15 Bachelor of Accounting Degree Programs for your reference. If any of the schools on the list pique your interest, you should be sure to request additional information by following the link to their program. Prospective students should also be aware of the various concentrations within the field of accounting, which include:
Featured Schools
- Accounting Information Systems
- Forensic Accounting
- Actuarial Science
- Manufacturing Cost Accounting
- Financial Accounting
- Tax Accounting
- Economics and Finance
While an accelerated degree program will allow you to earn your bachelor’s degree in accounting as fast as possible, it will require great time management skills and make it difficult to maintain employment. If you are unsure whether or not your should enroll in an accelerated program, you should check out our feature that goes into detail about Accelerated Bachelor’s Degree Programs: The Advantages and the Disadvantages.
In addition to accelerated bachelor degree programs, there are also accounting bachelor’s degree programs available in online formats, which lets students have great schedule flexibility. If you are considering an online accounting bachelor’s degree program, be sure to check out The Essential Guide to Online Bachelors Degrees. Another thing to consider is that if you have strong math and statistics skills, accounting classes should be easy for you, which will mean that homework and studying will not take as much time. Typical classes for accounting majors include:
- Principles of Financial Accounting
- Fundamentals of Accounting
- Federal Taxes and Business Strategy
- Accounting for Mergers, Acquisitions and Complex Financial Structures
- Financial Reporting and Disclosure
- Financial Statement Auditing
- Payroll Accounting
- Internal Reporting Issues
- Financial Modeling and Analysis
- Bookkeeping
- Managerial Accounting
- Accounting Principles
- Business Law
- Tax Laws
- Government Accounting
- Financial Documents/Financial Records
You should remember that education requirements as an undergraduate bachelor degree student mean accounting students will have to earn credits in other academic fields besides accounting. Besides prerequisites, typical accounting majors require the completion of 36 credits within the field of accounting, as well as another 20 or so credits within the field of business. That leaves more than 60 credits to be filled by other subject areas. Strategically choosing your elective classes can go a long way to making your degree completion a faster and easier process. Choosing classes that complement and use accounting knowledge will allow you to build a holistic knowledge base in accounting, while continuing to focus on your specialization. Internships in an accounting firm provide real-life experience.
One think to keep in mind about your career goals: an accelerated program may not give you enough college credits for the CPA licensure. Most accredited bachelor’s degrees require 120 credits of coursework, but you have to have 150 credits to take the CPA exam. Some students take five years. Your accounting career could take a little longer, then, if you want CPA certification, since you may need more credits. Keeping your CPA license also requires continuing education.
Many accounting professionals also choose other certifications in a special area of accounting, such as certified management accountant. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), a credential like that can make as much of a difference in your salary potential as much as graduate-level study.
Whatever type of degree you want, if any of the schools on our list of the Top 15 Bachelor of Accounting Degree Programs will allow you to earn your online accounting degree in your desired time frame, be sure to check out their website for more information.
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25 Best Bachelor’s in Accounting
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Top 15 Online Bachelor of Accounting Degree Programs
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