Sunday, March 24, 2024
Business

Accounting programs are Easy to Understand than You Thought 

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Records show that accounting roles began surfacing 6000-4000BC. This pivoted ancient civilization and created a base of today’s accounting systems and software. But before landing on any accounting jobs, you must sign up for an accounting program.

Technically, almost every course offered at colleges has traceable evidence showing it’s related to accounting! However, the doorway to the real accountancy world opens when you join a college offering accounting and finance programs for a bachelor’s degree or anything equivalent to that. A degree in accounting is the groundwork for intensive accounting knowledge you are about to begin building.

Accounting knowledge acquired through such education programs spans offering technical assistance and professional insight about what is demanded on the job’s market.

Accounting at degree level 

If you are planning to take any accounting programs at the degree level, prepare for four years of study. This is the general requirement at the university level unless you are taking special courses. At this stage of your academic level, you’ll begin by learning basic accounting to complicated stuff that involves practical and case studies. What are some of the accounting courses you will study at the university level?

Typically, a four-year accounting degree program will require at least 120 to 150 semester hours to complete the required coursework. The 120 semester hours are for a bachelor’s degree in accounting alone, but if you add other programs like CPA, the number of hours required hits 150. Traditionally accounting degree was enough to land you on an accounting firm or multibillion business enterprises. But due to the shifting tax laws and the continuous upgrading accounting system, CPA is now becoming a viable option to combine with your degree (we shall revisit later); let’s go to back to the example of accounting courses you should know.

  • Principals of accounting 1 

Other nations call it fundamentals of accounting 1. As the name depicts, this course is an introductory work to accounting. This course covers both finance and accounting (there is a slight difference between the two) concepts in identifying, recording, and reporting business transactions.

  • Contemporary business law 

This course gives a student insight into the USA’s legal system and how it affects a business. How organizational structure is impacted by common laws, especially the regulatory side. Don’t confuse contemporary business law and taxation even though they share the same origin.

  • Principals of microeconomics 

This course equips a learner with knowledge about basic theories and concepts on the economic side of a business.

  • You will also study courses in finance, economics, and human resource. 

As we were discussing above, a CPA and accounting degree are the golden parcel employers are looking for! What is CPA, and how is it related to accounting?

CPA is an accounting certification standing for Certified Public Accounting. CPA is standardized worldwide; hence, the qualifications are still the same irrespective of your location. The 130 semester hours may not be enough to earn you an accounting degree and CPA certification; instead, they should be at least 150. Let’s see the reasons

  • Many companies demand a dynamic employee with impeccable accounting skills: With sophisticated auditing and accounting approaches on the rise, a student needs to gather more skills in order to meet these demands. Therefore the 130 semester hours are not enough to produce a full backed student ready for this profession.
  • The proliferation of both federal and state laws into business operation requires a tough and well-educated individual capable of complying with both a business’ operation and state laws.  Plus, the constant improvement in technology is also playing a major role in making business operations more complex. That is why you need more study hours to qualify for this position.

Masters accounting programs 

Accounting knowledge is infinite, and the only way to make it appear finite is through advancing your education. Masters in Accounting program gives you the freedom to control your career and work in any field of your choice. Let’s dig a little bit deeper;

Bachelor’s degree in accounting laid a foundation for a master’s program. So it would be wise if you pursue an accounting program at the master’s level. Students with a master’s degree in any accounting discipline have access to top positions and are promoted within a short period. This gives them a competitive advantage in the job market. Furthermore, masters in accounting are a prerequisite to the CPA.

Associate degree in accounting

An associate degree in accounting is the first step in a long career path. In most cases, an associate degree in an accounting program takes only two years to build your skills in business, math, and economics to help you transfer to a bachelor’s degree or enter a workforce. Why settle for an associate degree in accounting, yet you can leap to a bachelor’s degree?

  • It’s a base for your future education 

Accounting is branded a tough course by many anti-academics making prospective students criticize their choice and finally placing them under their mattresses! But do you know, taking an associate degree in accounting will introduce you to t realm of business finance in a simple way by building your basic knowledge?  In other words, this accounting program prepares you for tougher times at the degree level.  In fact, if you take this discipline, you won’t feel the weight of financial calculators corrupting your brain by tough mathematics!

  • An associate degree lands you on a well-paying job 

Sources indicate that people with accounting associate’s degrees earn more compared to those without any degree. The two-year accounting program may not land you to a high paying career, but it’s pretty clear that you will be receiving a paycheck of more than $11000 a year compared to non-degreed employees.

  • Finance factor 

In the USA, education is expensive. However, most people pursuing an accounting associate degree tend to experience the smother side of an unbearable education system. Most associate degrees are done in community colleges. These colleges are affordable to everyone.

Accounting is one of the respectable courses in the world. Anyone who would wish to pursue this course is encouraged to do so because the job market is ready for you. But don’t stop at degree level; go for masters in an accounting program or Ph.D. you will unlock handsome opportunities. Also, don’t forget to get a CPA certification; nowadays, it’s a golden package if you combine it with your degree!