Earn a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree in Accounting
Majors Overview May 2, 2014Students will be provided with a foundation in cost, tax preparation, finance, and auditing with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) program in Accounting. Those who graduate from this program will be prepared to take the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam and enter the professional world.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree Programs in Accounting
Students enrolled in an Accounting bachelor’s degree program are imparted focused education on subject areas such as accounting, business law and finances, and are required to work with economics, statistics and numbers. Students seeking continued education aimed at becoming Certified Management Accountants (CMA) or CPAs would particularly benefit by enrolling in these programs. Many programs are devised to build on a foundation of liberal arts education, augmented by a focus on career-specific Accounting and Business programs. Some programs also offer undergraduate accounting options in the form of Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a concentration in accounting.
Admission criteria typically require incoming students to hold a GED certificate or high school diploma.
Coursework
Coursework in a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree program in Accounting usually combines practice and theory, with many courses focused on economics, business, statistics, marketing, management or accounting. Coursework may include topic areas such as:
•Finite mathematics
•Statistics
•Macroeconomics
•Business computer skills
•Cost accounting
•Auditing
•Marketing
Career Choices
Through accounting, a company is provided with the information necessary in planning future growth, staying in good fiscal shape and tracking its business history. Accounting is a general language employed in numerous areas such as the nonprofit sector, corporate offices, and Wall Street. A job growth of 16% has been predicted for accountants and auditors during the decade from 2010 to 2020 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). In May 2012, accountants and auditors earned an average annual wage of $63,550, with a salary at the highest level exceeding $111,510. Earning a bachelor’s degree could help graduates seek various careers including:
•Tax adviser
•Accountant
•Bankers
•Financial analysts
•Financial planner
Continuing Education Choices
Graduates of bachelor’s degree programs in Accounting can seek continued education in accounting by enrolling in PhD, master’s degree, and graduate certificate programs in the field. Continued education could also help qualify students to take professional certification exams to become CPAs or CMAs, thereby enhancing their career and income prospects. Accounting students are commonly allowed to transfer credits earned in an undergraduate program to a graduate program whereby they can complete a BS and MS program within five years, or where they can use graduate certificate coursework to help prepare for enrollment in a master’s degree program. Graduate accounting students may specialize in the field in areas such as auditing or taxation, by choosing elective courses or concentration options.