<p>Question: My offer for an internship with Big4 firm states that you “must maintain at a minimum, your current GPA”</p>
<p>They told us that this is not strictly enforced, but if I drop down from a 3.75 to a 3.71, will they revoke my offer? The drop is caused by a “C” I received in tax. For the record, I am not going into tax, I’m going into Audit. And I did get an “A” in audit. </p>
<p>I appreciate any advice you can give.</p>
<p>soontobeunemployed.</p>
<p>haha, I hope not! they acted like it really was just a technical thing, so people don’t give up cause they have the internship. but I just wanna make sure.</p>
<p>Doubt they will care</p>
<p>The audit partner is gonna go ape if he finds out your GPA dropped. You should send him an email explaining what caused the drop. Make sure you CC the entire office as well :D</p>
<p>Didn’t realize there were so many comedians on this forum! Silly me for actually taking a statement on my contract seriously.</p>
<p>Relax, its an internship offer. </p>
<p>Now go find a box of tickmarks from the supply room.</p>
<p>For the amount of money I’m making, I’ll be glad to.</p>
<p>This is from the PICPA website…</p>
<p>Q: What are the education requirements effective Jan. 1, 2012?
A: On Jan. 1, 2012, candidates will need to have graduated with a bachelors or masters degree and completed at least 150 credit hours, with 36 semester-credits in accounting subjects. These subjects include accounting and auditing, business law, finance, and tax subjects acceptable to the Pennsylvania State Board of Accountancy (SBOA). Accounting-related credits can be accomplished through undergraduate, graduate, a combination of both levels of study, but not limited to or necessarily part undergraduate or graduate work</p>
<p>my question is, where can I find out what classes pass as “acceptable” to the SBOA? and yes, I did already try to look on the PA State Board of Accountancy website to no avail…</p>
<p>I have 33 credits in accounting and 3 credits in Finance, with over 150 overall. Certainly, the accounting classes count towards the 36, but how do I find out if my Finance class does? I graduate in May and I would so loathe having to take a class over the summer to get to the 36. </p>
<p>thanks!</p>
<p>If it’s not listed in any of the reference material (most states just list the basic requirement) then I would e-mail a contact from the website who represents your state board. </p>
<p>Here in Michigan our finance requirement is Managerial Finance, some schools call it Managerial Accounting 2, and many other names. Most likely why it isn’t listed is because every school has a different name for each class. </p>
<p>Just make sure you have everything else, some schools like Ohio State don’t require auditing or Intermediate Accounting 2 which in turn screws over some graduates.</p>
<p>Ok so we agree that there is some outsourcing (mostly in tax), but its nothing major.</p>
<p>But what about a double major or having a minor with accounting as your main squeeze. Accounting/finance or accounting/economics. Which is better?? Does anyone have any experience with these, or specialization or accounting info systems??</p>
<p>Im a freshman and leaning towards just getting into a MAcc program. Somebody with some experience with these things or any advise/insight please help!!!</p>
<p>“But what about a double major or having a minor with accounting as your main squeeze. Accounting/finance or accounting/economics. Which is better?? Does anyone have any experience with these, or specialization or accounting info systems??”</p>
<p>Specialization is the best idea as I’ve been told by industry/big 4/private professionals. For instance, a recruiter for E & Y started out working in insurance sales while getting his accounting BBA from our school and after graduation was hired by E & Y to work with insurance clients because of his specialization. He does none of your typical accounting, it only adds to his specialized area. </p>
<p>I’m on track with a tax specialization but I’m being pushed towards accounting information systems because of my background in programming and information systems, this is a suggestion from three recent MAcc grads from a tax program who were offered less money when compared to their Information Systems and Audit Controls (ISACs) class members. The ISACS person I work with recently billed a small project $45,000 because the market has that advantage, and obviously these numbers are relative to area and work load. </p>
<p>The guidelines on education for a CPA license usually state no more than 6 credits of economics which I personally mean that more is wasting knowledge better spent in another area for this career. Adding to that, economics is a broad set of tools that you most likely will never use and thus a waste. Personal opinion based on what I’ve read, spend some time googling it if you’re actually interested in that as a backup. </p>
<p>Finance? Also kind of a waste if you were in my program because we already have a finance foundation including investments and international markets woven into our required course work. </p>
<p>If technology is your thing, you can do no harm backing your accounting up with that. You can become CPA and CISA certified, there are only 85,000 CISA holders in the world currently. Maybe you want to do valuation, or financial analysis, or other related fields that could benefit from more classes from what you mentioned but I wouldn’t spend money concentrating in those areas. </p>
<p>I personally asked the specialization question to those working in the Big 4 because I know what I don’t want to do which is just straight audit. Currently speaking from the point of view holding a BBA in Business/Info Systems and BBA in Accounting working for small firm as a tax specialist and small law tax advisory. Prepping for the CPA exam and deciding if I should do a MAcc Tax or apply for Mid - Large firms next fall when my 2nd BBA is finished.</p>
<p>WOW!! Thanks for the insight i really appreciate it.</p>
<p>I dont know if people are noticing, but the “accounting major buzz” is on the incline and spreading like wildfire, due to obvious reasons(stability,earnings etc.). Im only a sophmore and i believe this field is going to be pretty competetive by the time i graduate. This is a reason for me wanting to aquire another relevant degree or specify my education(specialization), as something to stand out. Another reason is i personally want something extra with my accounting. Just a masters and becoming a cpa is too bland.</p>
<p>Bsically; throwing finance or economics in the equation is out the window. I only even considered because i had heard that it made you extremely marketable, opening doors that accounting alone wouldnt have and could increase your salary. Also the overlaps in curriculum can be looked at two ways. 1) That it would make it easier to incorporate, finacially and time-wise(arguing FOR its addition assuming the benefits) or 2) that the curricular commonalities are adequate enough, rendering it uneccessary to fully incorporate, again assuming it beneficial. Ultimately i agree with you that adding finance or economics wouldnt do much.</p>
<p>I have plenty of time to deciede, but im finally down to specialization and throwing in a technnological information system. If i specialize it would definitely be in tax, im glad to hear that its the best idea. But as far as technology, its the future, you can never go wrong. Probably why the info systems and audit controls guys where offered more money, i will definitely look into it, CISA doesnt sound bad at all.</p>
<p>When you throw in tech it gets a little confusing, so we have ISACS and AIS. I would like to add MIS, which i hear is the most rewarding tech/info system to add with your accounting, though tough to pull of as a second major. </p>
<p>Do you have any insight about MIS? Which of these is best to add for a double major? Am i missing any that are related/relevant to accounting? Would making it just a minor be effective enough for the full benifits? What are the jobs you could get with the combo of the accounting degree and each of these 3 IS? I dont quite understand your education history, how long have you been in school and exactly which IS did you do (i get the BBA in acc.), did you double major?</p>
<p>I would like to throw in the fact that i would like to aquire my masters no matter what. So if i specialize in tax, i want to do a MAcc Tax like you are thinking about. If i throw in one of the tech/info systems, it would be paired with a MAcc.</p>
<p>OMG!!! I just had a thought. Correct me if im wrong but i noticed that most of the tech/info systems are geared towards audit. Like the ISACs you mentioned sounds as if it goes hand in hand with being CISA certified. They told me when i started accounting that i would have to choose between tax and audit. So the million dollar question is: “Is there a tech/info system that is specificly tax orientated”??? If so i will call it a day and specialize, getting a MAcc Tax and a Bachelors in that tech/info system.</p>
<p>Hi, I am a senior in high school and I am looking at Illinois State University, University of Iowa, Ohio State University and Mizzou for their accounting program. At first I looked at Northern Illinois as well, but due to the recent murder there, I decided against attending there. Are these schools a good choice for accounting?
I keep getting calls from these online schools like University of Phoenix, Western International somebody and CTU. These schools say they are regionally accredited and they are the same as the schools I am applying to. But none of the state schools call me everyday three and four times a day. How can I stop the madness.</p>
<p>I want to bump this post because of my own interest and add my own specific question. I am a sophomore in college very much considering accounting, possibly even a mAcc accounting program, with that said, I’ve been looking at the possibilities of double majors and I am interested to know what works best with accounting, whether its helping with accounting itself or helpful in specializing skills for the market. I also have interest in finance, scm, mis, risk management, so I’d be interested to hear any insights on this.</p>
<p>Masterstudent let me answer a few pieces of your post but also keep in mind this is just from my personal background, area, and each region has different standards. </p>
<p>"When you throw in tech it gets a little confusing, so we have ISACS and AIS. I would like to add MIS, which i hear is the most rewarding tech/info system to add with your accounting, though tough to pull of as a second major. "</p>
<p>Accounting Info Systems and ISACS are taught as the same program at graduate schools in my area. Often, it is called the “AIS Track” to prepare for ISACS work. Michigan State University and Bowling Green State University graduate the best pedigree in this track because they focused their MAcc programs around that specialization. </p>
<p>“Do you have any insight about MIS? Which of these is best to add for a double major? Am i missing any that are related/relevant to accounting? Would making it just a minor be effective enough for the full benifits? What are the jobs you could get with the combo of the accounting degree and each of these 3 IS?”</p>
<p>Management Information Systems at my school was actually just a class you can take under the Computer and Information Systems degree. The core classes are usually program writing and databases. I had to take Visual Basic, Java, and C+ programming to start. It all follows the same logic as accounting so your brain really is ready for both. As far as a minor, if you can double major I would recommend it, because with minors no one really takes them as serious. You can’t minor in accounting and get hired as a controller. Usually a minor is just a supporting skill set to something else. That goes for any field so just think about it like this, do you want to master a field or just dabble in it to understand it? As for jobs, typically you go into AIS Audit for accounting firms. For instance, our firm was hired by a school system recently to examine their controls. The printouts you read aren’t as long as many financial statements standard auditors poor over, but it depends. AIS audit is not the popular field because it takes an extra skill set in addition to accounting where many students are just focused on mastering accounting. </p>
<p>“I dont quite understand your education history, how long have you been in school and exactly which IS did you do (i get the BBA in acc.), did you double major?”</p>
<p>I’m 25, I graduated high school with 30 college credits and certified as a computer tech as well as a network administrator. I also began managing full-time the month I graduated high school. I started my first BBA in Business Admin when I graduated but only minored in Comp Info Sys because I had enough background training, and I was getting bored. I was promoted a lot because I’m that rare tech guy with a big personality and I love retail. So, managing various stores for 6 years caused me to extend my first BBA to spring 2011. Great, I graduated with a degree in a field I had a career in but didn’t feel was a great long-term option. Accounting had come up a lot, and I loved the course work, so this past fall I re-enrolled into a 2nd BBA program, this time a BBA in Accounting. So yes, I will now have 2 SEPARATE degrees, both are BBA. Some schools only issue one degree in the business department, mine does issue multiple degrees. I am at the same school so my 2nd degree only requires 30 credits of all Accounting courses. Because I came back and have a stellar reputation with the accounting department, the heads of the department who used to work for BIG 4 brought me into their firm where they have consistently in the past “prepped” other graduates and moved them into the Big 4 with other students from our school. It pays to go to a school with connections AND a good reputation, not just one or the other. </p>
<p>Anyway, under my first BBA, I also worked for our local prosecutors office and a local attorney because I thought I might like law school to be a tax lawyer. I was accepted to law school when I graduated but I made the better decision to get this 2nd degree in accounting. Currently, I’m not doing anything with my IT knowledge because I’m focused on the tax work and I personally feel that tax will be where I stay. Basically, I built a nice resume while figuring my next career move out and gave myself some nice options. It sucks that in terms of age I feel a little on the old side but as I mentioned in previous posts the contact I’ve had with recruiters has made that a positive for me. </p>
<p>It’s fun to be a jack of all trades, but I do suggest figuring out what your passion is. You’re more marketable when an employer can mentally place you where they want you and then develop you in different areas later.</p>
<p>In response to you considering a MAcc, keep in mind that most programs allow you to choose a “track” (Audit, Tax, AIS) so that you can specialize. If you choose AUDIT or TAX you can still take classes in AIS and if you choose AIS you can take TAX or AUDIT. One of my mentors did TAX with AIS electives. Some projects require a combined knowledge in more than one area which makes you again, more marketable. The people who run these MAcc programs will steer you from doing audit and tax together because you basically already get enough of each in their own track and it is kind of redundant, but some people just need the extra confidence boost so they take all they can get. </p>
<p>Audit and Tax are only separated at the Big 4 level, most regional mid size firms will hire you to do both. Plante Moran for example specifically hires for the position of Audit/Tax specialist. It is okay to prefer one over the other, but you need your foundations. As I said above, if you do a MAcc you will get a lot of cross training and you can hand select the rest of your learning.</p>
<p>I looked but I couldn’t find an answer on these forums nor with the California State Board of Accountancy website. I just finished up my bachelors from an accredited university with 190 quarter units. So I still need 35 more quarter units to meet the 225, thus, I plan on taking courses at a community college.</p>
<p>I have several questions:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Do accounting courses taken at a community count towards the 24 semester unit total required to sit for the CPA exam?</p></li>
<li><p>Does AP credit from high school (which counted for university) count towards the total unit total?</p></li>
<li><p>Here are a list of courses at the community college I’m looking to take. I just want to make sure these courses will indeed count as accounting courses:
a. ‘Accounting for Small Business’
b. ‘Payroll/Business Tax accounting’
c. ‘cost accounting’
d. 'accounting for govt/non-profit.</p></li>
<li><p>As far as the 24 business course units required, do lower level statistics and econ courses count as well? </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thanks for the help. This is for the state of California. Tried calling the state board, looked all over google but couldn’t find the answers.</p>
<p>Sorry for double post. I have already accepted a Big 4 offer so the community college route (cheaper) rather than a Masters in Taxation program was a non-issue with the firm. (this info just to save that whole spiel about going to Masters or not haha)</p>
<p>I do see this: <a href=“http://www.dca.ca.gov/cba/applicants/tip_sheet.pdf[/url]”>http://www.dca.ca.gov/cba/applicants/tip_sheet.pdf</a></p>
<p>But it doesn’t necessarily provide specific details as to what courses actually count as accounting courses. I assume the courses I listed above count, but I just wanted to double check. Unfortunately at the UC, they don’t even offer some of the courses that are offered at a community college I’ll be taking classes at (Foothill), which is why I’m taking a few extra courses, along with Becker, to prepare myself for the CPA.</p>
<p>Houshyomamma -</p>
<p>The classes listed under the 24 credit hours of Accounting section are your MUST HAVES to even just sit for the CPA. You posted above that you were going to take tax, non-profit/Govt, and cost? In my state you wouldn’t even be allowed to sit for the test until those classes were done. The core is mostly what they care about.</p>
<p>I have a feeling you’ve not completed the entire core needed to even start sitting.</p>
<p>You shouldnt “specialize” in one of these subjects because you think it will make you more competitive for a job, cause that won’t necessarily happen. The best way to be competitive is to get top grades and demonstrate that you are well-rounded. </p>
<p>If you want to go into tax, then specialize that. If you want to do info systems audits, major in MIS. Otherwise recruiters only care that you qualify to sit 4 the cpa exam.</p>