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</a></p>
<p>Just wondering if anybody has any information/insight about post baccalaureate accounting programs? Thanks :)</p>
<p>I must be missing something. Why would you want to spend 4 years majoring in something else only to take another 2 years of accounting courses in order to sit for the CPA? Wouldn’t it be both better and cheaper to major in accounting to begin with?</p>
<p>@taxguy
He stated that the UC he goes to, does not have accountant as a major which is why he’s deciding to do the certificate program.</p>
<p>@Californiaguy:</p>
<p>Does your school offer accounting courses at all? You don’t NEED to major in accounting in order to go into the profession; you just need to take the 9 courses that make you CPA-eligible. Since my school doesn’t offer an accounting major either (although there is a minor), many people just take the courses and major in whatever they want. Just make sure to get the 9 business courses taken care of as well.</p>
<p>So basically, if I take care of the 9 business courses, I will have enough to sit in for the CPA exam? What if I just want to start out with a career in accounting? Will taking these classes be sufficient enough? The reason why I’m contemplating taking the extension program is because I might not necessarily go to the CPA route directly out of graduation. I am just wondering how marketable the post baccalaureate certificate in accounting is compared to other accounting degrees for entry level accounting positions. I might want to work a little to gain some experience in the accounting field before deciding if pursuing a CPA is a good option for me.</p>
<p>Sorry for the misunderstanding.</p>
<p>You need 9 courses in accounting and 9 ADDITIONAL courses in business to be eligible for the CPA exam. The “business” name is somewhat deceptive though. It can be courses like economics, math, stats, etc. If you plan to try and recruit with the Big 4 (which you should, since it’s the best way to start a career in accounting), all you need is to be eligible for the CPA exam. They don’t care what major you are as long as you are eligible to sit for the test.</p>
<p>Should one work for the big 4 in order to have a successful career in accounting (salary wise)? I plan on getting certifications such as CPA, CMA, CIA regardless of where I work. The reason why I am not too high on the big 4 is because I don’t want to work 16 hour days. I am more interested in corporations.</p>
<p>CMA and CIA are worthless.</p>
<p>taxguy
He stated that the UC he goes to, does not have accountant as a major which is why he’s deciding to do the certificate program. </p>
<p>Response: oh ok. I do find it hard to believe that a UC doesn’t have any accounting major,but I guess I do understand his post now.</p>
<p>^why is it worthless?</p>
<p>“CMA and CIA are worthless.”</p>
<p>They are not worthless, but they are worse than CPA.</p>
<p>hey guys i’m looking for some advice, I wasn’t sure where to post this but here it goes. Last month I graduated with a BS in accounting from a really small liberal arts school in New Hampshire (about 2,000 students) and i’m looking for some guidance. When I enrolled at the school I didn’t necessarily know what I wanted to do, but I liked my accounting courses in high school so I ultimately decided to give accounting a shot. I ended up doing well in it, so I stuck with it and graduated with a 3.2 GPA. It’s nothing special, but I figured it was good enough to find a moderate entry level clerical job. </p>
<p>Now here’s my dilemma, my school was in the middle of nowhere (a town of 5,000 people) and I had incredible difficulty finding an internship and part-time employment related to accounting. We also didn’t have an accounting club or anything of that nature, but I did participate in a small business advisory group in which I did accounting work for various businesses, preparing pro-forma financial statements, sales projections and things of that nature. I actually really enjoyed doing this, and could see myself doing this for a career. Anyways, I spent the majority of my senior year looking for jobs relating to accounting, and came up empty. </p>
<p>Now here I am, a month graduated and extremely active on the job hunt. I’ve applied to hundreds of entry level accounting/administrative/data entry and clerical jobs, and I’ve registered with a few different temp agencies and I’ve yet to get even an interview. I’d be completely content working in an office doing data entry or arduous clerical duties for minimum wage, but even that is starting to seem like a pipe dream. Does anyone have any advice? I’ve considered going back to school, but going to an acclaimed grad school requires experience and good GMAT scores, neither of which I have. I’ve also considered going back to school and getting my BSBA from a better school, but that seems sort of redundant and like i’m moving backwards. Getting my CPA license is also a possibility, but that will takes years of studying and preparation, and I really don’t have the experience or credentials required to sit down for it. Any advice is appreciated considerably.</p>
<p>@ zenman1000,</p>
<p>Suck it up, study your ass off and do well on the GMAT, apply to a MACC program that IS HEAVILY RECRUITED, and hope you get in. As far as accounting goes, grades are important, but they don’t really mean squat if firms and companies don’t recruit there. Once there, network like ***** and hope it all works out.</p>
<p>thanks dsteve. Like they say “easier said than done”, but I appreciate your blunt honesty. Out of curiosity, don’t most grad programs require work experience? Also, is a 3.2 GPA too poor to get into a program like University of Baltimore or Suffolk University?</p>
<p>Hello taxguy/forum,</p>
<p>I have read many of your posts in this forum which I am very thankful for it, and I would like to know your honest opinion about which direction you think I should take in my education. </p>
<p>I am 45 years old (live in California), half way through my bachelor’s degree (3.9 GPA so far), and wanting to enroll in a BBA in accounting/BS in accounting. I have worked in agricultural sales (dairy) for the past 15 years, and all my background is in agriculture. I feel the need to find another challenge once I finish my education, but do not really know what area of accounting would best fit my situation. I think I would like to study taxation, and I believe I could draw clients to my business. I am also fluent in Spanish and Portuguese (was born overseas), which I think it could be an asset in the field of accounting. I am extremely motivated, I believe I have above average people’s skills, and I enjoy interacting with people and build relationships.</p>
<p>I am looking at three different online schools that have accounting degrees (online is a must for me since I have a full-time job):</p>
<p>-Brandman University (California)- BBA in accounting Online, 124-unit program. Regionally accredited. $450 per unit hour.</p>
<p>-Washington State University - BBA in accounting Online, 120-unit program. Regionally and AACSB accounting accredited. Out-of-state cost $632 per unit hour.</p>
<p>-Southern New Hampshire University - BS in accounting, 120-unit program. Regionally and ACBSP accredited. $311 per unit hour.</p>
<p>I have a few lingering questions that I would like to ask you: </p>
<ul>
<li>Is the AACSB accreditation going to give me an advantage in future employment, and is the extra $20,000 in education at WSU because of their AACSB accreditation (and out-of-state tuition) worth paying for it? (This is the only AACSB undergraduate accounting degree online I was able to find in the US!)</li>
</ul>
<p>-Is it realistic at almost 50 to have a successful career in accounting, and which field would better fit an older graduate? (Whatever it is said here, I am going forward with my degree!)</p>
<p>-Feel free to add anything else!</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your input!</p>
<p>Lusitano</p>
<p>AACSB won’t matter in employment,but you do want normal accreditation that accredits the colleges where you live.</p>
<p>As far as being realistic to have a successful career at age 50, I guess anything is possible especially if you are well connected. However, honestly, you will have a hard time of it. Few will hire you to give you the experience. You will have almost no chance of making partner at a firm unless you bring in a lot of clients. You certainly won’t make partner at a big 4, and I would highly doubt that they would even hire you. The same could be said for most accounting firms too.</p>
<p>Alot depends on what you are making now.If you are making a good living, I would stay where you are. If you are independent financially and want to try something else, go for it. If neither of the above, you are going to fight an uphill battle. It is doable with connections but since no one will probably hire you at age 50, how will you get the skills gleaned through experience?</p>
<p>If I am sounding a bit pessimistic, I apologize. However,this is the way I feel. Maybe someone with more of a pulse on the market will be able to answer this with more precision and be more current on the hiring situation.</p>
<p>Don’t forget I am human. I could very well be wrong about this.</p>
<p>Taxguy, do you have sort of advice regarding my situation? I could really use it.</p>
<p>Taxguy,</p>
<p>I appreciate your honest opinion. I will definitely take into consideration everything you posted, and hopefully I will be able to gather other opinions from the forum. </p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>Lusitano</p>
<p>zenman,</p>
<p>All you need to do is research Masters in Accounting programs and then find a list of what firms recruit that school. If the firms you are interested in recruit there, then it meets the first requirement of all MACC programs. In short, check to see if the Big 4 recruit the school so that you know it is legit.</p>
<p>As far as which MACC you go to, I would choose it more on cost and the academic environment/fit once the school meets the recruitment barrier.</p>
<p>I don’t know what your definition of success is lusitano. Yes you can probably find a job in accounting but at this point in your career you may not want to jump into an entirely different field. The partner earnings are probably not possible for you unless you can bring in a lot of business right from the get go. </p>
<p>I can tell you that I am in the same economic region you are in and the starting salaries range from 40-50k depending on a number of factors. The more they pay you the more you work and are subject to other non financial work issues like relocation and travelling. To many on this board that sounds like peanuts but in the california valley a nice two story home costs less than 200k. </p>
<p>For that salary I mentioned you will work very long hours and be subject to relocation if you work with a larger firm. Also larger firms will fire you if you fail your CPA or EA exam too many times. During tax season I anticipate working at least 55 hours a week not including lunch breaks. So I go to work at 8am and leave at 8pm. If it was a very busy week I then work 6-2 on saturdays.</p>
<p>Public accounting is a brutal industry be prepared to deal with deadlines, stressed out managers, difficult clients, and sitting on your butt for 12 hours at a time. The CPA exam also takes a ton of time to pass. It is a test of time and discipline not so much intelligence. I actually enjoy these things but most people will make up their mind in a few months if they are going to jump ship to industry after they get their license. I plan to do a masters of tax soon since my firm may pay for it after I pass my test.</p>