Accounting Degree Requirements

An Online Degree in Accounting is offered at four different levels by different online universities and colleges. Each college has its own admission requirements for specific degree programs. If you are interested in an entry level career, you can consider an Online Associate’s Degree in Accounting. However, if you are aspiring for a leadership role in the field, you can choose either a Master’s or a PhD in a specific area of Accounting.

Basic Academic Requirements For Accounting Degrees

• If you are planning to pursue an Online Associate’s Degree in Accounting, you need to have a GED or a high school diploma. Most degrees offered through online colleges have open admission policies. They require 60 quarter hours of classes which comprise of general education classes as well as classes in areas like accounting, finance and business.
• An Online Bachelor’s Degree In Accounting is at a higher level than an associate’s degree and its requirement again depend on the online school or college and its ranking. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) requires a certain amount of college credit to acquire any kind of accounting license. You can opt for a
• Bachelor of Science, a
• Bachelor of Arts or a
• Bachelor of Business Administration Degree with concentration in Accounting.

These are different based on the general education requirements they offer. These require completion of 120 credit hours with 54-60 credit hours focusing on core accounting courses. They focus on basic, intermediate and advanced accounting practices with specialization in areas like taxation, auditing, and governmental and managerial accounting.

• An Online Master’s Degree In Accounting is more advanced and involves choosing a specialization or concentrating on a general accounting degree. You can consider:
• Master of Science,
• Master of Arts,
• Master of Accountancy (MAcc) or an
• MBA with a concentration in Accounting.

The basic requirement for this online degree is an undergraduate GPA along with test scores and work experience. The credit hours need to be 30 hours with 21 focusing on accounting. Moreover, specialization needs to be 64 credit hours. It might also require a capstone project with needs to be developed, written and defended as a thesis.

• Apart from these requirements, you also need to have a license to work in a specific state. This requires about 150 credit hours of college coursework so that you can appear for the CPA Exam. It can be pursued only after completion of a bachelor’s or a master’s degree.
• Most online colleges are quite selective in offering a PhD in Accounting. Your GPA in your master’s should be very good and you need to submit academic and professional references. You also need to successfully defend your dissertation.

Each Online Degree Program in Accounting has specific requirements. It is also based on the college offering these courses. Conduct adequate research before choosing an online degree and opt only for those which are accredited by reputable accreditation agencies.