Universities with accounting programs offer degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The Indiana University at Bloomington, for instance, offers a bachelor of science degree in accounting as well as a master's of business administration in accounting, a master's of science in accounting and a Ph.D. in accounting. The University of Texas at Austin, on the other hand, offers a bachelor degree in accounting, a master's in professional accounting and a Ph.D. in accounting. Some universities, like New York University, also offer graduate degrees with a CPA specialty.
Common courses in accounting programs include financial accounting, auditing, cost management, computer-based accounting systems and fundamentals of taxation. At the undergraduate level, these courses provide foundation information in accounting. In accounting graduate programs, students take more specific courses and tailor their program to their career interests. Graduate-level courses include international taxation, empirical research in accounting, capital markets-based research and management auditing.
Accounting programs often offer students various avenues to conduct research. At the University of Texas at Austin, the C. Aubrey Smith Center offers auditing research opportunities. The university also offers general accounting research workshops. The University of Pennsylvania has research opportunities in fields such as securities analysis and the design of executive compensation contracts. Doctoral students at Indiana University at Bloomington are urged to conduct research with faculty members or on their own. Al student research of quality has the possibility of being published.
Admission into upper division accounting programs typically require an undergraduate degree in accounting or a similar subject. The University of Texas at Austin has admission criteria for its master's in professional accounting degree for two different tracks: undergraduate accounting students and undergraduate economics students. It's also possible to earn that degree concurrently with a bachelor degree in business accounting through the integrated approach program. All programs require students to take the GRE or GMAT exam and most require letters of recommendation.