Depending on your interest in accounting and your educational background, you have the option of three different types of degree. An associate degree is the most basic certification in accounting and takes 2 years to complete. A bachelor's degree in accounting is awarded after successful completion of a 4-year program of study. A master's degree in accounting is a 2-year program that you complete after earning a bachelor's degree in the field.
University accounting programs provide students with a comprehensive guide to the accounting practice, allowing them to specialize in a given area and work in a preferred field. Typical university programs include courses on general accounting, which teaches finance and financial reporting. Cost accounting focuses on cost behavior, process costing and other practices related to cost. Other courses in the program include taxation, financial reporting, information systems related to accounting and auditing.
After you have earned a university degree in accounting, you can choose to specialize in one of several areas. These areas include a certified public account, certified financial accountant and certified management accountant. Each has specific criteria involved with the position, and a student must pass a test to be licensed. Certified public accountants often work as taxation accountants while certified financial accountants can hold a variety of roles in the private and public sectors. Certified management accountants also learn accounting management systems to prepare for roles as supervisors or managers.
Upon graduating from university, or even during your course of study, you may be drawn to one type of work in accounting. Four types of accounting exist according to the U.S. Department of Labor: public accounting, management accounting, government accounting and internal auditing. Public accounts can work in tax clinics or for corporations. Management accounts work with setting budgets, organizing financial records and analyzing finances. Government accountants often work for revenue agencies and can also work on government spending. Internal auditors work with private corporations or the government to analyze spending and ensure accounting practices are correct.