Because accountants must follow strict regulations, the education they receive should be top-notch and certified. Accountingcoach.com states that the accounting program at a college or university should be accredited by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) or at the very least, recognized by that state's accountancy board. The AACSB, an international organization, works to promote accountancy standards at business and accounting schools all over the world, according to the AACSB website.
Accountants can work in a variety of positions that require different types of degrees, from entry-level bookkeepers to mid-level tax accountants. Depending on what type and level of accounting job they want to secure, accounting students can choose to purse a two-year associate degree, four-year bachelor degree or master's degree program, according to CampusExplorer.com. Many accountants aim to become a Certified Public Accountant, a certification issued by each state's board of accountancy that requires additional education and testing beyond a two or four-year degree, according to accountingcoach.com.
Each college and university has its own curriculum for accounting degrees, but generally courses include many classes in general business with topics like business economics, business law and business ethics, states uscollegesearch.org. The accounting curriculum also includes more accounting-specific classes like bookkeeping, tax principles and auditing. For example, the University of Michigan accounting degree includes general business courses, along with courses in accounting principles, federal taxation, business forecasting and finance, according to the university's website.
Though not every accounting college or university requires an internship as part of the curriculum, internships help accounting students learn more about specific accounting positions. As the American Institute of CPAs states, internships can help accounting students apply classroom learning to real-life situations and learn professional skills before officially entering the professional world. The job placement office, professors and even other students can all be resources for finding internships.
Most accounting colleges and universities have job placement offices that help new graduates secure jobs and internships. Accountingcoach.com suggests asking a college's job placement office what accounting firms recruit at that college. A high-quality accounting school will receive visits from the well-known, successful accounting firms like Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers, as well as other large business corporations.