A master’s degree in accounting can
be obtained from any number of universities and colleges around the country.
This professional level degree provides students with ample opportunities upon
graduation. The main goal of this program is to provide students with the
necessary coursework that prepares them for taking their CPA exam. Most of the
time, states require the student to have completed at least 150 hours of
undergrad and graduate level accounting coursework before being eligible to
take the CPA exam. Even for those who have a BA in accounting, more credits
will be needed to take the exam. However, if you have worked for two years in
the accounting field and you have your BA, you are eligible to take the exam.
Some of those who get their
master’s degree do so to help them prepare for other exams. For those who want
a career in corporate accounting, their graduate education prepares them for
taking the CMA exam. If you want to work as an internal auditor, you can use
your coursework to prepare for the CIA exam.
Programs offering graduate
accounting degrees generally let students focus on a specialized area. Students
have the option of taking nothing but accounting courses, some accounting and
some tax courses or a mixture of business and accounting courses. If you are
looking into running your own business or working in some type of management
capacity, you will probably benefit more from an MBA than what you will an MAA.
A master’s in accounting is an excellent
choice if you are planning on becoming an accounting teacher. Studying at the
graduate level allows you to gain additional recognition in educational
achievement that a BA isn’t able to do for you. Many students choose to pursue
their master’s in accounting because they can sit for their CPA exam a lot
quicker than a BA alone. Some accounting professionals aren’t able to pursue
graduate studies because they aren’t able to afford the cost of tuition. In
those instances, they often wait until they have the job experience to take the
test. If you want a quick path to a successful career, an MAA is a great
choice.