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2 year associate or go for 4 year accounting degree?


lynn
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Every college is different, but the community college I work for does indeed have a 2-year degree that transfers to a 4-year degree. There is a difference between the 2-year degree in accounting that transfers, and the 2-year degree that doesn't transfer though. In my area, a 2-year accounting degree qualifies you for a more advanced bookkeeping job, but not much more. At the college, they want a 2-year degree for the first level of financial analyst job in the business office, but a 4-year degree for anything above that.

 

Most accountants that make good money have a CPA. Some have master's, some don't, but a CPA is pretty much a must after a bachelor's degree.

 

Here's a good summary: http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/accountant

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dh has a bs in accounting, then he got an MBA. how far your son pursues it *really* depends what he wants to do with the degree. check into various businesses, accounting firms, banks, etc and see what they require.

does he want to be an accountant, or use it as a jumping off point?

 

Does he eventually want to get a CPA? If he wants to do accounting as an occupation, he really needs a CPA to make a decent living.

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Does he eventually want to get a CPA? If he wants to do accounting as an occupation, he really needs a CPA to make a decent living.

 

 

I have two cousins that went for the associate degree due to finances. They worked as book keepers and accounting clerks with no chance of promotion other than seniority. Both went on to do a bachelor degree in accounting, and found jobs as accountants. They went on to get the CPA for promotions and better pay.

 

ETA: some companies do offer bonded scholarships for employees to pursue their accounting degree after their associate degree.

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Get the 4 year. Most states (maybe all?) require 150 credit hours to be a CPA. There are several people at work who have topped out in their careers with only a Bachelors, and now are looking to take more classes and sit for the CPA exam.

 

I have a Bachelors, a Masters in Accounting, and will be getting an MBA in Finance after I finish the CPA exam. I want to be a CFO, though, so it requires more.

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