Accounting Degree: Requirements, CPA Path and Careers

01What an accounting degree prepares you to do

An accounting degree trains you in the language businesses use to measure performance: how transactions are recorded, how financial statements are built, how taxes are calculated and how auditors test whether reported numbers can be trusted. It is more technical and rules-based than most business majors, and it leads more directly to a specific profession.

That directness is the main appeal. Accountants and auditors are a large occupation, with 1,595,200 jobs in 2025 and a median pay of $83,680 in May 2025, according to the BLS. The BLS projects 5% growth from 2025 to 2035, faster than average. A bachelor's is the typical entry-level education, and the degree is also the foundation for the CPA license.

Accounting is a good fit if you like structured problems, care about precision, and are comfortable with spreadsheets and rules that change every year. It is a poor fit if you dislike detailed work, since even senior accountants spend real time reviewing numbers line by line.

02Accounting degree levels: associate, bachelor's and master's

Associate degree in accounting

An associate covers financial and managerial accounting, payroll, introductory tax and accounting software. It prepares you for clerk and bookkeeping roles, but be realistic about that market: the BLS reports bookkeeping, accounting and auditing clerks earned a median of $50,670 in May 2025, with a projected 6% decline from 2025 to 2035 as software automates routine entry. The associate is most valuable as a low-cost first half of a bachelor's. See how long it takes to get an associate degree.

Bachelor's accounting degree

This is the professional standard. Most staff accountant and audit associate jobs list a bachelor's in accounting, or a business degree with substantial accounting coursework, as the requirement.

Master's degree in accounting

A master of science in accounting degree deepens audit, tax, data analytics and research skills. Its traditional role was helping students reach 150 credit hours for the CPA. With the new 120-hour path, it is now more of a career choice than a requirement in states that adopted it, which we explain below.

03Courses in a bachelor's degree in accounting

A typical accounting major includes general education, a business core, and an accounting sequence like this:

• Principles of Financial Accounting and Managerial Accounting: the foundation every business student takes.
• Intermediate Accounting I and II: the heart of the major. Revenue recognition, leases, pensions, investments and complex balance sheet items under U.S. GAAP. Many students find these the hardest courses in the program.
• Cost Accounting: product costing, budgeting, variance analysis and decision-making for managers.
• Federal Income Taxation: individual taxation, often followed by a business entity tax course.
• Auditing: audit standards, evidence, internal controls, sampling and professional ethics.
• Accounting Information Systems: how accounting data flows through software and ERP systems, and how controls are built into them.
• Advanced Accounting: consolidations, partnerships, governmental and nonprofit accounting.
• Business Law: contracts, business entities and the Uniform Commercial Code, which also appears on the CPA Exam.

Many programs now add data analytics for accountants, covering spreadsheet modeling, data visualization and audit analytics, because firms increasingly expect it from new hires. If a program you are considering lacks an analytics course, plan to add one as an elective.

04How an accounting degree connects to the CPA

For decades, CPA candidates needed 150 semester hours of education, which is 30 more than a typical bachelor's. In May 2025, the AICPA and NASBA approved model legislation adding a second path: a bachelor's degree (120 hours) plus two years of experience plus passing the exam. A large and growing number of states have adopted versions of this path, with effective dates running through 2027, so check your state board through NASBA before planning.

Either way, your degree must include enough accounting and business coursework to meet your state's subject requirements, which is why an accounting major is the most direct route. The CPA Exam itself has three Core sections (Auditing and Attestation, Financial Accounting and Reporting, and Taxation and Regulation) plus one Discipline section you choose. Our page on CPA degree requirements walks through both paths and how to reach 150 hours if you need them.

05Forensic accounting and other specializations

A forensic accounting degree, or a forensic concentration within an accounting major, focuses on fraud examination, litigation support, financial investigation and expert testimony. Students typically complete the full accounting core and then add courses on fraud schemes, interviewing, evidence and data analytics. Forensic work is usually entered after a few years of audit or investigative experience, so the concentration is best viewed as a direction for your career rather than an entry ticket.

Other common specializations include taxation, internal audit, governmental and nonprofit accounting, and accounting information systems. If you are interested in data-heavy work, pairing accounting with business analytics coursework is increasingly valuable.

06What can you do with an accounting degree?

Accounting graduates typically choose among four broad paths:

1. Public accounting: audit, tax and advisory work for clients at accounting firms. This path is the most CPA-focused and offers structured early training.
2. Corporate (industry) accounting: staff accountant, cost accountant, financial reporting or internal audit roles inside a company, with a path toward controller and finance leadership.
3. Government: auditing agencies, tax administration and public budget work.
4. Nonprofit: grant accounting, fund accounting and financial reporting for mission-driven organizations.

Financial manager roles, which include controllers and finance directors, usually require several years of experience. For a deeper breakdown by path, see accounting degree jobs.

07Studying for an accounting degree online

An online accounting degree covers the same coursework and, from an accredited school, carries the same weight for jobs and CPA eligibility. State boards care about accreditation and course content, not delivery format. Online programs suit career changers and working bookkeepers well, though intermediate accounting can be hard to learn without strong instructor support, so ask how tutoring and office hours work. Our separate guide to online accounting degree programs covers formats, proctored exams and costs in detail.

08How to choose an accounting program

• Institutional accreditation from an accreditor recognized by the Department of Education or CHEA. This is non-negotiable for CPA eligibility.
• Business or accounting accreditation. AACSB, which accredits 1,098 schools as of September 2026, offers a separate accounting accreditation at some schools; ACBSP and IACBE also accredit accounting programs. Some employers and states treat these favorably.
• Course map against your state's CPA rules. Count accounting and business credit hours and compare them with your state board's requirements before you enroll.
• Internship support. Public accounting recruits heavily from internships, so ask about recruiting relationships even for online students.
• Total cost. The College Board reports 2025-26 average published tuition and fees of $4,150 at public two-year colleges (in-district) and $11,950 at public four-year schools (in-state). Starting at a community college and transferring can cut costs if the credits apply to the major.