Accounting
What Can I Do With A Major In Accounting and Finance?
Accounting deals with communicating business and financial information. Majoring in accounting can lead to a variety of career paths in many different industries. Career paths can be generally categorized into two broad categories: public accounting and non-profit accounting.
Public accounting includes external auditing, tax planning and return preparation, and consulting. Usually one obtains the CPA (Certified Public Accountant) designation when choosing the public accounting career path. The CPA designation requires 150 college hours, most often achieved by obtaining a Masters of Accountancy degree after getting a bachelors degree.
Non-public accounting includes a very diverse collection of occupations such as: corporate controller, internal auditor, cost account, tax accountant, budget accountant, IRS agent, government auditor, nonprofit controller, government accountant, credit manager, and financial institution officer. Non-public accounting positions usually do not require a CPA designation; thus a bachelors degree is adequate preparation for these jobs. Often businesses desire accounting students for all types of non-accounting positions because of their broad business training and overall knowledge of the financial impacts of business events.
A Sample of Related Occupations
Types of Employers
Private and Non-profit Organizations
Banks
Hospitals
Brokerage Houses
Insurance Companies
Chemical Manufacturers
Manufacturing Companies
Colleges/Universities
Nonprofit Organizations
Construction Firms
Pharmaceutical Companies
Consulting Firms
Private Accounting Firms
Credit Unions
Public Accounting Firms
Engineering Firms
Service Organizations
Finance Companies
Transportation Companies
High Technology Companies
Wholesale/Retail Operations
Government Agencies
Export Bank of the U.S.
Local Governments
Federal Bureau of Investigation
National Credit Union Administration
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Comptroller of the Currency
Federal Trade Commission
Office of Budget and Management
Financial Management Service
Office of the State Auditor
General Accounting Office
School Districts
Health Care Financing Administration
Securities and Exchange Commission
Internal Revenue Service
State Governments
International Trade Administration
U.S. Forest Service
Related Web Links
Professional Associations
For additional information see the
Occupational Handbook
