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How to be an accountant?
How can I be a professional accountant after my high school?
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Doc’s Answer
Victory in order to become a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in Texas, there are several requirements including, but not limited to, the completion of a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university with at least 150 semester hours, including 24 hours in accounting and 24 hours in business. You must also complete 27 hours of upper-level accounting coursework, including 2 hours of accounting or tax research and analysis, and a 3-hour Board-approved ethics course.
EARN YOUR BACHELOR'S DEGREE
Earning a bachelor’s degree from an accredited educational institution is the first step to becoming a CPA, and many CPAs start with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Earning an accounting degree can help prepare you for the CPA exam, but majoring in accounting or a related discipline is not necessarily required. Other majors outside of accounting may lend a strong skill set to the field. For instance, English majors may benefit from strong writing and comprehension skills.
TAKE THE UNIFORM CPA EXAM
After meeting Texas education requirements, you’ll qualify to sit for the Uniform CPA Examination, which is required to become a CPA. This 16-hour exam includes multiple-choice questions, essay questions and scenario-based questions that require you to apply your knowledge to address specific workplace situations. All CPAs must pass this examination to become licensed, and some jurisdictions may also require a passing score on an ethics examination. Applicants may be required to provide fingerprints and complete a background check, depending on the state.
GAIN WORK EXPERIENCE
Gaining relevant work experience helps prepare you for an accounting career by teaching you about accounting practices and developing applicable skills needed to become a successful CPA. Specific work experience requirements vary by state, but you should plan to have at least one or two years of relevant work experience to become a CPA. Some states may require work experience to occur under the supervision of an active CPA.
OBTAIN YOUR TEXAS CPA LICENSE
CPA licenses are issued on a state level by each state’s board of accountancy, and each of the 55 jurisdictions within the U.S. sets its own specific licensing criteria. NASBA oversees licensing processes in all 55 jurisdictions. NASBA lists licensing requirements for each U.S. jurisdiction on its website. Familiarize yourself with your state’s specific standards early in the process to ensure you don’t miss any steps.
EARN YOUR BACHELOR'S DEGREE
Earning a bachelor’s degree from an accredited educational institution is the first step to becoming a CPA, and many CPAs start with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Earning an accounting degree can help prepare you for the CPA exam, but majoring in accounting or a related discipline is not necessarily required. Other majors outside of accounting may lend a strong skill set to the field. For instance, English majors may benefit from strong writing and comprehension skills.
TAKE THE UNIFORM CPA EXAM
After meeting Texas education requirements, you’ll qualify to sit for the Uniform CPA Examination, which is required to become a CPA. This 16-hour exam includes multiple-choice questions, essay questions and scenario-based questions that require you to apply your knowledge to address specific workplace situations. All CPAs must pass this examination to become licensed, and some jurisdictions may also require a passing score on an ethics examination. Applicants may be required to provide fingerprints and complete a background check, depending on the state.
GAIN WORK EXPERIENCE
Gaining relevant work experience helps prepare you for an accounting career by teaching you about accounting practices and developing applicable skills needed to become a successful CPA. Specific work experience requirements vary by state, but you should plan to have at least one or two years of relevant work experience to become a CPA. Some states may require work experience to occur under the supervision of an active CPA.
OBTAIN YOUR TEXAS CPA LICENSE
CPA licenses are issued on a state level by each state’s board of accountancy, and each of the 55 jurisdictions within the U.S. sets its own specific licensing criteria. NASBA oversees licensing processes in all 55 jurisdictions. NASBA lists licensing requirements for each U.S. jurisdiction on its website. Familiarize yourself with your state’s specific standards early in the process to ensure you don’t miss any steps.
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Updated
Damion’s Answer
Hello there,
I will echo Doc's statement somewhat but with some of the following differences:
All accountants are professionals. But there are as many different accountants jobs as there are ice cream flavors. You can be a public accountant without becoming a CPA, you can become a managerial accountant and get the credentials there for the CMA, you can forego credentials, you can be a bookkeeper, an analyst, many other jobs are out there in the accounting field.
Credentials are the keys that help you gain access to the upper levels in the accounting field. The majority of companies, accounting firms, etc. will want you to have your credentials in order to make manager or higher. Public accounting firms will almost universally require you to have your CPA if you want to make partner. You can usually substitute the EA credential or another such recognized credential for manager - director positions.
If you are going the public accounting route and working towards the CPA, the extra credit hours needed above and beyond the bachelor's degree means you're almost there for your master's degree and it does not hurt just to finish up the 10 or so credits and have that as well.
I would look at school's accounting programs and see if they actually tailor their program to the CPA or if it's more of a general pathway. Some will have the whole pipeline so that it works in tandem with you studying for the CPA, if that is the route you choose.
Best wishes!
I will echo Doc's statement somewhat but with some of the following differences:
All accountants are professionals. But there are as many different accountants jobs as there are ice cream flavors. You can be a public accountant without becoming a CPA, you can become a managerial accountant and get the credentials there for the CMA, you can forego credentials, you can be a bookkeeper, an analyst, many other jobs are out there in the accounting field.
Credentials are the keys that help you gain access to the upper levels in the accounting field. The majority of companies, accounting firms, etc. will want you to have your credentials in order to make manager or higher. Public accounting firms will almost universally require you to have your CPA if you want to make partner. You can usually substitute the EA credential or another such recognized credential for manager - director positions.
If you are going the public accounting route and working towards the CPA, the extra credit hours needed above and beyond the bachelor's degree means you're almost there for your master's degree and it does not hurt just to finish up the 10 or so credits and have that as well.
I would look at school's accounting programs and see if they actually tailor their program to the CPA or if it's more of a general pathway. Some will have the whole pipeline so that it works in tandem with you studying for the CPA, if that is the route you choose.
Best wishes!
Updated
Takera’s Answer
As an aspiring accountant, your journey to professional success starts with choosing a major in accounting or a related field. This will introduce you to the fundamental accounting standards and principles, forming a solid foundation for your future career. This knowledge will also be instrumental in preparing you for the CPA exam, a crucial step in becoming a certified accountant capable of practicing at an advanced level. The CPA exam consists of four parts, each designed to assess your proficiency in the essential aspects of accounting.
To boost your confidence and readiness for the exam, consider pursuing a master's degree in accounting. Numerous online programs are available nationwide, offering flexibility and convenience. Additionally, securing an internship between your junior and senior years of college can be highly beneficial. Not only will this provide practical accounting experience to add to your resume, but it will also make you a more appealing candidate for accounting firms of all sizes. Your journey may be challenging, but remember, every step you take brings you closer to your goal of becoming a professional accountant.
To boost your confidence and readiness for the exam, consider pursuing a master's degree in accounting. Numerous online programs are available nationwide, offering flexibility and convenience. Additionally, securing an internship between your junior and senior years of college can be highly beneficial. Not only will this provide practical accounting experience to add to your resume, but it will also make you a more appealing candidate for accounting firms of all sizes. Your journey may be challenging, but remember, every step you take brings you closer to your goal of becoming a professional accountant.
Updated
Savannah’s Answer
Hi Victory,
In order to become an accountant you need to graduate from college with a 4-year business degree in Accounting. However, your 4-year degree will only get you so far.
In Accounting, you start as a First-Year Associate and you can move up until you become a Partner. However, if you want to continue to move up, you will need to become a Certified Public Accountant, or CPA, first. In order to become a CPA, you have to study for a series of tests based on what you learned in college and pass them. You also have to have a certain amount of college credits and amount of work experience, which varies depending on the state that you take your tests in. Usually, a quick Google Search or a visit to the NASBA website will answer any questions that you may have about your specific requirements.
Accounting is not an easy career. Even through college and high school, you may find yourself struggling to understand concepts. Yet, with a positive attitude and a willingness to always advocate for yourself and ask questions, which you are already doing now, I believe that you will enjoy a career in the field! I have confidence that you will do amazing, and I wish you the best of luck with everything!
In order to become an accountant you need to graduate from college with a 4-year business degree in Accounting. However, your 4-year degree will only get you so far.
In Accounting, you start as a First-Year Associate and you can move up until you become a Partner. However, if you want to continue to move up, you will need to become a Certified Public Accountant, or CPA, first. In order to become a CPA, you have to study for a series of tests based on what you learned in college and pass them. You also have to have a certain amount of college credits and amount of work experience, which varies depending on the state that you take your tests in. Usually, a quick Google Search or a visit to the NASBA website will answer any questions that you may have about your specific requirements.
Accounting is not an easy career. Even through college and high school, you may find yourself struggling to understand concepts. Yet, with a positive attitude and a willingness to always advocate for yourself and ask questions, which you are already doing now, I believe that you will enjoy a career in the field! I have confidence that you will do amazing, and I wish you the best of luck with everything!
Updated
Zach’s Answer
In order to become an accountant after high school there are several steps:
1. Go to a college with a reputable accounting program. The better the accounting program is and the more recognized it is the easier it will be to get an internship and subsequently a full-time position with a firm of your choosing including the big 4.
2. Get good grades in college. You don't have to be a perfect 4.0 student but aiming to stay within or above the 3.3-3.5 GPA range will help getting your foot in the door for interviews, internships, and full-time jobs.
3. Once you have completed your undergraduate degree you will need to get to 150 credits which doesn't have to be accounting focused but getting your masters is helpful as you will have to study for the CPA anyway.
4. Take the CPA and pass all four parts. This part is optional as there are many jobs in accounting that do not require you to have your CPA. However, if you plan to work at a public accounting firm a CPA is generally required to move past the senior associate or manager position.
Hope this helps!
1. Go to a college with a reputable accounting program. The better the accounting program is and the more recognized it is the easier it will be to get an internship and subsequently a full-time position with a firm of your choosing including the big 4.
2. Get good grades in college. You don't have to be a perfect 4.0 student but aiming to stay within or above the 3.3-3.5 GPA range will help getting your foot in the door for interviews, internships, and full-time jobs.
3. Once you have completed your undergraduate degree you will need to get to 150 credits which doesn't have to be accounting focused but getting your masters is helpful as you will have to study for the CPA anyway.
4. Take the CPA and pass all four parts. This part is optional as there are many jobs in accounting that do not require you to have your CPA. However, if you plan to work at a public accounting firm a CPA is generally required to move past the senior associate or manager position.
Hope this helps!
Updated
Davielle’s Answer
Victory, you did a great job picking a discipline that is needed when times are great and when times aren't so great (recession). You will have to take some Accounting classes and most likely have a BA degree prior to getting into this field. As you rise through your organization, you may need even more training, such as continuing education where you have to take so many hours of classes per year, or you may need a CPA or CFP certification. I suggest you look at two things: (1) what size company you want to work for. I know it is early in your life, but some people gravitate toward big companies or small companies. In addition, (2) what type of work do you think you'd like to do? There's tax accounting, for individuals, like your parents' annual tax return preparation, or for corporations; accounts receivable, processing payments; payables, paying a company's bills; etc.. With every business you interact with - from your college, your grocery store, businesses you frequent like restaurants, ask them about who does their accounting and ask to talk with those people. You can get feedback directly from those who do the job - what skills are important, what type of education is required, what a typical day/week/month looks like. Good luck in your education!
Updated
Michael’s Answer
Hi Victory,
While in high school, one will need to focus on science and math classes to prepare for a career in Accounting. Physics and chemistry will be the core science courses. For math, algebra, statistics, geometry and calculus will be needed. Other classes to take will be computer science, economics, business, finance and applied technology. The combination of these concentrations will enable you to focus and refine your analytical skills; complex problem solving; investigative and innovative critical thinking; attention to detail and observation skills; etc.
Other skills that will need to be built upon center around team building, team work and communication. In any work culture, collaboration amongst team members, partner departments and clients occur on a daily basis. A college course in public speaking, communications and English will help with one's communication and writing skills since analysis reports are generated and findings are presented to colleagues and other professionals who deal with Accounting. Another recommendation is to seek the advice from your high school guidance counselor and teachers. They can help guide your educational pathway for Accounting.
A Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting will take 4 years to complete at a college or university. Upon completion, one has earned the designation of a Public Accountant (PA). From a public accounting firm, a PA will cover services such as audits, consultations and taxes.
After gaining years of accounting experience, the career path of a PA will lead one to pursue the CPA designation. CPA means Certified Public Accountant. In order to achieve this designation, one has to successfully pass the CPA exam as administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts (AICPA). The CPA exam consists of four parts:
- Auditing and Attestation (AUD)
- Business Environment and Concepts (BEC)
- Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)
- Regulation (REG)
Additional testing will be dependent upon the State where the CPA will be practicing. Per year, there will be a minimum of 40 hours of professional training for the maintenance of the CPA license. CPAs usually handle financial matters for clients; preparing and filing tax documents and creating detailed financial analysis reports.
According to U.S. News & World Report, here is a list of the top Accounting Programs in the United States:
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/business-accounting
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)
- Brigham Young University (Provo)
- Indiana University (Bloomington)
- University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)
- University of Notre Dame
- University of Pennsylvania
- New York University
- University of Southern California
- University of Florida
When reviewing colleges and universities, it is best to check the following:
- In-State vs Out of State Tuition
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Career Placement upon graduation
- Course work and offered classes
- Post-Graduate Degrees - Master and Doctoral
There will be a application fee to pay for when submitting college applications. The amount of application fee will depend on the college that you are applying to. If there are questions about the college application process, please reach out to the college's Registrar Office.
College and scholarship applications can start to be submitted during your Junior year and will continue throughout your Senior year in high school. It is best to ask your Academic Advisor/School Counselor on the timeline process as well. College and scholarship applications will have specific deadlines and requirements to meet in order to be submitted for review and consideration.
You may want to start to compile your resume/portfolio since a majority of college and scholarship applications will require academic grade point average (GPA), academic accomplishments, school activities (clubs, sports, etc.), community involvement (volunteer, church, etc.), academic and personal recommendations, etc. There may be essay requirements on why you are a qualified candidate to receive the scholarship and gain entry to the college of your choice, what your future goals are academically and professionally and other questions centering around who you are, your beliefs, etc.
Here are a couple of links for College Scholarships:
https://www.mometrix.com/blog/scholarships-for-college/
https://www.nchchonors.org/students/awards-scholarships/national-scholarships
Also, it will be best to check with the colleges and universities that you will be applying to. You can check with the School/Department of your desired major, the Campus Career Center and the Register's Office for additional information for college scholarships and grants and specific requirements for qualifications.
There should be no limit on the amount of scholarships that one can apply to. It will take time to fill out the scholarship applications and provide all of the necessary required information. Also, there should no fee and no cost to fill out and submit scholarship applications. If there is a fee or cost that is associated with a scholarship application, then please do not send this particular scholarship application in. It will be a scam and money will be lost.
Best wishes for your education and future career as an Accountant!
While in high school, one will need to focus on science and math classes to prepare for a career in Accounting. Physics and chemistry will be the core science courses. For math, algebra, statistics, geometry and calculus will be needed. Other classes to take will be computer science, economics, business, finance and applied technology. The combination of these concentrations will enable you to focus and refine your analytical skills; complex problem solving; investigative and innovative critical thinking; attention to detail and observation skills; etc.
Other skills that will need to be built upon center around team building, team work and communication. In any work culture, collaboration amongst team members, partner departments and clients occur on a daily basis. A college course in public speaking, communications and English will help with one's communication and writing skills since analysis reports are generated and findings are presented to colleagues and other professionals who deal with Accounting. Another recommendation is to seek the advice from your high school guidance counselor and teachers. They can help guide your educational pathway for Accounting.
A Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting will take 4 years to complete at a college or university. Upon completion, one has earned the designation of a Public Accountant (PA). From a public accounting firm, a PA will cover services such as audits, consultations and taxes.
After gaining years of accounting experience, the career path of a PA will lead one to pursue the CPA designation. CPA means Certified Public Accountant. In order to achieve this designation, one has to successfully pass the CPA exam as administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accounts (AICPA). The CPA exam consists of four parts:
- Auditing and Attestation (AUD)
- Business Environment and Concepts (BEC)
- Financial Accounting and Reporting (FAR)
- Regulation (REG)
Additional testing will be dependent upon the State where the CPA will be practicing. Per year, there will be a minimum of 40 hours of professional training for the maintenance of the CPA license. CPAs usually handle financial matters for clients; preparing and filing tax documents and creating detailed financial analysis reports.
According to U.S. News & World Report, here is a list of the top Accounting Programs in the United States:
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/rankings/business-accounting
- University of Texas at Austin
- University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign)
- Brigham Young University (Provo)
- Indiana University (Bloomington)
- University of Michigan (Ann Arbor)
- University of Notre Dame
- University of Pennsylvania
- New York University
- University of Southern California
- University of Florida
When reviewing colleges and universities, it is best to check the following:
- In-State vs Out of State Tuition
- Internships
- Scholarships
- Career Placement upon graduation
- Course work and offered classes
- Post-Graduate Degrees - Master and Doctoral
There will be a application fee to pay for when submitting college applications. The amount of application fee will depend on the college that you are applying to. If there are questions about the college application process, please reach out to the college's Registrar Office.
College and scholarship applications can start to be submitted during your Junior year and will continue throughout your Senior year in high school. It is best to ask your Academic Advisor/School Counselor on the timeline process as well. College and scholarship applications will have specific deadlines and requirements to meet in order to be submitted for review and consideration.
You may want to start to compile your resume/portfolio since a majority of college and scholarship applications will require academic grade point average (GPA), academic accomplishments, school activities (clubs, sports, etc.), community involvement (volunteer, church, etc.), academic and personal recommendations, etc. There may be essay requirements on why you are a qualified candidate to receive the scholarship and gain entry to the college of your choice, what your future goals are academically and professionally and other questions centering around who you are, your beliefs, etc.
Here are a couple of links for College Scholarships:
https://www.mometrix.com/blog/scholarships-for-college/
https://www.nchchonors.org/students/awards-scholarships/national-scholarships
Also, it will be best to check with the colleges and universities that you will be applying to. You can check with the School/Department of your desired major, the Campus Career Center and the Register's Office for additional information for college scholarships and grants and specific requirements for qualifications.
There should be no limit on the amount of scholarships that one can apply to. It will take time to fill out the scholarship applications and provide all of the necessary required information. Also, there should no fee and no cost to fill out and submit scholarship applications. If there is a fee or cost that is associated with a scholarship application, then please do not send this particular scholarship application in. It will be a scam and money will be lost.
Best wishes for your education and future career as an Accountant!