What Classes Do I Need to Become an Accountant?
Students who major in accounting can enjoy rewarding and stable careers because job opportunities for accountants will grow by 22 percent until 2018, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Aspiring accountants earn a bachelor's degree in the field, and many go on to graduate school to earn a master's degree in accounting. College and university accounting programs offer a mix of general education and general business classes as well as courses specific to the field.
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General Education Courses
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Undergraduate accounting majors begin their academic career by focusing on general education courses that give them a broad foundation for their accounting studies. For most accounting programs, students take an English composition course to strengthen their writing skills as well as a couple of math courses. Students also sign up for courses in the humanities, such as sociology and psychology, as well as a speech class to strengthen their public-speaking skills. Students take these courses in their first two years as an undergraduate.
General Business Courses
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Once accounting majors complete their general education requirements, they transition to the business school, where they begin to build their general business knowledge. In most accounting programs, students take courses outside of their field. So accounting students can expect to take business classes in marketing, economics, finance and management. At Nova Southeastern University in Florida, for example, accounting majors take 42 business credits in courses such as International Business, Business Law and Organizational Behavior.
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Major Courses
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Accounting students, of course, specialize in the accounting field by taking a number of courses specific to that area of business. These courses are typically taken in conjunction with other general business courses. Students can expect to take courses in both financial and managerial accounting. Other common accounting courses include cost accounting, accounting information systems and auditing. Many programs also require students to participate in an accounting internship in conjunction with their studies.
Graduate Courses
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Students who pursue accounting at the graduate level face more challenging coursework in the field. Graduate-level accounting courses are more specialized than their undergraduate counterparts. At the University of Florida, for example, accounting graduate students take three required courses: Mergers and Acquisitions and Consolidated Statements, Accounting Institutions and Professional Literature, and Tax Professional Research. They also take 12 credits of accounting electives in courses such as Strategic Costing, Taxation of Business Entities, International Accounting Issues and Executive Tax Planning.
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